Old Town monument: built in 1851, the Pumping Station has been long-neglected and disused
Finally, after decades of decay and disuse, might there be some glimmer of hope for the Croydon Pumping Station building in Waterworks Yard, off Surrey Street?
The 174-year-old Grade II-listed building has long been abandoned, and is now in the middle of a building site, much as it has seemed to be for the past two decades.
Its owners have never shown the place much love – although the teasing Banksy-style graffito of an imprisoned Princess Diana looking down from an arched window appears to still be there.
And the owners have never stated that they intend to spend the money required to bring the property into any kind of use.
But the Pumping Station has now been identified as a prime development opportunity in Historic England’s Heritage Investment Prospectus, an initiative aimed at boosting economic growth through the reuse of historic buildings.
The move has the backing of Croydon West MP Sarah Jones, with hopes of bringing the vacant site back to life for the benefit of the local community.
The “prospectus” appears to be a version of a similar “ar risk” register – just for buildings where there might be a chance of developers making some money…
Lost princess: the graffito showing a seemingly imprisoned Diana, by artist Rich Simmons
Waterworks Square was identified more than a decade ago as having potential for a marketplace and public events venue, to complement, rather than rival, the nearby ancient street market. But ownership issues and the local authority’s shortcomings in terms of delivering any kind of project effectively saw those hopes come to nothing.
Now the Croydon Pumping Station is one of 17 sites highlighted by Historic England across the country.
“The redevelopment of this prominent building with its crenelated tower and decorative brickwork represents an opportunity to celebrate its past while embracing the future,” the quango said.
Croydon was one of the first towns to adopt the Public Health Act of 1848, and the Pumping Station formed part of a series of measures by the new Board of Health to ensure a clean water supply, improving sanitary and social conditions in the wake of a cholera epidemic.
The Pumping Station was opened as the Croydon Water Works by the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Bird Sumner (he had digs up the road in Addington Palace). The Archbish had a busy time at prestigious events in 1851, as he also held a service at the opening of the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park.
Later phases of the Pumping Station build were added in 1867, 1877 and 1912.
Getting a handle on history: the Pumping Station has much fine Victorian detailing
Being a building that was contemporary of the Great Exhibition almost 175 years ago may offer some valuable lessons for any organisation or group which seeks to breathe new life into the Pumping Station and Waterworks Square. The Crystal Palace Subway has been an award-winning project, refurbishing and re-purposing the former railway station’s walkway into a visitor attraction and public amenity. It cost at least £3.5million, and took dedicated volunteers and residents almost 15 years to achieve.
Public access to the Pumping Station has been tightly restricted for many years, but Historic England’s photos of the interior show an impressively large, Victoria pumping hall.
According to Historic England, “The Pumping Station’s future use has been identified as key to the regeneration of Croydon’s Old Town.”
Builders’ yard: the Pumping Station has been in the middle of a building site for years
It seems unlikely that whoever wrote Historic England’s press release has visited Waterworks Square recently, as they refer to “the creation of the piazza and mixed development that has grown up around it”.
They also seem to think that a relatively modest piece of funding from the Greater London Authority, £800,000, will be adequate to impact the use of the Pumping Station after the council has tried to address the many existing issues that need to be fixed in Surrey Street.
Impressive: a rare view of the inside of the main hall of the Pumping Station
MP Jones sees the Pumping Station as a heritage opportunity. “Through sensitive redevelopment, we have a real opportunity to not only celebrate our local history, but also to drive regeneration in Croydon’s Old Town and create something truly valuable for the community.”
Though there’s no mention of how any ot that might be paid for.
Tom Foxall, the regional director at Historic England, said of the organisation’s Heritage Investment Prospectus: “This represents our commitment to work proactively with property industry partners to deliver transformational projects that protect our heritage while creating lasting value for investors and communities.
“Our historic buildings are better conserved when they’re in use rather than standing empty.”
Which is a valid point. The unanswered question remains, though: who’s paying for it?
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Who owns it nowadays? It was bought by GUILDHOUSE-ROSEPRIDE some years ago. They were behind the Biz Xchange Hub on Dingwall Road where they planned to build that massive tower with the swimming pool on top.
About time money was spent on the Water Tower on Park Hill. I would happily pay to see the view from the top
what a fabulous building