A senior Croydon councillor has undertaken to ensure that the 150-year-old Water Tower will be maintained and says that the council is working “to secure the long-term future” of the Grade II-listed building.
The Croydon Water Tower: in the council’s hands
A local parks group last week reported that a recent engineers’ visit to the Water Tower, which stands alongside Park Hill recreation ground, had found cracks and evidence of dereliction in the 100-foot-high building, which has been unused for the borough’s water supply for 70 years.
The history of the Croydon Water Tower and the town’s water supply is summarised here.
Thames Water and Croydon Council have both confirmed that the building, built in 1867, is owned and maintained by the local authority.
Timothy Godfrey, the council cabinet member for arts, sport and culture, reassured that there is no immediate threat to the building’s structural integrity.
In the past, the building has had a public viewing deck, offering spectacular views across south London and the Surrey Hills.
Godfrey told Inside Croydon, “I can confirm that the building is regularly checked by the council and the tower remains safe and sound.
“We remain keen to secure the building’s long-term future and maintenance, and we are in early talks with organisations who could potentially make use of it.
“Anyone who has a positive proposal for the tower should get in touch with the council.”
- Still Croydon’s only independent news source, and based in the heart of the borough: 1.97 million page views 2013-2015
- Inside Croydon: Named among best regional media campaigns, 2014
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, a residents’ or business association or local event to publicise, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
Turn it into a library, can’t think how else we could fund a library.
My advice, as always, is completely free
I don’t understand this urge to maintain old, disused and decrepit buildings. They’ve outlived their usefulness and often appear just as a eyesore. This old water tower is at least an attractive building, unlike the revolting 1930s Battersea power station. But more than that, I object to its being maintained and restored at public expense; that means my taxes and reductions in the public services that I’ve paid for. Sell it by all means and let it pay for itself.
That is a bit of a price-of-everything-value-of-nothing argument.
Most heritage property in this country has been preserved and is maintained for generations to come through a version of quasi-public ownership, through the National Trust. English Heritage, too, has played a role.
Left to private and commercial interests, the bottom line is too often the only consideration.
As the Shirley Windmill, with a dedicated band of volunteer enthusiasts, has shown, it is entirely possible for the local authority to take on the ownership of a historic building, maintain it and operate it for the benefit of residents and visitors to Croydon.
why is mulalley taking so long to do the job