Planters around what will be the outdoor cafe area
Back in December we reported that BAC was developing an ‘urban park’ on Town Hall Road, which at the time was a barriered-off and rather sad-looking road used mainly for deliveries. It was a bold project that faced various hurdles (they didn’t own all the land, they had many other issues on heir hands, and at the time they didn’t have all the cash either) but we’re very happy to see that work is now well underway.
Several new street trees have been planted right along the length of the street. At this point we may have to disappoint any readers who might be hoping that this work will turn the street in to the sort of lush green wilderness you could lose the dog in if you weren’t careful: it’s simply not possible to do that here, because while Town Hall Road is no longer open to traffic it still has to allow for delivery (and fire!) access, as well as being a right of way – however the street level has been raised to be flush with the pavement, and the many planters that will be used create the park effect are currently being prepared.
One of the more unusual features is the creation of a large planted area on the old raised platform, which had been designed as a sort of viewpoint (but which never really worked). This will house large twisted metal girder that was pulled out of the wreckage of the major fire that destroyed the Great Hall – pictured above. Work here is also underway, with steel edging now in place and wiring installed for some lighting.
The two old phone boxes have been restored and repainted (the ultimate aim is for them to house a garden store and a sink to support volunteers during gardening projects). The pavement in front of the main entrance to BAC, which was made of proper stone but which had become cracked and uneven over the years, has been completely resurfaced with new stone, and the heritage street lights have all been fully restored and got back in to working order (with energy efficient white LED lighting that suits the building better).
All in all – this is progressing really well, and it already looks better than it did before. We very much applaud the imagination and enthusiasm of the team at BAC in making this happen.
Betting shops are unusual businesses. There’s nothing perishable, and running costs are low. But they pay staff, rent, and business rates like any other business. They’re inherently vulnerable to online competition. The traditional bets on the horses have been bringing in less and less money in recent years – instead, most of the stores have come to rely on the income from the slot machines – ‘Fixed Odds Betting Terminals’, or FOBTs. These typically take a cut of 3-10% of all bets placed, and with each stake between £1 and £100, they were sometimes fabulously profitable!
But it’s clear that many will be sad to see these go. Obviously it’s a loss of business rates, and jobs for those who managed the shops. There’s clearly also a social side to these businesses – at least for the regular customers, some of whom have been customers for many years. Betting shops (and the fees they pay for the live streaming of racing) are an important source of income for the racing sector, which will lose millions of pounds of annual income. Some argue that all that will happen is that the gambling will be pushed online, where it’s even less regulated and without the presence of store managers trained to recognise ‘problem betters’, gambling addicts could lose even more money.
Planned view from Wixs Lane (© Add Architects)
The current view (© Google StreetView)
Planned aerial view (© Add Architects)
The development was somewhat controversial when it was going through the planning process (the site is only just able to accommodate nine houses, and they are close to their neighbours on Lavender Hill) – however now that work is complete the street looks decent, and the houses look to be well built to a good standard. A bit of greenery would help the feel of the place, and (as it was part of the original plans) may yet be added.
According to the plans that were submitted for approval, three further small blocks are set to be built further to the east (one of them in the sunken car park area behind The Crown pub).
The roof of the storage sheds attached to the neighbouring flats has also been cleared. The intention is for this rather underused space to house plants, as well as a twisted roof girder that was rescued from the fire in the Grand Hall, and which will be reborn as a feature set among the plants.
