Sutton Civic Offices

File:Municipal Offices, High Street Sutton.jpg

The current civic offices were commissioned to replace the old municipal offices at the corner of Throwley Road and the High Street which had been designed in the Baroque style and completed in 1902.{{cite web|url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/1478/stc_udf_part_b_town_centre_today.pdf|title=Sutton Town Centre Today|publisher=London Borough of Sutton|page=15|accessdate=13 May 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://sutton.citizenspace.com/environment/suttoncaamp/user_uploads/sutton-caamp--reduced-.pdf|title=Sutton Town Centre: Character Appraisal and Management Plan|page=14|publisher=London Borough of Sutton|date=1 March 2019|accessdate=13 May 2020}} The old municipal offices had been established as the offices of the Sutton Urban District Council and went on to become the headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Sutton and Cheam in 1934.Frederic A Youngs Jr., A Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I: Southern England, London, 1979 They continued to be the local seat of government when the enlarged London Borough of Sutton was formed in 1965{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1963/33/contents|title=Local Government Act 1963|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk|accessdate=25 April 2020}} but, having been assessed as uneconomic to maintain, were demolished in 1972.

In the 1960s civic leaders had decided to procure new civic offices: the site they selected was occupied by three large private houses.{{cite web|url=https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/525652/164105|title=Ordnance Survey Map|year=1967|accessdate=13 May 2020}} They decided that the new civic offices, which would take over the role of headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton, would form part of a larger complex involving the civic offices to the south, a public library to the west and Sutton College to the north.{{cite web|url=https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMBMXM_Sutton_Public_Library_Civic_Centre_Sutton_London_UK|title=Sutton Public Library, Civic Centre, Sutton, London UK|publisher=Waymarking.com|accessdate=13 May 2020}} It was also intended to have a separate building for the council chamber but this was never built for financial reasons.{{cite web|url=https://lccmunicipal.com/2019/03/26/full-circle-celebrating-hounslow-civic-centre/|title=Full circle: Celebrating Hounslow Civic Centre|publisher=LCC Municipal|date=26 March 2019|accessdate=25 April 2020}}

The new building, which was designed by the assistant borough architect, Charles Sierakowski,{{efn|Sierakowski also designed the Art Gallery of Western Australia{{cite web |url=http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/A%20-%20A-D/16722%20Art%20Gallery%20Complex%20%28I-AD%29.PDF |title=Register of Heritage Places: Art Gallery of Western Australia Complex |accessdate=3 January 2008|date=9 May 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411053827/http://register.heritage.wa.gov.au/PDF_Files/A%20-%20A-D/16722%20Art%20Gallery%20Complex%20%28I-AD%29.PDF |archive-date=11 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}}} in the modernist style, was completed in phases between 1972 and 1975.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/CharlesSierakowski|title=Warsaw Uprising 1944|first=Don |last=Pugh|accessdate=13 May 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.taylorarchitects.com.au/Biographies/K%20Sierakowski%20for%20AIA%20(WA).pdf|title=Charles Sierakowski|publisher=Taylor Architects|first=John|last=Taylor|date=1 February 2020|page=2|accessdate=13 May 2020}}{{efn|The college was completed in 1972{{cite web|url= https://www.suttoncollege.ac.uk/college/|title=Background|publisher=Sutton College|accessdate=13 May 2020}} and the public library opened in 1975.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vCUHDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA285|title=Planning Public Library Buildings: Concepts and Issues for the Librarian|first=Michael |last=Dewe|page=285|publisher=Routledge|year=2006|isbn=978-0754633884}}}}

The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage onto St Nicholas Way with a canopied glass entrance to the civic offices and to the public library on the left, and a canopied glass entrance to the college on the right: there were continuous rows of glazing with brickwork above and below on the first, second and third floors throughout the complex.{{cite web|url=https://www.alamy.com/sutton-civic-offices-and-college-of-learning-for-adults-on-st-nicholas-way-south-london-uk-image209307521.html|title=Sutton Civic Offices and College of Learning for Adults on St Nicholas Way, South London|publisher=Alamy|accessdate=13 May 2020}} In the absence of a purpose-built council chamber, a multi-purpose area within the public library known as the "Europa Gallery" was designated as available for use by the borough council for their meetings.{{cite web|url=http://ariadne-portal.dcu.gr/index.php/page/13935273|title=Sutton Civic Centre|publisher=Ariadne|accessdate=25 April 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://moderngov.sutton.gov.uk/documents/g4361/Agenda%20frontsheet%2011th-Sep-2017%2019.00%20Council.pdf?T=0|title=Council Meeting|date=11 September 2017|publisher=London Borough of Sutton|accessdate=25 April 2020}}

In October 2022, Sutton Council announced plans to sell the civic offices, the public library, and Sutton College, as well as the Gibson Road Car Park and Secombe Theatre, for housing.{{Cite web |title=Sutton Town Centre |url=https://suttontowncentre.sutton.gov.uk/projects/sutton-civic-and-town-centre-regeneration# |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=suttontowncentre.sutton.gov.uk}}

In October 2024, Sutton Council announced a partnership with Genr8 Kajima Regeneration Ltd (GKRL) to deliver the next phase of the town centre regeneration, which includes a new Civic Hub. The Civic Hub will be located at the former Debenhams site within the St Nicholas Centre which the council has owned since 2021.{{Cite web |title=Council gives green light for next exciting phase of town centre regeneration |url=https://www.sutton.gov.uk/w/council-gives-green-light-for-next-exciting-phase-of-town-centre-regeneration |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=sutton.gov.uk}}

The Hub will provide residents with a central location to access services from the Council and its partners, as well as new library and community spaces. The Civic Hub is expected to be completed by mid-2029.

The site of the current Civic Offices will be sold and repurposed for housing.

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Category:Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Sutton

Category:City and town halls in London

Category:Government buildings completed in 1975

Category:Sutton, London