Plan for loo’s conversion into flower stall could soon be coming up roses
By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter
Kennington loos rumoured to have been used by Charlie Chaplin during his childhood are set to reopen as a florist.
The comic actor and filmmaker grew up near the public toilets, which closed in 1988.
An application to turn the underground men’s lavatories into a florist is expected to be approved by Lambeth councillors at a meeting this Tuesday evening.
A flower fridge and flower bins would be fitted in the Victorian toilets to support the new venture, according to plans submitted to the council.
The urinals would be retained under the proposals, but wash basins would be removed. Retained parts of the Victorian loos would be ‘cleaned, refurbished, sealed, repainted, and where necessary, repaired’, according to council planning documents.
A small amount of graffiti from the 1980s that ‘relates to the LGBTQ community’ would be removed as part of the plans. The council has retained photographic records of the writing for historical reference.
The toilets on Kennington Lane were built by the local authority in 1900 in response to the 1891 Public Health/London Act. This piece of legislation placed a duty on local authorities to provide and maintain public toilets.
The interior of the lavatories consists of white tiled brick walls, 10 urinal stalls with porcelain bases and marble modesty screens. It also includes an attendant’s kiosk with wood panelling and a multicoloured mosaic floor.
The toilets were given a Grade-II listing by English Heritage in 2001. They were partially refurbished and used as an art gallery between 2013 and 2017.
Last year, the team behind Bermondsey Arts Club revealed plans to convert the toilets into an underground cocktail bar, similar to their venue on Tower Bridge Road. The scheme never went ahead.
Planning documents submitted to the council by a Mr Abasine Taus in relation to the lavatory conversion say the proposals are the ‘right fit for the space’ and would result in modern services being installed in the toilets ‘carefully and sensitively’.
The proposals would result in a ‘stylish and attractive retail shop that is a benefit to the wider community’, the documents add. A Lambeth council planning committee will make a decision on the plans, which have been recommended for approval.
Pictured top: The interior of the underground Victorian lavatories (Picture: Lambeth council)