Revamp plans for theatre are labelled an 'eyesore'

Refurbishment plans for a Surrey landmark have been labelled as "something of an eyesore" by the county's heritage officer.

Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) is due to make a decision on Wednesday over plans to install new air handling units, an external buffer tank and a heat recovery system on the roof of Dorking Halls.

The major project has faced spiralling budgets, with an additional £3.34m approved last September for maintenance work on top of the originally agreed £11.2m.

In a report, Surrey County Council's heritage officer has written about concerns to install the new ducts, saying the units "would have quite a severe impact on the Art Deco character" of the building's façade.

"The revised scheme is an improvement, but nonetheless will still result in quite large units being prominently sited on the building," they added.

The officers also said the ducts represented "something of an eyesore" despite the applicant having explained the need for the installation, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

MVDC said granting permission for the proposed refurbishment would allow the site to continue operating.

The council added this would "bring social and economic benefits that were balanced against the environmental and visual harm".

The local authority has other plans including increasing the height of the central parapet.

Dorking Halls will close from April to December for the next stage of its refurbishment work.

The building had been primarily used as a music venue since it was built in 1931.

It now acts as a leisure facility providing a range activities and events such as theatre and cinema.

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