The FoBP and the Broomfield House Trust welcome Enfield's recent decision to carry out a feasibility study into the viability of repairing and reconstructingthe exterior shell of the building and reinstatement of essential interior structure that may be necessary to provide structural integrity. The interior will not be fitted out other than as a café on the ground floor and other suitable income generating uses will be investigated.Funding would be provided by the disposal of the stableyard for housing.
- Our comments are as follows:
"Over recent months the Council-led Broomfield House
Partnership Board has examined a range of options for the reconstruction of
Broomfield House. The Broomfield House Trust, the Friends of Broomfield Park
and Historic England are represented on the Partnership Board.
These options range from a full heritage-standard repair
and reconstruction of the House, partial reconstruction through to demolition. The
funding implications of each option were examined. Although we would have wished to develop the
stable yard for community use, the only combination of options and funding
which approached the main aim of reconstructing and reopening the House relies
on housing development in the stable yard.
We believe that if the House is reconstructed as proposed
in the LBE statement it will be possible to attract further funding to complete
the full reconstruction of the House and eventually, the restoration of the Lanscroon
Murals. Attempting to attract full funding from commercial or charitable
sources in one go has proved impossible, and partial reconstruction of the
House would be inappropriate in both historic building and landscape terms. We
found our views were consistent with the Conservation Architect who attended the
last meeting of the Partnership Board and we look forward to seeing his ideas
developed.
The Council’s statement makes it clear that there are
issues which need to be explored, but clearly if we are unsuccessful in
resolving them the House is likely to be demolished. In the interim the Council
sees the merit of ongoing funding for stabilising the house and protecting it
(hoarding and surveillance) both on safety grounds and to meet Historic England
requirements."
- The Enfield statement is as follows:
"The Council, working in
partnership with the Broomfield House Partnership Board, aims to resolve the
future of Broomfield House which is currently unsafe and a blight on the Park.
In March 2019 the
Executive Director of Place, Sarah Cary in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Property & Assets, Cllr Ahmet Oykener, approved further feasibility
work be undertaken into the viability of delivering a shell reconstruction of
Broomfield House. This would be cost neutral to the Council with funding
arising from the disposal of the redundant fire damaged stable block / yard
which was formerly used for staff accommodation for repair and development and
without reliance upon obtaining grant aid.
Feasibility work will
include pre application planning advice from Historic England and the Local
Planning Authority and further market testing of the stable block / yard for a
residential development.
The approval noted that
the Council-led shell reconstruction envisages repair and reconstruction
of the exterior shell of the building and reinstatement of essential interior
structure that may be necessary to provide structural integrity. The interior
will not be fitted out other than as a café on the ground floor and other
suitable income generating uses will be investigated.
It is further noted
that the outcome of the feasibility work will be reported to Cabinet for
approval of the way forward. If the shell option is not viable, an application
to the Secretary of State to review the listing and dismantling of the
remaining structure would be the only remaining viable and deliverable
alternative.
It was approved that
the Partnership Board continue as a consultation body to oversee the
development of the option.
A capital budget was
approved to enable the shell option to be progressed and to enable the ongoing
protection and maintenance of the house and related heritage assets over the
next year.
Contact officer: Mark
Bradbury, LBE Director of Property and Economy
