Southwark Council to hold most committee meetings in Tooley Street

When the authority's smart offices in Tooley Street first opened, the council made clear that the building wasn't intended to be 'public-facing'.

Now proposals to be considered by the council's cabinet next week indicate that most of the council's public meetings will in future be held in the building.

Cabinet is expected to agree plans to sell off Southwark Town Hall in Peckham Road, Walworth Town Hall in Walworth Road and Bermondsey Town Hall in Spa Road.

The council says that an unnamed "public sector partner" is interested in taking on a long lease of Southwark Town Hall which would mean that many meetings open to the public, such as planning committee and licensing meetings, would be held at Tooley Street instead.

Meetings of the full council, known as Council Assembly, are to be held at a variety of venues around the borough under plans agreed as part of the recent Democracy Commission process.

There are also plans to relocate the Mayor of Southwark's parlour from the Town Hall to the Tooley Street building.

The council's revised office accommodation strategy also says that the Bermondsey One-Stop Shop's prefabricated building in Spa Road is likely to be moved to Camberwell where it will serve as a library. A new front desk for Bermondsey residents will be opened elsewhere in SE16.