Taberner House

Taberner House is the high rise tower block that currently houses most of Croydon Council's workforce. This 77 metre tall, 21 floor office block dates from 1967 and is the third tallest building in the borough. Unfortunately, it is in a relatively poor state of repair. The Council is currently building a new "Public Services Delivery Hub" at nearby Fell Road in a partnership with Laing - the CCURV project. It is anticipated that the Council's staff will move from Taberner House in spring 2013. A study was commissioned which indicated that the costs of refurbishing Taberner House to a good modern standard would be prohibitive. In particular, given the building dates from the 1960s, it incorporates a significant amount of asbestos - the removal of which is costly. The current proposal is therefore to demolish the old building and replace it with a new tower block - the bulk of which will be residential space.

The replacement of Taberner House by the new Public Services Delivery Hub has become a matter of political controversy.  The opposition Labour political party argues that a refurbishment of Taberner House would have been more cost efficient.  It also argues that such a heavy project cost of £145m is inappropriate in this age of austerity.  More recently, independent commentators have suggested that Croydon Council should have leased existing office space - of which there is an ample supply given the 30% vacant office space in central Croydon.

Although no detailed proposals have yet been produced for what will take the place of Taberner House, the Council has been consistent in stating that the new development will be focused on residential accommodation.  This seems an eminently sensible course of action as the demand for new office space at this site would appear to be very limited given:

• the 30% office space vacancy rate that currently exists in Croydon
• the rock bottom rents for this vacant space which would undermine the commercial viability of any new space coming to market
• the huge amount of office space that will come on to the market if the Stanhope Schroders scheme proceeds 

Taberner House links:
A Croydon blog post dated 29 March 2011 questioning the wisdom of the CCURV deal with John Laing:
The silence of the Laings

An article from the Croydon Advertiser dated 11 November 2008 giving the background to the CCURV project:
Demolition of Croydon Council's Taberner House one step closer

Stanhope Schroders (Ruskin Square - previously Arrowcroft's ill-fated Croydon Gateway/Arena development)

Menta (Cherry Orchard Road)

Mid Croydon (The area between the Clocktower and Allders - previously Minerva's ill-fated Park Place development)

Public Services Delivery Hub (Fell Road - the Council's replacement for Taberner House constructed under the John Laing regeneration deal)

NHS site (The former site of the now demolished Croydon General Hospital - just to the north of West Croydon station)