New lease of life for abandoned museum
DEVELOPER SUBMITS BID TO TRANSFORM UPPER FLOORS OF TOWN CENTRE BUILDING THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT UNTOUCHED FOR 40 YEARS –
BURTON’S former museum could be turned into flats 40 years after it was last used, new plans have revealed.
The former Burton Museum and Art Gallery, on the corner of Station Street and Guild Street, has been empty since its artefacts were removed following its closure in the early 1980s. Despite several planning applications in the following decades, it has remained disused and is now decaying, according to the latest plans.
The building was originally Burton Police Station built in 1910 before the First World War as a replacement for the older police station which was on the same site, and dated back to 1848.
Police left the building in 1915 and it later became the Burton Museum and Art Gallery.
It is not a listed building but does fall within the George Street Conservation Area.
Hereford firm Joyn Property Ltd has submitted a planning application to East Staffordshire Borough Council for permission to turn the first and second floors into eight one- and five two-bedroom apartments.
The ground floor would remain as retail and currently has business based in it, including real ale shop Brews of the World. Part of the ground floor is empty having been previously occupied by Italian restaurant Veneziaa, which relocated further along Station Street.
JMI Planning, which has been appointed as agents, said in a report to the council: “The ground-floor premises have undergone various changes of use but despite attempts to introduce new uses within the upper floors they have lain disused for a significant period of time.”
It went on to say: “The works will also serve to repair areas which have begun to decay owing to the significant period of time in which the building has lain vacant.
“The main internal staircase will be retained alongside the ground, first floor and second floor lobby floor space which contain attractive details likely dating back to 1915 and potentially even 1910.
“The application site has been vacant since 1980 when the museum closed and is available immediately for redevelopment.
“The nature of the site is such that retail use would not be suitable in this upper floor location. There has been no interest from purchasers over the years to purchase the site and this is likely to be due to the size of the space and the lack of windows in some areas which does not make for a suitable environment for common upper floor town centre uses such as office space.
“The lack of interest in the property as a commercial asset demonstrate that the commercial use is unviable.”
The application includes cycle spaces but no designated parking spaces.
In the application, the report argues that due to the proposed occupiers being “young professionals” and that the flats will be close to the town centre, then car parking would not be needed.
It said: “The application site is located in a highly sustainable location within the centre of Burton and has easy access to retail and employment opportunities in the immediate vicinity. The property is located 140 metres walking distance from a bus stop in Union Street which is served by a large number of services linking to Queen’s Hospital, and to nearby Uttoxeter and Derby.
“Two sets of cycle stores are to be provided on the ground floor which allow for enough space for each unit to benefit from secure cycle storage.” Councillor Helen Hall, who represents Burton on the borough council, told the Burton Mail: “Although there has been a number of previous plans for the building, nothing has been done with it in my lifetime. “It is falling into disrepair. “Having the flats above the shops doesn’t impede on the retail aspect.
“It will be convenient for people going to the supermarket or any other shops in the town centre.”
Councillor Hall also added it was good to see that important features of the building were to be maintained by the developer.
However, she is concerned about the lack of car parking, especially as some of the flats would be two-bedrooms.
She said: “There is no adequate parking nearby. You cannot guarantee there wouldn’t be a family in the flats or who may work out of town.”
Councillor Hall also believes the building could no longer be a museum, saying: “There are other buildings available such as the magistrates’ court as this building is probably in a bad way.”
The Burton Mail has contacted Burton Civic Society for comment.
In 1915 Burton Corporation opened the museum and art gallery in the town’s former police station building.
It included collections of artefacts belonging to the Burton-upon-trent Natural History and Archaeological Society.
In 1921 an extensive private collection of zoological specimens was purchased from the estate of the society’s president Philip Mason of Trent House, Bridge Street in the town.
In 1923 the corporation was given the natural history collection from Rolleston Hall, and in 1928 it opened an extension to house them.
When the first rumblings that Burton Museum may have to close were aired in March 1980, it was revealed that councillors did not know the value or even the contents of the museum but agreed that if the museum did have to close, alternative accommodation for many of the exhibits should be found.
When the museum and art gallery was closed in 1981 some collection items were transferred to the old Bass Museum in Horninglow Street, Burton Library, Meadowside Leisure Centre, others to Derby Museum and Art Gallery and the Staffordshire County Museum at Shugborough.
More recently, lost artefacts from the museum have been located 150 miles away in an auction.
Historian David Adkins, whose father spent a brief spell working in the old Burton museum, recently purchased the exhibits, known as the African Collection, for £65.
They include dried snake skin, a hippo tooth and porcupine quills.
And they still have their Burton Museum labels dating back to 1932.
Although there have been previous plans for the building, nothing has been done with it in my lifetime.
Cllr Helen Hall