Plans to move City Hall to the Royal Docks has been further delayed, admits Mayor Sadiq Khan.
A press release from the Greater London Authority (GLA) announced that it will not be moving into its new Canning Town home until January 2022, three months later than planned. The Crystal building, by the Royal Victoria Dock, was previously a conference centre and is undergoing a £13.6 million renovation in order to become London’s new GLA HQ.
The latest delays in the move of City Hall from near Tower Bridge have been caused by “global supply chain issues caused by the pandemic.”
The Crystal’s renovation is also behind schedule following the discovery of long-standing underlying water damage. The move was originally planned for this month.
The GLA claims that moving to The Crystal will save £61m over five years. Of that, £11 million a year will be saved in rent by moving out of the privately-owned current building.
Sadiq Khan said, “City Hall’s move to The Crystal building will usher in a new era for the GLA and this flourishing part of East London.”
The Mayor also hopes the move will help regenerate the Royal Docks area, by leading to “…25,000 new homes and the creation of 60,000 new jobs within the next 20 years.”
The GLA has been at the current Union Street City Hall location since December 2001.