Taberner House
Taberner House housed the main offices of Croydon London Borough Council until September 2013; the building was demolished in 2015. It was located in Croydon, London, close to the Croydon Town Hall.
History
Taberner House was built between 1964 and 1967, designed by architect H. Thornley, with Allan Holt and Hugh Lea as borough engineers. Although the Croydon Corporation had needed extra space since the 1920s, it was only with the imminent creation of the London Borough of Croydon that action was taken. It had its upper slab block narrowing towards both ends. It was named after Ernest Taberner OBE, Town Clerk from 1937 to 1963.
Building use
Taberner House accommodated most of the council's central employees, and its 'one-stop shop' was the main location for the public to access information and services. In September 2013 Croydon Council moved their main offices into a new PSDH (Public Services Delivery Hub) adjacent to Taberner House. The new building, named Bernard Weatherill House after the late former local MP & Speaker of the House of Commons, covers more ground space, but is less tall at 14 storeys in its highest section.
In April 2014, demolition of Taberner House was underway and the site was expected to be used for residential purposes.[1] By 2015, the demolition was complete and Croydon Council announced a revised residential scheme to lessen the impact on adjoining green spaces and to provide more affordable housing.[2]
In September 2015, the site was temporarily planted with crocus as a link with the origins of the town's name. Plants were later made available to community gardens within the borough.[3]
References
- ^ "Taberner House to be demolished floor by floor". 13 January 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- ^ Baynes, Chris (8 July 2015). "Council Scraps Developer Deal to Take Control of Taberner House Plans". croydonguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ^ "Community project champions Croydon's lost crocus fields", Grass Roots: The RHS Community Update: Issue No. 24, p. 6, Winter 2015–16, retrieved 18 January 2016