Port Royal redevelopment - Vision Group for Sidmouth
And the key issue down there is the future of the Drill Hall:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: questions raised at full District Council meeting > and more questions
There has been a lot of frustration in that information is sorely lacking:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: "EDDC have started the clock ticking on the 6 months available for community bids and yet community groups are not able to get the basic information required to judge if a bid is feasible."
Whilst the VGS must remain impartial vis-á-vis the final outcome at Port Royal and whilst it cannot launch a community bid to buy the Drill Hall, the VGS is committed to maximum transparency of process:
About the Vision Group for Sidmouth - Vision Group for Sidmouth
Last month, the VGS offered itself as the 'community body' to allow a proper structural study of the Drill Hall to be undertaken - and this has now been made available from the commissioner of the study, although you will need to register to see the complete piece:
Structural report July 2018The following report was commissioned by me in my role as part of the Vision Group for Sidmouth, with the support of the Co-ordination Team.
It is freely available to everyone for their own personal interest but it was produced for a particular group and is not warranted for any other purpose. Neither Mary Walden-Till, the VGS nor Barry Honeysett, who produced the report, give any guarantees concerning it.
Reading this report should be a starting point for considerations concerning the Drill Hall then if you have any interest in making a bid for the building you will need to commission a structural report of your own.
View the Drill Hall - Sidmouth Drill Hall Rescue
Structural report July 2018 - Sidmouth Drill Hall Rescue
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: viewing the Drill Hall
Some of the details have been made available on the 3Rs ("Retain, Refurbish, Reuse") website:
Information sheet 9 NEW!
The Drill Hall is structurally sound
We’re pleased to say that the building does not have to be demolished if a buyer wishes to refurbish it. A structural survey was conducted in July 2018 and the report can be found here:
https://drillhall-rescue.historic-sidmouth.uk/structural-report-july-2018
You will need to register in order to read the survey, which was organised by Drill Hall Rescue in collaboration with the Vision Group for Sidmouth (VGS).
Rumours have been circulating for a long time that the building is unsafe but we now know that this is not true. The building has been empty since 1994 and has not been maintained during that time. A small amount of asbestos was apparently removed in 2012, when East Devon District Council acquired the building and applied to demolish it. They withdrew the application due to objections from the Conservation Officer. EDDCs plan at that time was to start clearing the site to allow for redevelopment. You can find details of the application to demolish under the reference 12/2254/COU, it makes interesting reading.
According to the survey report, some of the main areas that would need to be addressed include:
· Roof: the tiles need replacing but the visible timbers appear sound. Additional support may be needed for a new roof covering. Some ridge tiles are missing but interior damage caused by rain ingress seems minimal.
· Gutters and downpipes: need to be replaced.
· Walls: there is no sign of settlement or movement although the south gable is leaning and has a visible crack. It’s possible that steel reinforcing is corroding and causing damage in some places.
· Brickwork and mortar: both have been eroded in some places and repointing and replacement is required to rectify that. This erosion could be due to the seaside location and mostly affects mortar.
· Floor: this is generally sound with solid joists and steel beams. The beams at the southern end will need to be replaced and some joints need cleaning and protecting. Floor repairs are needed in the mezzanine level.
· Weatherproofing: apart from the roof, adequate protection will be needed for the external walls.
· Bridge from esplanade: this is showing signs of corrosion of the steel elements and needs to be replaced. It’s likely that any refurbishment would see this replaced anyway.
· Toilet extension: the lintels need replacing, however any refurbishment would probably include replacement of the whole extension.
· Basement: needs clearing out to bring it back into use.
Many of the areas needing repair can be seen from the outside. It’s important to remember that a new owner would want to improve the building so the replacement of say, the toilets and the entrance would probably be done anyway to improve facilities and add ‘curb appeal’.
NOTE: this is only a short summary of the findings and therefore necessarily brief. For full details please read the full report. Any inaccuracies in the summary are unintentional and caveat emptor!
So, if anyone tells you the Drill Hall needs to be demolished you can tell them about this survey!
Demolition may be someone’s preference, but it is not a necessity.
Information sheets | Revive Port Royal for all
Retain Refurbish Reuse - Home | Facebook
.
.
.
Rumours have been circulating for a long time that the building is unsafe but we now know that this is not true. The building has been empty since 1994 and has not been maintained during that time. A small amount of asbestos was apparently removed in 2012, when East Devon District Council acquired the building and applied to demolish it. They withdrew the application due to objections from the Conservation Officer. EDDCs plan at that time was to start clearing the site to allow for redevelopment. You can find details of the application to demolish under the reference 12/2254/COU, it makes interesting reading.
According to the survey report, some of the main areas that would need to be addressed include:
· Roof: the tiles need replacing but the visible timbers appear sound. Additional support may be needed for a new roof covering. Some ridge tiles are missing but interior damage caused by rain ingress seems minimal.
· Gutters and downpipes: need to be replaced.
· Walls: there is no sign of settlement or movement although the south gable is leaning and has a visible crack. It’s possible that steel reinforcing is corroding and causing damage in some places.
· Brickwork and mortar: both have been eroded in some places and repointing and replacement is required to rectify that. This erosion could be due to the seaside location and mostly affects mortar.
· Floor: this is generally sound with solid joists and steel beams. The beams at the southern end will need to be replaced and some joints need cleaning and protecting. Floor repairs are needed in the mezzanine level.
· Weatherproofing: apart from the roof, adequate protection will be needed for the external walls.
· Bridge from esplanade: this is showing signs of corrosion of the steel elements and needs to be replaced. It’s likely that any refurbishment would see this replaced anyway.
· Toilet extension: the lintels need replacing, however any refurbishment would probably include replacement of the whole extension.
· Basement: needs clearing out to bring it back into use.
Many of the areas needing repair can be seen from the outside. It’s important to remember that a new owner would want to improve the building so the replacement of say, the toilets and the entrance would probably be done anyway to improve facilities and add ‘curb appeal’.
NOTE: this is only a short summary of the findings and therefore necessarily brief. For full details please read the full report. Any inaccuracies in the summary are unintentional and caveat emptor!
So, if anyone tells you the Drill Hall needs to be demolished you can tell them about this survey!
Demolition may be someone’s preference, but it is not a necessity.
Information sheets | Revive Port Royal for all
Retain Refurbish Reuse - Home | Facebook
.
.
.
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