Full extent of RAAC and fire safety issues at Peterborough Town Hall to be revealed in two months

Peterborough City Council has provided an update on the town hall building following a decision to move public meetings to Fletton Quays due to safety issues.

Since January, all city council meetings have been held at the authority’s offices in Sand Martin House.

The decision was made due to the condition and fire safety of the historic Peterborough Town Hall building on Bridge Street, specifically relating to requirements for evacuating large numbers of people from the upper floor meeting spaces.

In addition, work on the building will be needed following the discovery of RAAC. There are also issues with the heating system, which make the meeting rooms very cold during the winter months.

At the time, deputy council leader Mohammed Jamil said: “As a public sector organisation, we have a duty of care for anyone who comes into our buildings and need to prove that the highest level of fire safety planning has taken place in case of a fire.”

Cllr Jamil has since provided an update on the Town Hall building, noting that it may take two months for survey results to come back.

He said: “We are still carrying out surveys and reviews on the second floor at the town hall and are anticipating to have results in six to eight weeks time, after which point we will make further announcements.

“Public meetings will continue to be held at Sand Martin House until further notice.”

Sand Martin House is part of the Fletton Quays development in Peterborough which saw brownfield sites, derelict land and vacant buildings transformed into a prime riverfront area.

More than 1,000 council staff moved into the Sand Martin House offices in 2018.

Millions have been spent on refurbishment works at Peterborough Town Hall in the past, including works in 2021 to enable the letting of space to Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.