A temporary extension to Woolwich crown court which was previously judged only good enough to last ten years will be kept permanently, councillors have decided.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) built the annex to the southeast London courthouse – containing five hearing rooms - in 2011 while promising it was only a temporary solution and permanent extra court capacity would be created.
However the permanent extension never materialised and the MoJ has instead mounted a bid to keep the temporary extension as a permanent building.
At a Greenwich Council planning board meeting this week, councillors questioned the decision to retain the annex amid concerns the building has a “tired” exterior look and it is not a good enough structure to last in the long-term.
However, the MoJ’s plan was ultimately approved.
The decision means seven courtrooms in Woolwich’s main building can now be shutdown for refurbishment of the air conditioning system, with the annex continue to sit on trials while that work is completed.
When the annex was first built, it came with a planning condition that it must be demolished after ten years – a deadline which passed last August.
The MoJ made a belated bid to save the structure from the wrecking ball, insisting the extension is a crucial part of efforts to tackle the near-60,000-strong backlog of criminal cases.
Councillor David Gardner, who sits on the planning board, questioned if they were “being asked to approve what was meant to be a temporary building of low quality design as a permanent structure?”
He was told the plan has not gone before a design panel and commented the MoJ’s application “does strike me as very odd”.
A representative for the MoJ at the meeting acknowledged a “concern regarding low quality materials” but insisted the government “has a duty to provide fit for purpose accommodation”.
Asked about a “permanent solution” to the court capacity issue, the representative replied: “It’s a difficult one. It’s an existing facility, and at the moment there are cost constraints.
“Spending from the public purse is very constrained at the moment. I appreciate it was for a temporary period, but it was designed to sit comfortably with the main building.”
She added: “I’m sure my client will be monitoring the building to make sure the building doesn’t deteriorate.”
The MoJ refused the council’s calls to cut back on the number of parking spaces at the court, insisting that Woolwich has a “unique” security status which means judges, witnesses, and jurors are unable to use public transport.
However it committed to a five-year review of the parking use.
An urban designer at the council had noted the “tired” look of cladding on the extension and the MoJ has promised to monitor the building for signs of decay.
