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Bromley Civic Society News
September 2015
Chair's Welcome
2015 could be regarded as the year for “Selling the Family Silver” in terms of the heritage in council ownership. As we know the Council pulled the plug on the Heritage Lottery Fund bid for maintenance of the Museum at historic Orpington Priory which is to be sold and its Museum functions reduced to small exhibits in the Central Library. The final sale and conversion for hotel use of our two beautiful, Grade II listed, Town Halls has just been approved. Reduction in Council personnel and functions to the absolute minimum and desire to raise funds has manifested itself in the Executive’s decision last week to sell off parts of the Civic Centre for development including the Grade II listed Palace building itself. The Council is also consulting on formulating a new development brief for disposal of Opportunity site B which is part of the beautiful setting of the Grade I listed Bromley College and Tweedy Road. Early signs of a revised brief for site G look disastrous not only for the community to be displaced but also the environment of Library Gardens. Then, of course, lets us not forget the destruction of the Italian Garden in Queens Garden. With all this grim stuff to deal with it is heartening that our Vice Chair, Peter Martin is inaugarating what we hope will be a future programme of regular heritage walks and talks. For those who were unable to attend the last AGM Peter has also included the main points and fascinating pictures from his talk on the future of the Bell Hotel.
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