Gail's Bakery to open in former Southwark Fire Station
A decade after the closure of Southwark Fire Station, the former appliance bays are to become a branch of Gail's Bakery.
The new cafe will be the chain's seventh branch in SE1. The company has applied to Southwark Council for listed building consent to make minor alterations to the space it plans to occupy.
"It should be noted that Gail’s are a long term occupier of their buildings and have a strong track record of maintaining listed buildings during their tenancy," wrote James Baker of agents Planning Potential in a letter to Southwark officials.
"Examples can be seen from Marlow, Epsom, Golders Green, Greenwich, Berkhamsted and Buckingham Palace Road, Westminster, where some initial minor works have led to a viable premises and the long term conservation of the buildings."
The fire station in Southwark Bridge closed in January 2014 – after 135 years of service – as part of controversial reforms pushed through by then Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
London SE1 website team
The former fire station is grade II listed, with Gail's planning to occupy part of the 1911 extension to the original 1878 building.
The complex of buildings – previously used as a training centre by the London Fire Brigade – has been redeveloped under the Brigade Court name to include new homes and the Haberdashers' Borough Academy secondary school.
More recently the appliance bays on Southwark Bridge Road have hosted a cafe called The Mess Hall as part of the sales suite for the Brigade Court development.
Gail's has branches elsewhee in SE1 in Bankside, Stamford Street, Southbank Place, Kennington Road, The Cut and Bermondsey Street. It recently opened its first SE17 branch at Elephant Park on the site of the former Heygate Estate.
