Coordinates: 51°19′53″N 0°07′31″W / 51.3315°N 0.1252°W / 51.3315; -0.1252

Purley Council Offices

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Purley Council Offices
Purley Council offices
LocationBrighton Road, Purley
Coordinates51°19′53″N 0°07′31″W / 51.3315°N 0.1252°W / 51.3315; -0.1252
Built1930
ArchitectW. B. Nicholls and Basil Hughes
Architectural style(s)Neo-Georgian style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official namePurley Council Offices including attached railings
Designated21 March 2002
Reference no.1063902
Purley Council Offices is located in London Borough of Croydon
Purley Council Offices
Shown in Croydon

Purley Council Offices, also known as Purley Town Hall,[1] is a former municipal building in Brighton Road, Purley, London. The structure, which was the headquarters of Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building.[2]

History

Following significant population growth, largely associated with the increasing number of commuter homes in the area, the villages of Coulsdon, Purley and Sanderstead were brought together as an urban district within the historic county of Surrey in 1915.[3] In the 1920s the new civic leaders decided to procure council offices for the area: the site chosen was open land on the north side of Brighton Road.[4] The new building was the subject of a design competition which was assessed by Philip Hepworth[5] and won by W. B. Nicholls and Basil Hughes.[6]

The new building was designed in the Neo-Georgian style, built in red brick with stone dressings at a cost of £30,000 and was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir William Neal, on 8 November 1930.[7] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with seven bays facing onto Brighton Road with the end bays slightly set back; the central section of three bays, which slightly projected forward, featured a full-height tetrastyle portico with two Ionic order columns flanked by two Doric order pilasters supporting an entablature and a modillioned pediment containing an oculus in the tympanum.[2] There were three recessed round headed doorways on the ground floor and three recessed French doors with iron balconies on the first floor.[2] The side bays contained sash windows on both floors and the end bays contained sash windows on the ground floor and casement windows on the first floor.[2] Internally, the principal rooms were the council chamber, which featured a barrel vaulted ceiling, and the two committee rooms.[2] An extension to the rear was completed in May 1937.[2]

The building continued to serve as the headquarters of the urban district council for much of the 20th century but ceased to serve as the local of seat of government when the enlarged London Borough of Croydon was formed in 1965.[8] It subsequently served as a venue for community events before being sold to a developer in 2002;[9] it then remained derelict for a decade before being converted into twenty-three apartments in 2012.[10] A scheme submitted by the developer seeking to undertake underground excavation to create an extra eight apartments was refused by the council in July 2015.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Living in Purley: area guide to homes, schools and transport links". The Evening Standard. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Historic England. "Purley Council Offices including attached railings (1063902)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Coulsdon and Purley UD". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1913. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Council Offices and Fire Station". Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects. p. 323. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  6. ^ "London's Town Halls". English Heritage. p. 45. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  7. ^ Coulsdon and Purley Council Offices. Vol. 78. The Surveyor and Municipal and County Engineer. 14 November 1830. p. 500. New offices for Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council, Surrey, were formally opened on Monday last by the Lord Mayor of London
  8. ^ "Local Government Act 1963". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Meeting house is under threat". News Shopper. 27 November 2001. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  10. ^ "Residents' concerns at scheme to undermine Purley Town Hall". Inside Croydon. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Permission refused for Purley Town Hall's underground flats". Inside Croydon. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
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