Large parts of Alexandra Palace remain dilapidated.

Alexandra Palace wins £320,000 English Heritage restoration grant

by Stephen Moore Tuesday, February 7, 2012
1:51 PM

The iconic Alexandra Palace has won a grant of more than £320,000 for urgent repairs from conservation charity English Heritage.

The roof of the Victorian theatre - closed to the general public for years over health and safety concerns - and the south terrace will be repaired with the money, allowing the second phase of the building’s regeneration to go ahead.

Parts of the building next to the newly-refurbished ice rink will also be repaired, with the remaining money spent on the Palace’s conservation management plan.

The Palace has sat on English Heritage’s Buildings At Risk Register for 15 years, and it hoped this work will go some way to its removal.

The plan is being put together by recently-appointed conservation architects Donald Insall Associates, whose past projects include advising the Historic Royal Palaces on repairing Hampton Court’s Wolsey Chimneys.

Matt Cooke, chairman of Alexandra Park and Palace’s Trust, said he was “delighted” with the news, adding: “2012 is a huge year for us; we have just hosted the World Darts Championship and The Masters Snooker tournament and, this summer, we will host the Olympic Torch as well as becoming the venue for Holland Heineken House, the Dutch national cultural house, the biggest in London.

“Although in the very early stages of regenerating this magnificent heritage property, with further investment and careful stewardship we are very optimistic that we will be able to achieve our ultimate goal to develop and enhance this fantastic cultural destination and resource for the local community, Londoners and visitors from across the world.”

Paddy Pugh, English Heritage’s planning director for London, said the Palace “has long been in need of repair and English Heritage is delighted to offer grant aid towards this latest phase of its regeneration”.