In 2015, the Inn’s governing body voted to redevelop the Treasury Building in order to meet the needs of future generations and the demands of modern legal education, in an appropriate and cost-effective way, employing the latest information technology.
A detailed application for planning permission was submitted in February 2017. The Inner Temple’s plans were subsequently approved by the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee on 4 July 2017 with a resolution to grant planning permission.
Following a meeting of the Inner Temple’s governing body on 3 December, Governing Benchers were asked to vote on the funding for the scheme and have approved the necessary expenditure.
Against this background, it is disappointing that on 18 December 2018 the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee rejected an additional planning application for temporary decant space to be erected on site and to be used as accommodation during the construction phase of the project to enable the Inner Temple to fulfil its governance, regulatory, and education and training responsibilities, as well as continue to provide membership services on site.
The Inn had assumed that this might be an outcome, and we have planned accordingly. We are determined that we shall not be set back unduly by this decision. Although it will make it more difficult for the Inn to provide essential services to our members while construction is underway, including meeting the educational and training needs of our students and barristers and providing a comprehensive catering function, contingency planning is already in place for alternative arrangements for core services and to accommodate our staff as best as possible.
Education and training, both for students and barristers, is the core function of the Inn and there is a recognised need to ensure that our facilities meet the demands of modern legal education. The development option approved by Governing Benchers will ensure that the Inn is able to fulfil its educational function by providing state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities, including a lecture theatre and training rooms, to match the world-class training and law Library which the Inn will continue to deliver.
The Inn intends to press ahead with construction in 2019 and further updates on progress will be announced in due course.
For enquiries please contact views@innertemple.org.uk.
Please note, the Inn’s offices will be closed from Friday 21 December until Monday 7 January 2019.