Portland Town Council Offices
The Portland Town Council Offices is a former office block, built in 1933-34 in the southern region of Fortuneswell. It was originally the home of the Portland Urban District Council and later Portland Town Council from 1974 to 2016. It has now been redeveloped into residential apartments.
In recent years, the offices have been designated an Important Local Building. The 2014 Draft Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland recorded that the building is included within the Underhill conservation area for its "moderne style" and "civic legacy", along with it being a "gateway building" and a "focal point".
History
Formation of the Portland Urban District Council (PUDC) in 1894 and original offices
The Portland Urban District Council (PUDC) was established in 1894 as the successor to the Portland Local Board, which had been formed in April 1867. As the council had no premises of their own, they acquired the former dwelling at New Road which had been used for many years as the offices of the Local Board. The new council assumed control of a wide range of public services, with the Portland Year Book of 1905 recording various committees, including highways, buildings, licensing, fire brigade, water supply, sewerage, sanitation, gas, finance, general purposes, education, pleasure gardens and public conveniences.
From the first meeting held in the New Road offices, the new council complained of the "inadequate accommodation" provided there. The Southern Times reported in January 1895: "We make no apology for repeating what we have urged should have been provided long since - a place where the public business of the island can be transacted with dignity and comfort." The offices were considered poorly ventilated and frequently unable to accommodate all the seating required for meetings. The Local Board also suffered from these problems in the years before, but finance continued to be the main obstacle to establishing better accommodation.
PUDC announced their intention to build new offices as early as 1896, but no site was selected and no plans were drawn up for its design. As early as 1906, potential sites being considered for the offices included Yew Tree House at the bottom of New Road and the Reading Room at Straits. In 1906, the council surveyor, Mr. Robert S. Henshaw, reported against the New Road site. He raised concerns over the prohibitive costs of the site as it would require purchasing and demolishing both Yew Tree House and the adjoining Antiquarian House "in order that the whole of the corner might be utilised to its fullest advantage". He added that owing to the gradient of New Road at this corner, it "would give the building a very one-sided appearance, not only adding to the cost of it but making it very much more inconvenient". The Straits site was subsequently favoured by the council due to the cheaper redevelopment costs and its more centralised position on the island, but no scheme was approved due to the financial issues.
Plans for the construction of new council offices and suspension of the scheme (1912-15)
In March 1912, the PUDC launched a competition for architects to put forward their designs for purpose-built council offices, which were to be constructed for a cost between £4,000 and £5,000. 87 designs were received and the first premium of £50 was awarded to Messrs Speir and Beavan of Cardiff in June 1912. The £10 runner-up premium was given to W. Ernest Fitch of London. The winner was also to receive a percentage based on the cost of the building once it was completed.
The scheme was dependent on the approval of the Local Government Board. In March 1913, an inquiry by a board inspector raised concerns over the intended site for the offices and also brought attention to the council's existing "financial burdens". It was originally proposed to build the offices along New Road, on undeveloped land belonging to J. Batten. In July 1913, the Office Sites Committee decided to purchase the previously proposed site at the bottom of New Road instead. It was estimated that purchasing the site and laying foundations would cost £1,080 in comparison to £1,320 for the original site. As a result, the original scheme involving Messrs Speir and Beavan was dropped.
During this period, Messrs Speir and Beavan sent the PUDC a claim for £103, based on services they provided as part of the original scheme. Shortly after their design was selected in 1912, the firm was instructed to make alterations to their plans in accordance with the wishes of PUDC. The architects believed they were entitled to payment for the alterations as they were exclusive of the competition, but the council denied liability. The case went before Montague Shearman, a judge of the King's Bench Division, in June 1914, with Messrs Speir and Beavan claiming £82 from PUDC, which was based on "customary charges if a scheme did not go through". The council argued that no payment was necessary as the scheme never gained the approval of the Local Government Board and therefore the architects were never contracted. The judge ruled in favour of Messrs Speir and Beavan and awarded them £35 plus costs.
Over the course of 1914, the council worked on a new scheme for the offices. In February, it was resolved that no more than £3,000 should be spent on building them, and new designs were then sought through Messrs Petter & Warren of Yeovil. By August, the council had developed plans to borrow £5,167 to purchase the site and build the offices. In October, the Western Gazette reported the PUDC's eagerness for construction to be "commenced without delay", after minor alterations were made to the plans to bring the building's design in line with the council's bylaws. The Local Government Board authorised the council to take out two loans in December 1914; £735 for purchase of the land and £4,432 for the construction of the offices.
The land was duly purchased and in March 1915, Messrs Petter & Warren sought tenders for the construction of the offices, to be submitted to them by 10 March. In April 1915, the tender of J. Dyer and Sons was accepted for £5,145, subject to the approval of the Local Government Board. Despite the progress made up to this point, the construction of the offices did not go ahead and the scheme was put on hold.
Construction and opening of new council offices (1932-34)
In 1932, Portland's Wesleyan circuit offered the PUDC the opportunity to buy their Beach View House for use as offices. A council meeting that June saw the offer rejected and it was decided instead to reopen negotiations with Messrs Petter and Warren, in order to proceed with the 1914 scheme. An agreement was reached and by March 1933, the council had accepted the tender of local builders Messrs Jesty and Baker to build the offices for £8,790. A clerk of works was appointed in May and the foundation stone was laid by the chairman of the council, E. C. Samson, on 4 October 1933. As construction progressed, tenders were sought for the furnishing of the council chamber in May 1934. The completed building was officially opened on 5 September 1934 by Councillor P. H. Allen.
Portland Town Council occupation (1974-2016)
The offices continued to serve the PUDC until 1974, when a reorganisation of local government saw the council merge with the adjoining town of Weymouth to form the Weymouth & Portland Borough Council. They became the new owners of the offices although, as part of the freehold transfer, the borough council agreed to accommodate the newly-formed Portland Parish Council there. The parish council became the Portland Town Council in 1975 and the offices continued to be used by them, with the borough council paying all overheads. Meanwhile, the borough council made use of some of the unused space within the building, mainly for storage purposes, although a cash office and architect sections were also based within the building for a time.
The town council continued to function from the offices and hold meetings in the chamber into the 21st century. Aside from the full council meetings, others were frequently held for committees based on HR & IT, planning and highways, marine and environment and the Portland Neighbourhood Plan. However, since the 2000s, some meetings were being held at alternative local venues, largely due to the fact that the building did not comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Redevelopment plans (2006-)
In October 2006, with much of the building left unused, the borough council submitted a planning application to redevelop the offices by forming six flats on the ground floor, first floor and a new second floor, while Portland Town Council would operate from the basement level. However, as it was felt this would result in over-development of the site, the application was refused in November with a 6-4 vote.
New plans were developed and an application submitted in July 2007. The general proposal was the same as before, but this time for eight flats, with a change in the number of bed spaces. It was approved in August, subject to a number of conditions. The borough council's planning committee were reluctant to pass the plans and had felt the building to be an "eyesore" and "too impractical to house people". They commented that the building was "like something from the Third Reich and should be demolished". Portland Town Council announced soon after that they would refuse to move to their new basement premises unless they came to a satisfactory agreement with the borough council over conditions.
Despite planning permission being granted, no work commenced and the offices were not handed over to a developer as had been anticipated. In July 2010, the borough council had to apply for a time limit extension for the planning, which was approved in September, but again, no redevelopment took place and the planning permission later expired after three years.
In 2016, the borough council made new plans for the building's future, which involved selling the building so that it could be completely redeveloped, and in turn help reduce their overheads. They had previously offered the town council the opportunity to take over the building for a nominal sum, but this was declined. The Dorset Echo reported in March 2016 that the borough council had then offered Portland Town Council £50,000 to vacate, allowing them to find alternative premises and cover the costs of relocating. The two councils held an informal meeting during April, resulting in an agreement on the deal, with the town council to vacate the building by June. As part of a major reorganisation to reduce costs, the borough council also moved from their own offices at North Quay in Weymouth to cheaper premises in April that year.
A public open day was held at Portland's council offices on 16 April 2016, which included a sealed bid auction on surplus furniture. Portland Town Council then relocated to temporary offices at Easton Street, while the former offices were sold. In February 2017, the new owners revealed their intentions to convert the building into flats and planning permission seeking to change the building from office to residential use was approved in February 2018. The redeveloped building, made up of eight one-bedroom and four two-bedroom flats, has been named Yew Tree House.
Design
The three-storey building has a rectangular shape, a symmetrical façade and a projecting entrance porch. It was constructed of Portland stone around a steel framed structure, with a flat asphalt roof. The majority of the building uses ashlar masonry, while the bottom floor uses rock-faced blocks.
The original building had metal-framed casements, but these were replaced during the 1970s with uPVC windows due to extensive deterioration and rusting. The replacement windows included imitation plastic glazing bars, which were chosen in order to try and maintain the building's original appearance. The cast iron panels below the windows were all retained during the work.
Inside the porch is a small vestibule leading to the lobby. The building's three storeys are accessed by an open-well staircase, built of reinforced concrete, and designed with a balustrade and moulded handrail. Much of the building's original parquet flooring survives. The basement level held a number of small offices, including a cash office, as well as a metal fireproof safe of mid-20th century origin, designed by Milners' Safe Co. Ltd. of London and Liverpool. The first floor was designed to house several larger rooms and these were later sub-divided. The top floor held the rectangular council chamber. In a 2012 survey by English Heritage, the chamber was described as having "classical motifs with giant stylised pilasters to the walls and a compartmental plasterwork ceiling, and also some Moderne details in the metal-framed skylight which has decorative scrollwork to the sides, the original doors, their furniture and wide plain architrave." The same level also held the Mayor's office.
For a number of years, the offices held several framed tapestries with the names of many local residents. Although never completed, the tapestries were created in 1978 to commemorate 900 years of Portland's recorded history. The tapestries were moved to St George's Centre in Reforne in June 2016.
In 2012, English Heritage surveyed the building, but concluded it was not worthy for designation as a listed building. They concluded: "It has a well-crafted exterior, but the architectural design is not distinguished and has no particular significance for the evolution of this particular building type. The replacement of the windows in uPVC has significantly compromised the building, and although some fixtures and fittings remain in a small number of rooms, including the Council Chamber, they are of a standard design and quality for the period."
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - Portland Urban District Council - Paul Benyon - website page
2) Dorset Echo - numerous articles from the online archive from 2006 to 2017 - website page
3) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - PDF document
4) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 06/00735/FUL3 (10 Nov 2006) - website page
5) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 06/00735/FUL3 (10 Nov 2006) - Officer Report - PDF document
6) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 07/00524/FUL3 (23 Aug 2007) - website page
7) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 07/00524/FUL3 (23 Aug 2007) - Officer Report - PDF document
8) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 10/00486/FUL3 (6 Sep 2010) - website page
9) Free Portland News - March 2016 - Issue No. 449
10) Free Portland News - Letter to the Editor - June 2016 - Issue No. 452
11) Heritage Gateway - Portland Council Offices - 1410906 - website page
12) Independent: The Rise of the Non-Aligned Politician - Richard Berry - Imprint Academic - 2008 - ISBN: 978-1845401283 - chapter 2 - book
13) Information on the foundation stone of the Portland Town Council Offices
14) Information on the Past Chairmen of the Portland Local Board and Urban District Council plaque in the Portland Town Council Offices
15) Information on wooden plaque inside Portland Town Council Offices
16) Portland Town Council - Official Website - About the council - website page
17) Portland Town Council - Official Website - Meetings - website page
18) Portland: An Illustrated History - Stuart Morris - Dovecote Press - 1985 - ISBN: 978-0946159345 - page 128 - book
19) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
20) The Island and Royal Manor of Portland - Notes on its History, Laws and Customs - J. W. Warren - Order of the Court Leet and Court of the Manor - 1939 - page 94 - book
In recent years, the offices have been designated an Important Local Building. The 2014 Draft Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland recorded that the building is included within the Underhill conservation area for its "moderne style" and "civic legacy", along with it being a "gateway building" and a "focal point".
History
Formation of the Portland Urban District Council (PUDC) in 1894 and original offices
The Portland Urban District Council (PUDC) was established in 1894 as the successor to the Portland Local Board, which had been formed in April 1867. As the council had no premises of their own, they acquired the former dwelling at New Road which had been used for many years as the offices of the Local Board. The new council assumed control of a wide range of public services, with the Portland Year Book of 1905 recording various committees, including highways, buildings, licensing, fire brigade, water supply, sewerage, sanitation, gas, finance, general purposes, education, pleasure gardens and public conveniences.
From the first meeting held in the New Road offices, the new council complained of the "inadequate accommodation" provided there. The Southern Times reported in January 1895: "We make no apology for repeating what we have urged should have been provided long since - a place where the public business of the island can be transacted with dignity and comfort." The offices were considered poorly ventilated and frequently unable to accommodate all the seating required for meetings. The Local Board also suffered from these problems in the years before, but finance continued to be the main obstacle to establishing better accommodation.
PUDC announced their intention to build new offices as early as 1896, but no site was selected and no plans were drawn up for its design. As early as 1906, potential sites being considered for the offices included Yew Tree House at the bottom of New Road and the Reading Room at Straits. In 1906, the council surveyor, Mr. Robert S. Henshaw, reported against the New Road site. He raised concerns over the prohibitive costs of the site as it would require purchasing and demolishing both Yew Tree House and the adjoining Antiquarian House "in order that the whole of the corner might be utilised to its fullest advantage". He added that owing to the gradient of New Road at this corner, it "would give the building a very one-sided appearance, not only adding to the cost of it but making it very much more inconvenient". The Straits site was subsequently favoured by the council due to the cheaper redevelopment costs and its more centralised position on the island, but no scheme was approved due to the financial issues.
Plans for the construction of new council offices and suspension of the scheme (1912-15)
In March 1912, the PUDC launched a competition for architects to put forward their designs for purpose-built council offices, which were to be constructed for a cost between £4,000 and £5,000. 87 designs were received and the first premium of £50 was awarded to Messrs Speir and Beavan of Cardiff in June 1912. The £10 runner-up premium was given to W. Ernest Fitch of London. The winner was also to receive a percentage based on the cost of the building once it was completed.
The scheme was dependent on the approval of the Local Government Board. In March 1913, an inquiry by a board inspector raised concerns over the intended site for the offices and also brought attention to the council's existing "financial burdens". It was originally proposed to build the offices along New Road, on undeveloped land belonging to J. Batten. In July 1913, the Office Sites Committee decided to purchase the previously proposed site at the bottom of New Road instead. It was estimated that purchasing the site and laying foundations would cost £1,080 in comparison to £1,320 for the original site. As a result, the original scheme involving Messrs Speir and Beavan was dropped.
During this period, Messrs Speir and Beavan sent the PUDC a claim for £103, based on services they provided as part of the original scheme. Shortly after their design was selected in 1912, the firm was instructed to make alterations to their plans in accordance with the wishes of PUDC. The architects believed they were entitled to payment for the alterations as they were exclusive of the competition, but the council denied liability. The case went before Montague Shearman, a judge of the King's Bench Division, in June 1914, with Messrs Speir and Beavan claiming £82 from PUDC, which was based on "customary charges if a scheme did not go through". The council argued that no payment was necessary as the scheme never gained the approval of the Local Government Board and therefore the architects were never contracted. The judge ruled in favour of Messrs Speir and Beavan and awarded them £35 plus costs.
Over the course of 1914, the council worked on a new scheme for the offices. In February, it was resolved that no more than £3,000 should be spent on building them, and new designs were then sought through Messrs Petter & Warren of Yeovil. By August, the council had developed plans to borrow £5,167 to purchase the site and build the offices. In October, the Western Gazette reported the PUDC's eagerness for construction to be "commenced without delay", after minor alterations were made to the plans to bring the building's design in line with the council's bylaws. The Local Government Board authorised the council to take out two loans in December 1914; £735 for purchase of the land and £4,432 for the construction of the offices.
The land was duly purchased and in March 1915, Messrs Petter & Warren sought tenders for the construction of the offices, to be submitted to them by 10 March. In April 1915, the tender of J. Dyer and Sons was accepted for £5,145, subject to the approval of the Local Government Board. Despite the progress made up to this point, the construction of the offices did not go ahead and the scheme was put on hold.
Construction and opening of new council offices (1932-34)
In 1932, Portland's Wesleyan circuit offered the PUDC the opportunity to buy their Beach View House for use as offices. A council meeting that June saw the offer rejected and it was decided instead to reopen negotiations with Messrs Petter and Warren, in order to proceed with the 1914 scheme. An agreement was reached and by March 1933, the council had accepted the tender of local builders Messrs Jesty and Baker to build the offices for £8,790. A clerk of works was appointed in May and the foundation stone was laid by the chairman of the council, E. C. Samson, on 4 October 1933. As construction progressed, tenders were sought for the furnishing of the council chamber in May 1934. The completed building was officially opened on 5 September 1934 by Councillor P. H. Allen.
Portland Town Council occupation (1974-2016)
The offices continued to serve the PUDC until 1974, when a reorganisation of local government saw the council merge with the adjoining town of Weymouth to form the Weymouth & Portland Borough Council. They became the new owners of the offices although, as part of the freehold transfer, the borough council agreed to accommodate the newly-formed Portland Parish Council there. The parish council became the Portland Town Council in 1975 and the offices continued to be used by them, with the borough council paying all overheads. Meanwhile, the borough council made use of some of the unused space within the building, mainly for storage purposes, although a cash office and architect sections were also based within the building for a time.
The town council continued to function from the offices and hold meetings in the chamber into the 21st century. Aside from the full council meetings, others were frequently held for committees based on HR & IT, planning and highways, marine and environment and the Portland Neighbourhood Plan. However, since the 2000s, some meetings were being held at alternative local venues, largely due to the fact that the building did not comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Redevelopment plans (2006-)
In October 2006, with much of the building left unused, the borough council submitted a planning application to redevelop the offices by forming six flats on the ground floor, first floor and a new second floor, while Portland Town Council would operate from the basement level. However, as it was felt this would result in over-development of the site, the application was refused in November with a 6-4 vote.
New plans were developed and an application submitted in July 2007. The general proposal was the same as before, but this time for eight flats, with a change in the number of bed spaces. It was approved in August, subject to a number of conditions. The borough council's planning committee were reluctant to pass the plans and had felt the building to be an "eyesore" and "too impractical to house people". They commented that the building was "like something from the Third Reich and should be demolished". Portland Town Council announced soon after that they would refuse to move to their new basement premises unless they came to a satisfactory agreement with the borough council over conditions.
Despite planning permission being granted, no work commenced and the offices were not handed over to a developer as had been anticipated. In July 2010, the borough council had to apply for a time limit extension for the planning, which was approved in September, but again, no redevelopment took place and the planning permission later expired after three years.
In 2016, the borough council made new plans for the building's future, which involved selling the building so that it could be completely redeveloped, and in turn help reduce their overheads. They had previously offered the town council the opportunity to take over the building for a nominal sum, but this was declined. The Dorset Echo reported in March 2016 that the borough council had then offered Portland Town Council £50,000 to vacate, allowing them to find alternative premises and cover the costs of relocating. The two councils held an informal meeting during April, resulting in an agreement on the deal, with the town council to vacate the building by June. As part of a major reorganisation to reduce costs, the borough council also moved from their own offices at North Quay in Weymouth to cheaper premises in April that year.
A public open day was held at Portland's council offices on 16 April 2016, which included a sealed bid auction on surplus furniture. Portland Town Council then relocated to temporary offices at Easton Street, while the former offices were sold. In February 2017, the new owners revealed their intentions to convert the building into flats and planning permission seeking to change the building from office to residential use was approved in February 2018. The redeveloped building, made up of eight one-bedroom and four two-bedroom flats, has been named Yew Tree House.
Design
The three-storey building has a rectangular shape, a symmetrical façade and a projecting entrance porch. It was constructed of Portland stone around a steel framed structure, with a flat asphalt roof. The majority of the building uses ashlar masonry, while the bottom floor uses rock-faced blocks.
The original building had metal-framed casements, but these were replaced during the 1970s with uPVC windows due to extensive deterioration and rusting. The replacement windows included imitation plastic glazing bars, which were chosen in order to try and maintain the building's original appearance. The cast iron panels below the windows were all retained during the work.
Inside the porch is a small vestibule leading to the lobby. The building's three storeys are accessed by an open-well staircase, built of reinforced concrete, and designed with a balustrade and moulded handrail. Much of the building's original parquet flooring survives. The basement level held a number of small offices, including a cash office, as well as a metal fireproof safe of mid-20th century origin, designed by Milners' Safe Co. Ltd. of London and Liverpool. The first floor was designed to house several larger rooms and these were later sub-divided. The top floor held the rectangular council chamber. In a 2012 survey by English Heritage, the chamber was described as having "classical motifs with giant stylised pilasters to the walls and a compartmental plasterwork ceiling, and also some Moderne details in the metal-framed skylight which has decorative scrollwork to the sides, the original doors, their furniture and wide plain architrave." The same level also held the Mayor's office.
For a number of years, the offices held several framed tapestries with the names of many local residents. Although never completed, the tapestries were created in 1978 to commemorate 900 years of Portland's recorded history. The tapestries were moved to St George's Centre in Reforne in June 2016.
In 2012, English Heritage surveyed the building, but concluded it was not worthy for designation as a listed building. They concluded: "It has a well-crafted exterior, but the architectural design is not distinguished and has no particular significance for the evolution of this particular building type. The replacement of the windows in uPVC has significantly compromised the building, and although some fixtures and fittings remain in a small number of rooms, including the Council Chamber, they are of a standard design and quality for the period."
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Ancestry.com - Genealogy - Portland Year Book 1905 - Portland Urban District Council - Paul Benyon - website page
2) Dorset Echo - numerous articles from the online archive from 2006 to 2017 - website page
3) Dorset for You - Appraisal of the Conservation Areas of Portland - PDF document
4) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 06/00735/FUL3 (10 Nov 2006) - website page
5) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 06/00735/FUL3 (10 Nov 2006) - Officer Report - PDF document
6) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 07/00524/FUL3 (23 Aug 2007) - website page
7) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 07/00524/FUL3 (23 Aug 2007) - Officer Report - PDF document
8) Dorset for You - W&PBC - Planning Application Details - 10/00486/FUL3 (6 Sep 2010) - website page
9) Free Portland News - March 2016 - Issue No. 449
10) Free Portland News - Letter to the Editor - June 2016 - Issue No. 452
11) Heritage Gateway - Portland Council Offices - 1410906 - website page
12) Independent: The Rise of the Non-Aligned Politician - Richard Berry - Imprint Academic - 2008 - ISBN: 978-1845401283 - chapter 2 - book
13) Information on the foundation stone of the Portland Town Council Offices
14) Information on the Past Chairmen of the Portland Local Board and Urban District Council plaque in the Portland Town Council Offices
15) Information on wooden plaque inside Portland Town Council Offices
16) Portland Town Council - Official Website - About the council - website page
17) Portland Town Council - Official Website - Meetings - website page
18) Portland: An Illustrated History - Stuart Morris - Dovecote Press - 1985 - ISBN: 978-0946159345 - page 128 - book
19) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles - website page
20) The Island and Royal Manor of Portland - Notes on its History, Laws and Customs - J. W. Warren - Order of the Court Leet and Court of the Manor - 1939 - page 94 - book
Gallery
These images can be enlarged by clicking on them. Some images have information attached to them, and to view this you can either enlarge the image or hover the mouse over each thumbnail.
Many thanks to Ray Nowak for the organisation of the offices' open day in April 2016, allowing the opportunity for these photographs to be taken.
Many thanks to Ray Nowak for the organisation of the offices' open day in April 2016, allowing the opportunity for these photographs to be taken.
