Assembly Rooms: National organisations wade into argument over demolition condition removal
Two leading national organisations have added their voices to growing concerns over city planners allowing the Assembly Rooms to be demolished before an approved, costed and timetabled plan is in place to replace the building, which has stood empty since 2014.
Historic England and the Twentieth Century Society have waded into the argument over whether Derby City Council's application to remove a planning condition regarding the demolition of the Assembly Rooms should be allowed. The condition currently prevents the demolition of the well-known city venue until a replacement scheme has been given planning permission, is contracted out and has a timeframe for its implementation.
The council was looking to start demolition of the Market Place building this autumn but the condition - accompanying the original demolition go-ahead in 2020 - is standing in the way. A number of heritage and conservation experts have already expressed concern and anger over the proposed removal of the condition.
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The city council has entered a pre-development agreement with developers Vinci UK Developments Ltd, which has drawn up some initial ideas in a vision statement for a multi-storey office and meeting space, as well as restaurant, hotel and commercial spaces., which prevented with the planning application.
Historic England previously expressed concern in 2020 that demolition should not happen without a redevelopment scheme in place, the loss of the enclosure to the Market Place and uncertainty over timeframe for redevelopment, which it says remains relevant.
Writing to the city council, Molly Edwards, Historic England's inspector of historic buildings and areas, said: "The planning condition requires that demolition can only commence once a comprehensive scheme for redevelopment is approved in writing by the city council with a contract setting out a timeframe for delivery.
"We advise the city council to consider if the submitted Vision Statement matches the comprehensive redevelopment scheme required by your own condition. In our experience, a redevelopment scheme would provide more detail, covering building heights, final massing, relief of massing, and external treatments that reflect the character of the conservation area.
"This information may be available and if so, could usefully be added to the vision statement to provide missing detail. Your authority should also be satisfied that a contract with a time frame is in place in order to discharge this condition. Furthermore any amended Vision Statement should assess the impact of the proposed redevelopment on the setting of the Derwent Valley Mills Heritage site."
Concern that non-sympathetic development of the Market Place could impact on the Derwent Valley Mills Heritage site, which stretches from Cromford to Derby, and result in the status being withdrawn, has previously been expressed.
The Twentieth Century Society, which campaigns to save outstanding buildings and design that have shaped the British landscape since 1914, has also responded to the plan to remove the condition that stops the Assembly Rooms being knocked down currently. The society is on record saying that says that the Assembly Rooms "is an important post-war civic building in Derby, built by a reputable architects’ practice to a fantastically high standard".
A society spokesman said: "We registered strong objections to the planning application for the demolition of the Assembly Rooms. We argued that the building should be considered a positive contributor to Derby city centre conservation area and that its loss would result in heritage harm. We maintain this position and continue to strongly object to the building’s demolition.
"The submitted Vision Statement provides little information on the proposed redevelopment: the document shows how the buildings would be positioned and very roughly indicates their outline massing using box-like forms but that is all. The report lacks detail regarding the form, character and architectural treatment of the proposed redevelopment. It is our view that the documents submitted do not detail a comprehensive redevelopment scheme.
"As a result, we consider that the information provided does not meet the requirements of the condition. We recommend that the local planning authority does not discharge the condition based on the information submitted."
The Assembly Rooms was built in 1973-7 by the highly regarded 20th-century architects Casson, Conder & Partners in collaboration with the borough architect’s department. It was designed by Neville Conder and Montague Thurland.
The practice’s scheme for the new venue was selected following a competition in 1970 which saw entries from a number of eminent architects. The brief was to provide a mixed-use venue, with the council requesting that there be no hierarchy in shared enjoyments in the new building, in that “serious pursuits and casual fun, formal occasions and the letting off of steam should all be viewed as equally important facets of Derby’s single culture and that the buildings designed to house these activities must be able to give an equally inviting welcome to a symphony concert or a rave-up."
Other concerned local organisations include Derby Civic Society and the council's own Conservation and Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC), whose members read about the proposed discharge of conditions when they read about it on Derbyshire Live.
Previously, council leader Nadine Peatfield said: "We're pleased that an application has been submitted to the local planning authority to satisfy the planning conditions in order for demolition and redevelopment of the site to proceed.
"This marks a positive step forward in redeveloping this important city centre site. As part of the preparation works, the Jacobean ceiling was removed and placed in storage to keep it safe. As the project progresses, we will determine how best to use it in the new site.
"We continue to work closely with our preferred development partners, supporting them with their masterplan and redevelopment proposals for the cultural heart of the city."
The Assembly Rooms closed following a fire in the plant room on top of the adjacent car park, although the entertainment venue was not affected by the blaze, on March 14, 2014.
Initially, it was going to be rebuilt, then it was going to be refurbished and then finally, it was decided it would be demolished, disappointing thousands of people who had signed petitions to keep the building which was opened in 1997 by the late Queen Mother
Consultation on the condition discharge ended on Friday, September 6 and the application is pending consideration by planners.