Documents submitted to Newham Council reveal how Crystal will be transformed – and how the mayor and hundreds of City Hall staff have split the arrivals.
One questioned the cost-benefit of the move, saying it was “frugal” to buy a Mercedes after selling a Rolls-Royce. Excessive congestion at DLR and Canning Town stations and increased pollution and parking problems were concerns.
There was also concern about the loss of public space due to the need to build a security fence around the building.
But others welcomed the GLA’s arrival, saying it would help speed up the region’s reconstruction.
One resident called it “the brightest proposition of a building that stands largely unused.”
The planning documents also reveal how the top floor of the City Hall will be rebuilt in the Function Room, London’s Living Room, Crystal.
Mayor Sadiq Khan outside City Hall on the south bank
/ P.A. )There will be no car parking space but a secure bike hanger with 117 wheel spaces will be built.
Loos will float in the rainwater collected from the roof of the building
Three flagpoles to be erected outside – giving Rayman Mr Khan a chance to continue the EU flag
The building will be heated or cooled by underground air drawn from a “ground source heat pump”
The move to Crystal will only accommodate 226 of the 500 GLA staff and the rest are being deployed to Southwark’s London Fire Brigade headquarters.
A new chamber will be built to accommodate about 170 people
The move is aimed at saving million 1 million in five years, at a time when Mr Khan is cutting back on public services, including the Met Police and LFB, as the GLA’s revenue has shrunk by about £ 93 million as a result of the epidemic.
Earlier advice over the summer drew more than 200 responses, with “overwhelming support” from residents and businesses.
According to an analysis by the London Assembly, it will cost £ 6 million to refit the building internally,. 3.8 million to upgrade its security and £ 1.5 million for IT. The cost of moving equipment and documents from City Hall will be 2.5 million.
A spokesman for the mayor said: “The mayor believes that the Crystal move will act as a catalyst for the rebirth of the Royal Docs, which will build 25,000 new homes and create 0,000 new jobs in the next 20 years, supported by the arrival of the Elizabeth Line.
“The move will save £ 1 million over five years and is necessary because the government is not adequately funding local and regional governments in London, including the cost of Covid-19.”
