NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 19! 12 JANUARY 2020

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FRIENDS OF THE OLD TOWN HALL

Well, things have moved a long way since our September Newsletter. Where are we now? As you’ll know from the press release we sent you on 21 December, the Council’s Planning Committee, regrettably, gave full consent for Mr Efe Omu’s plans to turn the building into serviced apartments, hotel rooms and an indoor market. While it’s good that the building will be restored we are unhappy that the Committee chose to ignore Historic England’s advice – see below, where we look at how the Council handled the planning application.

So, where next for FOTH’s campaign? Obviously our fight to retain something of the significance of the Old Town Hall as a former courthouse has stalled. But we believe we need to monitor what actually happens to the building. The one sort-of saving grace in the Planning Committee’s decision was the imposition of a very long list of conditions, some of which have to be met before any development work can even begin. Two of these require the completion of a full photographic survey of the interior, which must be deposited with the South Yorks Archaeology Service; and a written agreement with the Council on a survey of the timber benches in the main courtrooms, plans for their re-use in the building or, where not re-used, for their appropriate relocation within Sheffield. Other conditions state that no work can be done in the ornate Judges’ rooms, or on the light lanterns in the courts, again without written approval by the Council. This is all ‘in order to protect the character of the original building’. Someone needs to keep an eye on all this, and ask the right questions. So that’s what we’ll do. We are especially concerned about whether the Council will have the staff resources to enforce these conditions; we all know they’re trying to reduce the number of planning staff significantly. One councillor did ask whether the resources would be there; the answer, ‘at the moment’, didn’t inspire confidence.Please note, because of these conditions it may be a while before any major work begins; if you see anything to suggest otherwise, let us know so we can check it out.

OTH

OLD TOWN HALL

OTH

OLD TOWN HALL

NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 19! 12 JANUARY 2020

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THE PLANNING PROCESS

Procedures are laid down in law, like planning policy. That meant FOTH could go along to the Committee and state our grounds for objecting to the loss of the interiors of all 3 of the main courtrooms, and plead for retention of at least Court 1, the most ornate of them. We took a more restrained line than Historic England, which in commenting on an application about a Grade 2 listed building – which they don’t often do – asked the Council to make sure the heritage benefits of the proposal were maximised so that the OTH’s significance as a former courthouse was not only retained but maximised. Sadly officers dismissed this as adding nothing to objections from bodies like the Friends, and it was barely discussed by councillors. So though we got a polite hearing, it was to no avail.

One unfortunate feature of the meeting was that while officers told councillors who raised doubts about Mr Emu’s business plan that they could not address this as it wasn’t a planning matter, the same officers repeatedly said there was no viable alternative mix of uses than the one before them. We know this is just not true (and have told the Council this more than once). The work FOTH commissioned in the last couple of years conclusively showed this.

The other oddity – apart from councillors being refused a site visit, on health and safety grounds (hmm) was that the members who asked for images of what the inside of the OTH would look like after restoration were told none were available and the Council had no powers to demand them. Barely 20 minutes after the Committee passed the applications, the Council issued a press notice which includes such an image, of Court 1; and the next morning, published two more, of Courts 2 and 3. We were told this was cock-up, not conspiracy. You’ll see one of these images in this newsletter.

What do you think of it? The Planning Committee was told firmly that pretty much all of the furnishings and fittings in the big courts would be retained, apart from the benches in the well of the courts. Have a look at Court 1 as it now is, and the image of its future state. We don’t see the dock, the witness box.......and if you were in there and turned round, you’d see the two bathrooms that are to be inserted underneath the gallery at the back. Anyway, we’d be glad to have your reactions.

NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 19! 12 JANUARY 2020

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THE CURRENT STATE

AND FOR THE FUTURE

NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 19! 12 JANUARY 2020

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COMING EVENTS IN 2020

We shall be at the Heritage Fair that takes place in the Millennium Galleries on Saturday 18 January, from 10 – 4, and on Sunday 19 January, from 11 – 3.

Many other heritage groups will also have stalls. Last year’s Fair was a huge success and we expect this one to be of equal interest. Do come along – it’s free! - and have a chat. We’d love to hear your views.

And on Saturday 21 March the Friends will appear at another event: the Crown Courts Open Day, at the Courts building in West Bar.

This runs from 10 – 4 and will offer a huge range of things to see: mock trials, visits to the cells, vintage and modern police and fire service vehicles, police dogs and horses......stalls run by us, the Emergency Services Museum, and also all the varied services that go to make our courts system work. Again, it’s free.

HOW TO CONTACT US AT FOTHWe are on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/OTHSheffield We have a blog at https://friendsofothsheffield.wordpress.com/ We have our own website: https://sheffieldoldtownhall.co.ukYou can always email us at: fothsheffield@gmail.com