Civic Centre, Dagenham

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Civic Centre, Dagenham
Dagenham civic center london.jpg
Barking and Dagenham London UK location map.svg
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Location of Dagenham Civic Centre in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
General information
Architectural style Modern architecture
Classification
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated24 August 1981
Reference no.1064422
Coordinates 51°33′37″N0°09′22″E / 51.5603°N 0.15615°E / 51.5603; 0.15615 Coordinates: 51°33′37″N0°09′22″E / 51.5603°N 0.15615°E / 51.5603; 0.15615
Construction started1936
Completed1937
OpenedOctober 1937
Renovated2003
Design and construction
Architect Ernest Berry Webber
Renovating team
Renovating firmRichard Griffiths & Hawkins Brown

The Civic Centre in Dagenham is a former municipal building in Becontree Heath, an area within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The building was designed in the modern style by the British architect Ernest Berry Webber in 1936 and was opened the following year. The local authority, Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, occupied the building until 2016 when it was vacated and leased to CU London, a new university, the following year. It was designated as a Grade II listed building in 1981.

Contents

History

Because of the lack of available land in London, the Housing Act 1919 permitted the London County Council (LCC) to build housing and act as landlord outside of its territory. G. Topham Forrest was appointed as the chief architect on behalf of the LCC and between 1921 and 1935 the cottage estate, comprising around 26,000 homes, was developed. The area was to be called Becontree. [1]

In August 1928, using a private Act of Parliament, the National Government of the United Kingdom purchased 135 acres, with the intention of using the area as public space. Planners decided to designate the entrance to the area, since named Central Park, as the site of a new municipal building which was intended to be the work premises for members of the local authority. [2]

Construction of the Civic Centre, which was undertaken by Allen Fairhead and Sons Limited, [3] began in 1936 and was completed in October the following year. It was designed by Ernest Berry Webber, a designer of English municipal buildings, who the same year, designed Hammersmith Town Hall. [4] He originally intended the building to be part of a complex which was to also include a fire station, library, shops, assembly hall and theatre, but the plan never came to fruition. The land on which the building was constructed featured lily ponds which became known as "blue lagoons" by the locals. The ponds were illuminated and filled with goldfish. The fish gradually died out, and in 1953 the ponds were filled in. [5]

The Civic Centre's foundation stone was laid by Harry Snell, 1st Baron Snell on 11 July 1936. [6] The building was officially opened on 16 October the following year by Sir Kingsley Wood [7] who was the Secretary of State for Health. [5]

Design

The Civic Centre is designed in the modern style. [4] The interior features a stair hall which is made using champagne-coloured Botticino marble and the ceilings are decorated with art deco paintings. The internal doors are mostly mahogany with bronze fixtures. The Council Chamber is semi-circular in layout and is flanked by walnut-panels. The Mayor’s Parlour is panelled in Canadian betula veneer and sycamore. The building has a number of pieces of specially designed walnut furniture. [5]

Later history

In 1964 the local authority deemed the Civic Centre too small to house the 500 staff that they employed so built extensions to the south. [5] It was designated as a Grade II listed building on 24 August 1981. [8]

In 2003, the building underwent a major refurbishment. The work was carried out by the architectural practice Richard Griffiths & Hawkins Brown who removed all non-original fittings and restored the original stonework. The ceiling was stripped to reveal the original paint colours. The main Council Chamber was fitted with audio-visual equipment, air conditioning, a scene-setting lighting scheme, induction loops and more flexible furniture to allow different seating plans. Also upgraded and remodelled were the meeting rooms, members lounge, washrooms, kitchen and offices. Lifts were installed in the main foyer. [5]

In March 2014, the building was threatened with closure because of the austerity measures imposed by the national coalition government. [9] Its sale had been suggested as a means to find savings of £53.5million. [10] A local petition was set up which was signed by 3,700 local residents. This forced the council to defer their decision pending further information. [9] The Labour politician for Dagenham and Rainham, Jon Cruddas, led calls to retain the building as a result of overwhelming public support. Local residents called the building the "heart of Dagenham" [10] and thought that it served a purpose that "cannot be quantified". [10] In December 2015, the council disclosed their plans to scrap the sale and to allow the building to remain as the Civic Centre. [10] A plan was proposed to turn the Civic Centre into a school, but in September 2017, CU London, part of the Coventry University Group, launched a new university in the Civic Centre, with permission from the council. [11] The construction company Willmott Dixon was awarded the £4.5 million contract [12] to modernise the building for higher educational purposes. [13]

Related Research Articles

Becontree Human settlement in England

Becontree or is an area of approximately 4 square miles (10 km2) in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is located 11 miles (17.7 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross and was constructed in the interwar period as the largest public housing estate in the world. The Housing Act 1919 permitted the London County Council to build housing outside the County of London and Becontree was constructed between 1921 and 1935 to cottage estate principles in the parishes of Barking, Dagenham and Ilford, then in Essex. The official completion of the estate was celebrated in 1935, by which time the estate had a population of around 100,000 people in 26,000 homes.

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is a London borough in East London. It lies around 9 miles (14.4 km) east of Central London. It is an Outer London borough and the south is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway; an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. At the 2011 census it had a population of 187,000, the majority of which are within the Becontree estate. The borough's three main towns are Barking, Chadwell Heath and Dagenham. The local authorities are the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Councils. Barking and Dagenham was one of six London boroughs to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Dagenham Human settlement to the east of London, England

Dagenham is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred 11.5 miles (18.5 km) east of Charing Cross. Dagenham is a Post Town and was, from 1945 till 2010, a parliamentary constituency with very different borders to the post town of the same name.

Barking, London Human settlement in England

Barking is a town and area in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is 9.3 miles (15 km) east of Charing Cross. The total population of Barking was 59,068 at the 2011 census. In addition to an extensive and fairly low-density residential area, the town centre forms a large retail and commercial district, currently a focus for regeneration. The former industrial lands to the south are being redeveloped as Barking Riverside.

Chadwell Heath Human settlement in England

Chadwell Heath is an area in east London, England. It is situated on the boundary of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the London Borough of Redbridge, around 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Romford and 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Ilford, and 12 miles (19 km) north-east of Charing Cross.

Becontree tube station London Underground station

Becontree is a London Underground station located to the south of Becontree in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, east London. It is on the District line between Upney to the west and Dagenham Heathway to the east. It is 9.1 kilometres (5.7 mi) along the line from the eastern terminus at Upminster and 25.1 kilometres (15.6 mi) to Earl's Court in central London where the line divides into numerous branches. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.

Municipal Borough of Barking

Barking was a local government district, and later civil parish and borough, in southwest Essex, England from 1882 to 1965. It was known as Barking Town from 1882 to 1931. The district included the town of Barking, eastern Beckton and the southwestern part of the Becontree estate. The district was within the Metropolitan Police District and experienced a steady increase in population during its existence. It now forms the western part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the eastern extremity of the London Borough of Newham in Greater London.

Municipal Borough of Dagenham

Dagenham was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1926 to 1965 covering the parish of Dagenham. Initially created as an urban district, it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1938. It was established to deal with the increase in population and the change from rural to urban area caused by the building of the Becontree estate by the London County Council and the subsequent movement of people from Inner London. Peripheral to London, the district formed part of the Metropolitan Police District and London Traffic Area. It now forms the eastern sections of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the London Borough of Redbridge in Greater London.

Municipal Borough of Ilford District in Essex, England

Ilford was a civil parish and local government district in south west Essex, England from 1888 to 1965, covering the town Ilford. The district saw a considerable rise in population throughout its life, caused by the expansion of the built-up area of London, and became one of the most populous districts of its type in England. The district now corresponds to the greater part of the London Borough of Redbridge in Greater London.

Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council elections

Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council in London, England is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2002, 51 councillors have been elected from 17 wards.

Becontree Heath Human settlement in England

Becontree Heath is an open space in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The name has also been applied to the local area, in particular to the RM8 postal district.

Valence House Museum

Valence House Museum is the only surviving of the five manor houses of Dagenham. The timber-framed museum building, partially surrounded by a moat, is situated in Valence Park off Becontree Avenue, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London, England. The building has been used as a manor house, a family home, a town hall, the headquarters of the library service and now houses a museum.

There are various formal and informal subdivisions of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Castle Green, London Human settlement in England

Castle Green is a park and suburb in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, United Kingdom. The locality is close to Creekmouth and is part of the Becontree estate.

George Topham Forrest, F.R.I.B.A. FGS FRSE was a Scottish architect who became chief architect for the London County Council and was responsible for the design of many public housing estates, and also co-designed two bridges over the River Thames.

Mayesbrook Park

Mayesbrook Park is a 43 hectare public park in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is owned and managed by the borough council. The southern end, which is mainly a large lake, is a Local Nature Reserve. The area covered by the park was once part of the historic Manor of Jenkins, seat of the Fanshawe family. For reasons which remain obscure, the park is sometimes nicknamed "Matchstick Island".

Hammersmith Town Hall Municipal building in London, England

Hammersmith Town Hall is a municipal building on King Street in Hammersmith. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

Ernest Berry Webber

Ernest Berry Webber, was an English architect, surveyor and town planner best known for his designs of municipal buildings, including those in Southampton in Hampshire, and Dagenham and Hammersmith, both in London.

CU London is a Higher Education institute owned and governed by Coventry University. CU London began offering courses to students in September 2017. It currently operates out of two sites, one in the former Dagenham Civic Centre in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and another in the Mitre Passage building in the Greenwich Peninsula. It includes Coventry University's second and third campuses in the capital alongside Coventry University London.

Barking Town Hall Municipal building in London, England

Barking Town hall is a municipal building in Clockhouse Avenue, Barking, London. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, is a locally listed building.

References

  1. ↑ "Homes For Heroes", Locallocalhistory.co.uk, accessed 2 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "Dagenham's Civic Centre", The Essex Chronicle, 22 October 1937, p. 4.
  3. ↑ "London's Town Halls". Historic England. p. 5. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 Historic England. "Hammersmith Town Hall (1079785)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dagenham Civic Centre" Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine , London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Local Studies Information Sheet No.48, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council, accessed 27 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Dagenham Civic Centre 1935", Pathé News, accessed 27 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "Tribute to Local Government", The Nottingham Evening Post, 16 October 1937, p. 5.
  8. ↑ Historic England. "MAIN BUILDING AND COUNCIL CHAMBER OF DAGENHAM CIVIC CENTRE (1064422)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Campaigners against Dagenham Civic Centre herald small victory", Barking and Dagenham Post, 26 March 2014, accessed 27 February 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Dagenham Civic Centre saved from conversion into school", Barking and Dagenham Post, 9 December 2014, accessed 27 February 2016.
  11. ↑ Rasiah, Janine. "Coventry University holds open day at Dagenham Civic Centre campus". Barking and Dagenham Post. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  12. ↑ Ltd, Insider Media. "Willmott Dixon wins £4.5m Coventry University contract". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "Willmott Dixon wins Coventry Uni's London campus fit-out". www.theconstructionindex.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
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