East Ham Town Hall (Newham Council Offices), Barking Road, Newham, London

TOWN HALL, EAST HAM - On the 3th instant the new Town Hall and Municipal Buildings for East Ham were opened. The building has been constructed of red brick, with terra-cotta dressings of biscuit colour and Westmoreland green slate roofs, the whole dominated by a clock tower, 22 ft. square, rising to a height of about 150 ft., with open belfry stage, and breaking up into pinnacles. The general arrangement of the buildings is in the form of the letter L, the official department, including clerk’s, engineer, and surveyor’s, and accountant’s offices, being in the vertical or left arm of the letter, parallel with Barking-road, with the large assembly hall over, the several committee-rooms, mayor’s parlour, &c., being in the horizontal or foot portion, and the council-chamber, with police-court under, in the shorter vertical arm on the right The assembly hall ha3 its own distinct approach, entirely independent of the entrances to the offices, though the latter are so arranged that they can be used in conjunction if occasion requires, and as extra means of exit for rapid dispersal in the event of a panic. This approach is through a doorway and a wide stone staircase and vestibule to an entrance hall, having ladies’ and gentlemen’s cloak and retiring rooms to right and left of it, and a corridor leading to the Council Chamber and Mayor's room, with a grand staircase on the right, and a separate staircase on the left to the gallery immediately over the hall, the gallery providing accommodation for 150 seats. In the centre of the hall, facing those entering, is the ticket office, with large doers right and left giving admission to the assembly-room, 100 ft. long and 50 ft. wide, providing seating for 1,200 people independent of the platform and organ recess at the end. Retiring-rooms are provided for the performers, with entrances and staircase approaches, and a chamber under the platform for storing chairs, tables, &c. Special exit doors in addition to the foregoing are provided for rapid clearance of the hall, and a service-room with a lift to the kitchen on the top floor is provided. The assembly room is lighted by large windows on both sides. The Mayor’s hall, with anteroom and waiting-room, are all en suite, with two large committee-rooms, and the latter are capable of being thrown into one by a disappearing screen when required. The council chamber opens out of a corridor on the right. A public gallery for 100 burgesses will be at one end, with separate staircase approach. All the halls, corridors, &c., of this floor are paved with polished marble mosaic of special design, and the whole is of fireproof construction. There is a residence for the caretaker, together with kitchens, &c. This is the first block of a scheme of municipal buildings, comprising technical school, public baths, coroner’s court, &c. The general contractor is Mr. D. W. Barker, of Croydon. The heating has been carried out by Mr. Jeffreys, of Westminster; the electric lighting, telephones, &c., by Messrs. Fryer & Co., of Sloane-square. Messrs. Doulton & Co. supplied the terra-cotta, and Messrs. Congdon & Powell the railing round the buildings. The architects are Messrs. Cheers & Smith, of Twickenham and Blackburn, whose design was selected in open competition. [Builder 14 February 1903 page 174-175]

EAST HAM MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. – Mr. Hooper, the Local Government Board Inspector, has opened at the Town Hall a public enquiry into the Borough Council's application for a provisional order relating to the erection of municipal buildings under the East Ham Improvement Act, 1898. It appears that an expenditure of £23,000 has arisen in excess of the authorised outlay of £55,000 upon public offices, a police court, public library, technical college, coroner's court, and other buildings (as yet incompleted)  after plans and designs by Mr. Cheers. It was stated in evidence that the site cost £5,000, or nearly £1,000 per acre, and Messrs. Barker & Co.'s tender for £30,650, was accepted, and that a total sum of £42,920 15s. 9d, was paid to the contractors for the main building, whilst the contract price for the clock tower was £3,233. 1n addition, and that the boundary wall, 630 feet long, cost over £3 per foot besides. The Council's application is opposed by representatives of the Ratepayers. Association and the Municipal Alliance. The borough debt is £950,672, and the rates are 9s. 7d. in the pound. [Builder 1 June 1907 page 672]