English Heritage has written to the owner of Lubetkin\u2019s threatened Finsbury Health Centre demanding a meeting to discuss its worsening state of repair.<\/p>\n
The body\u2019s planning and regional development director for London, Paddy Pugh, wrote last Tuesday to NHS Islington chief executive Rachel Tyndall expressing concern over the state of the grade I listed building in north London. \u00a0BD understands Pugh makes reference to \u201creputational\u201d issues both for EH and NHS Islington.<\/p>\n
One source said: \u201cHe\u2019s concerned that it\u2019s not doing NHS Islington, as the building owner, any good to be in a poor state, and it\u2019s not doing English Heritage any good if they\u2019re being seen to condone it.\u201d \u00a0The last major maintenance project at the 1938 building was carried out 16 years ago.<\/p>\n
The architect in charge of that work, Avanti Architects director John Allan, said new repair work needed to be carried out urgently. \u201cThere is certain immediate work that needs to be done,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you walk by [the building] it does not look as if it\u2019s being responsibly maintained. It\u2019s a building of international significance and English Heritage is right to be concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pugh said: \u201cWe believe the building can be refurbished and we\u2019re here to help.\u201d \u00a0But asked whether NHS Islington had been listening to its concerns, he replied: \u201cNot so far they haven\u2019t, I can\u2019t deny that. We have been making these points again and again.\u201d However, an NHS Islington spokeswoman said it was \u201cresponding\u201d to EH\u2019s offer.<\/p>\n
News of the heritage group\u2019s intervention emerged at an Islington Council meeting on the future on the centre last week. \u00a0The health and wellbeing committee had been expected to refer a final decision on the fate of the building to health secretary Andy Burnham.<\/p>\n
But chairman Martin Klute said it would first send the 10 NHS Islington board members copies of its report \u2014 which includes the key recommendation that the building should be retained as a health centre \u2014 ahead of the health body\u2019s next board meeting on March 25. English Heritage has written to the owner of Lubetkin\u2019s threatened Finsbury Health Centre demanding a meeting to discuss its worsening state of repair. The body\u2019s planning and regional development director for London, Paddy Pugh, wrote last Tuesday to NHS Islington … Continue reading
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