Plans for long-awaited revamp of Haringey Civic Centre revealed

The scheme to refurbish and expand the Grade 2-listed civic centre is now expected to cost more than £65m, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Haringey Civic Centre has been closed for three years

Plans for a controversial £65million revamp of Haringey Civic Centre have been submitted to the council.

The proposals would see the Grade 2-listed building in Wood Green High Road refurbished and extended to enable it to become the council’s main offices, as well as providing new community and civic spaces.

Built in 1958, the civic centre was closed in spring 2020 following the discovery of “serious safety and structural issues” requiring major repair work.

The original cost of the upgrade and refurbishment was estimated at £24m, but in November 2021 it was revealed to have more than doubled to £54m. Budget papers published earlier this year revealed costs had climbed again to £65.7m.

Haringey’s Liberal Democrat opposition group has repeatedly criticised the project. Although they backed the repair work, the Lib Dems called for extra spending on new offices to be dropped and the money invested in the community. But the Labour-run council has defended the plans, claiming the modern buildings will cut carbon emissions and running costs.

Under the plans, the frontage of the existing building would be replaced and a three-storey block constructed on the car park to the rear of the centre. The buildings would be linked to each other by smaller, two-storey blocks.

The scheme would provide 1,119 square metres of civic floorspace and 8,320sqm of office floorspace. As well as fulfilling civic and administrative functions, some of the space would be available for use by community groups.

Designs for a revamped Haringey Civic Centre (credit Hawkins/Brown)
Designs for a revamped Haringey Civic Centre (credit Hawkins/Brown)
Designs for a revamped Haringey Civic Centre (credit Hawkins/Brown)
Designs for a revamped Haringey Civic Centre (credit Hawkins/Brown)

On a typical weekday, it is estimated the building could be used by 800 office staff, between 100 and 120 visitors, and community groups of 70-100 people at any one time.

Although the scheme would result in the loss of 123 car parking bays, there are plans to provide 170 cycle spaces. The plans note that the site is near to Wood Green Station and served by several bus routes.

The civic centre sits within Trinity Gardens Conservation Area and near several other listed buildings. The plans acknowledge that there would be a “low” degree of harm to the listed building but claim this is justified because the scheme would “refurbish the building, deal with its significant condition issues and secure its long term use for its original purpose”.

Landscaping proposals, including extra planting, “would enhance the setting and appreciation of the significance of the listed building”, the plans add.

The proposals can be viewed and commented on by visiting the council’s online planning portal and entering reference: HGY/2023/1043

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