Plans to turn an old fire station into a cultural centre are cooking on gas after a £600,000 cash boost from the Mayor of London.
In September the South London Gallery was given the Peckham Road Fire Station – and former sausage factory – by an anonymous donor.
The gallery was subsequently granted a quarter-million pound Heritage Lottery Fund grant to restore the listed building. A further £1.5m was also earmarked to be released by the HLF when £2m has been raised from other sources.
Good news then that the Mayor of London has this week committed £600,000 to the project from the London Regeneration Fund.
The building dates from 1867 and is the earliest surviving example of a purpose-built fire station in London. The now-derelict, four-storey building will be transformed into a new art space, allowing the gallery to expand its exhibitions and events programme.
The building operated as a fire station for 50 years after opening and subsequently became the offices and factory for Kennedy’s Sausages.
The cultural centre is expected to open in 2018.