‘Save the Assembly Rooms’
OPPOSITION to the demolition of the Assembly Rooms in Derby has been mounting over the past few weeks as at least 16 objection letters have been submitted by both individuals and prominent organisations.
Historic England, the Theatres Trust, Twentieth Century Society and the Derby Civic Society have written to Derby City Council to object to its application for planning permission to knock down the Market Place building and adjacent ent car park.
The 43-year-old building g has stood unused in Derby’s Market arket place since March 2014 followwing a fire in the plant room on n top of the car park.
Various plans were put forward in the interim to demolish and build a new venue in its place and more recently the current council administration had decided to refurbish it at a cost of £23 3 million.
But the plug was pulled on that plan earlier this year when hen it was realised that the work would cost in the region of £33.5 million. lion.
Last month, the council announced it was planning to build an alternative performance venue holding 3,500 and costing £43 million in the Becketwell area of the city and demolish the Assembly Rooms within the next 18 months.
It said the open space would then be used as a leisure area and car park until a permanent plan for the site was drawn up.
The Theatres Trust accepts the challenge in retaining the Assembly Rooms financially but says in “the absence of commitment to and permission for a suitable replacement venue with a realistic delivery plan we are currently unable to support the application for demolition of the Assembly Rooms”.
The trust’s statement goes on to
say: “We would strongly encourage the council to commit to replacement of the Assembly Rooms and for such a scheme to have full planning permission before demolition of the Assembly Rooms is undertaken. We would also encourage such plans to be finalised as soon as is practical given the continuing lack of provision in Derby.”
Historic England has also expressed concerns about the impact of demolition on the city centre conservation area and says it will have a “harmful impact” on the Market Place.
The letter of objection said: “No redevelopment proposals accompany this planning application. The supporting information states the site w would be used in the short to medium mediu term as a temporary market wi with seating areas, public open space and car-parking. However, no plans for this are included in the application.
“The proposed demolition would completely remove the essential enclosure of a substantial part of the Market Place, leaving it open on the northern and eastern sides. The character of the Market Place as an enclosed urban space would be seriously eroded. The proposed demolition and loss of enclosure of this important civic space would reveal the rear sides of buildings located on Iron Gate and other unintended views, which would form an unsightly backdrop to the historic Market Place.
“The application documents suggest that the Market Place could well remain open and unenclosed in the medium term, which could be a considerable number of years. The lack of any replacement development to suitably enclose the Market Place would constitute an ongoing adverse impact and could have a negative impact on investment and confidence in this area.”
The planning application gives more details of how and why the council has decided not to press ahead with refurbishment and also its justification for demolition.
It lists safety reasons, together with the maintenance burden of ensuring the building remains secure and safe, which currently costs £70,000 a year.
The council also justifies the demolition by saying that it will give the Market Place and Cathedral Quarter area a greater chance of regeneration and future development.
The Assembly Rooms was built by
Casson Conder in the style of Brutalism, which emerged in the 1950s and grew out of the early-20th century modernist movement. Brutalist buildings are characterised by their massive, monolithic and blocky appearance with a rigid geometric style and large-scale use of poured concrete.
The architectural features of the building’s exterior have been praised previously by the Royal Institute of British architects (RIBA).
In its objection, Derby Civic Society has revealed that it intends to apply for the Assembly Rooms to have statutory listing, when the certificate of immunity (COI) expires next May. The COI was procured by the city council in 2016 and lasts for five years, meaning it cannot be listed.
Ian Goodwin, society vice-chairman. said: “Our intention to apply for listing may have influenced the city council’s haste to apply for planning permission to demolish the building before it is listed. The building is held in high regard both locally and nationally by the architectural establishment. We think that future generations will embrace brutalism as an important example of 20th century architecture.
“We support a new performance venue in Becketwell and we would like to see the Assembly Rooms remodelled to provide a new conference centre and an innovation centre. In the meantime, it should be reopened at minimal cost while the new venue is being built, which might not be completed until 2026.
“If for some unknown reason the planning committee decides to grant permission to demolish the Assembly Rooms, we request there is a condition added that requires a signed contract for a replacement building on the site before demolition is allowed to take place.”
Comments on the application have now closed and a decision on the future of the Assembly Rooms should be known in the next couple of months.