CASE REFERENCE · COUNCIL HERITAGE BUILDING
Protecting a heritage building and its public use.
A council building of heritage importance faced recurring anti-social behaviour, rough sleeping at the site, daily rubbish clearance and intimidation of staff. Its use for weddings had also declined.
The council and building are not named in this reference.
These photographs show different views of the building. The installation photos record the gates; they do not by themselves demonstrate a change in ASB.
THE CHALLENGE
Daily pressures on a valued place.
Staff had to deal with rubbish removal each day while managing concerns about their safety and access to the building. The pattern was drawing time and resources away from other duties and affecting confidence in the setting.
Any change to access also needed to respect the building’s heritage importance and the way it is used for public events, including weddings.
THE RESPONSE
Restore gating through a heritage-led process.
Work with the council
Bring the site’s ASB, access, staff safety, maintenance and operational pressures into a coordinated response.
Bring in heritage expertise
A qualified architect was brought on board to prepare a listed building consent submission and a full planning application.
Secure consent and install
Listed building consent was granted for the proposal to restore gating removed more than 20 years earlier. Gates were then installed in the entrance arches.
INSTALLATION COMPLETE · IMPACT TO REVIEW
Less pressure on staff and the place.
The installed gates are intended to reduce ASB and rough sleeping at the site, lessen the daily burden of rubbish clearance and staff intimidation, and free up council resources for other work. The project also seeks to support legitimate use of the building, including weddings.
No post-installation incident figures, staff reports or wedding booking figures have been supplied. These remain intended outcomes, rather than measured results.