News Article
Building Update November 2024
04 Nov 24
Update on the progress on the RePurpose Grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Many thanks to those of you that completed the recent survey talking about the front of the building and the effectiveness of the windows in the shared areas.
77 people responded which is a great result, the survey has now been closed.
We aim to use the grant to install secondary glazing internally and also to improve the facade which is looking very tired.
Summary of survey results
As you can see from the graph, the majority of the respondents rated the outside of the SLT Fire Station as 2, on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent).
What are we looking to do with the facade?
This historical picture taken by M.D.Trace in 1967 on the boroughphotos.org site shows the original view of the front facade. Since then much of the ground floor brickwork has been painted white, which is now fading and peeling.
The aim is to remove the paint from the brickwork and restore the front of the building, as close as we can, to this original view. We are therefore looking to use some of the money from the grant to employ a specialist company to remove the paint and restore the surface. Obviously there is some risk in this, as we don’t know what lies under the paint. Also the grant won’t cover the cost of all of the work, so we will be looking for donations to help with this, once the state of the wall is known. We will also look to see if a group of volunteers who could help paint, using heritage colours, to recreate this original look, so watch this space.
Internal Double Glazing, and secondary glazing on the 'spare' doors at the front of the fire station.
We have also approached another specialist firm to install secondary double glazing on the inside of the windows in the shared spaces (e.g. fly loft / kit room).
They are also being asked to install a glass panel, which will sit inside the second set of doors (behind the wardrobe display) in the foyer. The panel will need to be sufficiently distant from the door to ensure none of the original door furniture is impacted, we have also stipulated that none of the original tiling can be disturbed. This too will help heat retention and reduce noise, although the main doors will remain as they are.
The aim is to reduce our heating bills in winter and reduce the amount of traffic noise.
If you have any questions or concerns about these changes, you can contact the team of volunteers that make up the SLT Building Executive at building@southlondontheatre.co.uk
If you are interested in joining the group and helping care for the SLT Fire Station, then please email the same address.
Gareth Milton
Commercial Director (Volunteer)
