News ! Victoria Tower Gardens

JANUARY 2022

The Save Victoria Tower Gardens campaign continues:
 
The London Gardens Trust have been given permission to take the Government to court to challenge some aspects of the decisions of the Secretary of State and the Planning Inspector. Meanwhile we are putting pressure on Westminster City Council to do all they can to impede this development, which will cause so much harm to one of their open spaces.
 
If you would like to write personal letters following up on issues arising from the planning application we would be very pleased. Here are three documents describing the issues that we feel should be raised with the Government, Westminster City Council and the Foundation.  

NOTES FOR SUBMISSION TO WCC on building site boundaries and trees in VTG

NOTES FOR SUBMISSION TO DLUHC (and United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation)

 

Contractors do ground penetrating radar work in Victoria Tower Gardens, hoping to start excavations in February.  We object to the Government's proposal to build a Holocaust Memorial and underground Learning Centre on this Grade 2 listed park.  We support the London Gardens Trust whose legal case will be heard also in February.

 

22nd NOVEMBER 2021

GRANTED LEAVE TO APPEAL!  Read more CLICK HERE

 

29th OCTOBER 2021

The London Gardens Trust (LGT) have at last heard that their appeal against the decision to grant planning permission for the Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens (VTG) is to be heard in the High Court.  The judge has ruled that there is a case to answer on two of the six grounds: one is to do with the meaning of 'substantial harm', which  LGT say will be caused to the grade 2* Buxton Memorial as well as the Grade 2 gardens themselves. The second is the fact that no alternative sites were seriously considered and weighed up against VTG.

 
There were four other grounds which the judge dismissed, but we think there are some good arguments for including some of them, such as the fact that an unrepealed 1900 Act of Parliament obliges the gardens to be 'maintained ... for use as a garden open to the public'.
 
Meanwhile the new Holocaust gallery at the IWM has opened and demonstrates how much more powerful such an exhibition is when it can draw on the huge collection held by the IWM. The proposed exhibition at VTG will be largely digital and could not be anything else because the building runs a considerable risk of flooding.