On Monday 8th February, Rother Alliance cabinet members gave the go ahead for plans to commence on the refurbishment and regeneration of Bexhill Town Hall and its associated buildings.
Over the years, as the requirements of local government have increased, it has been necessary to build several annexes and add-ons to the original town hall. Pre-Covid, this had resulted in an overcrowded, unergonomic and environmentally inefficient workspace for staff at Rother District Council, one of the largest employers in the area.
As a result of the remote working brought about due to the pandemic, it has become clear that there is a need to completely reassess the staff working environment to make it fit for the 21st century. Whilst life will begin to return to normal after the pandemic, the remote working infrastructure will allow for a more modern and flexible working environment. To this end Rother officers have produced an outline proposal for the redevelopment of the whole Town Hall complex with the main building being retained and refurbished whilst the adjoining buildings are redeveloped.
The town hall itself is a magnificent and iconic building with many features that need to be preserved but the cost of maintaining and heating parts of it are also very high. The plans will see the retention of the main building and an internal upgrade of the existing hall done in a way that preserves the historic architectural features whilst improving the building’s ability to retain heat, helping towards carbon neutrality targets and cutting energy bills.
The redevelopment will also provide much needed modern commercial space for local organisations as well as a separate small town centre housing development in place of one of the ancillary buildings near the Town Hall, set to provide fourteen one or two bedroom flats.
The modern office space and the housing will provide a source of revenue which together with the energy savings and lower maintenance costs from the Town Hall building itself will mean that despite the immediate cost, the scheme should be revenue neutral in the long run avoiding any burden on taxpayers.
This is a modern and forward looking proposal that was long overdue and proves the Rother Alliance’s commitment to combatting the climate emergency, meeting the demand for housing and commercial space and improving the working environment for council staff.
The Rother Alliance look forward to seeing the detailed plans when they’re brought forward.
To read the full proposal, click here