Thread by @MetroUK

EXCLUSIVE: Cash-strapped councils in London have sold off historic landmarks worth over £70 million in the last five years. trib.al/Rsih6Z7

Instead of refurbishing Grade I and Grade II-listed landmarks to use as youth centres or much-needed housing, some councils have given them away for ‘very, very low’ sums.

One such example is Fulham Town Hall, which was built in 1890 using Georgian architecture.

It was bought by developer Ziser London for £10 million and is set to be turned into a boutique hotel, spa and restaurant.

Prior to this, the building had been used to house art and public works, including an exhibition by curator Ben Moore in April of this year.

The current leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Stephen Cowan, has claimed that the Grade II-listed landmark opposite Fulham Broadway Station was sold ‘rather incompetently’ by the former Tory council.

Cowen argues that given it’s hard to buy a house for ‘anything less than £2 million’ in Fulham, selling the landmark for £10 million was ‘absolutely ridiculous’.

He tells Metro: ‘Our predecessors sold it in 2014 alongside a lot of other properties very, very cheaply.’

‘When the Conservatives were in office, they decided to sell off community centres, youth clubs and two big council estates – all of which for very low, knocked-down prices – including Fulham Town Hall.'

Dozens of Freedom of Information requests to all London borough authorities reveal that Hammersmith and Fulham Council is not alone in disposing of historic public assets.

After years on the market, Greenwich Council finally cashed in on the dilapidated former East Greenwich library.

The Grade II-listed property, which shut in 2015, was bought by the Redeemed Christian Church Of God – an expansionary religious movement from Nigeria – in 2019 for £1.8 million.

In another controversial move, the City of London also sold Snow Hill and the 1960s Wood Street police stations in 2020 for £14.9 million and £40 million respectively.

Located a 10-minute stroll from Wood Street, Snow Hill police station is being transformed into a 219-room hotel by Premier Inn.
metro.co.uk/2021/12/27/his…