Holocaust memorial faces legal challenge as High Court judge grants appeal
By Jacob Phillips, local democracy reporter
A Holocaust memorial is at risk of not being be built opposite the Houses of Parliament due to a new legal challenge.
A High Court judge has allowed an appeal to go ahead as the memorial could be built at the Imperial War Museum instead.
Six Westminster councillors voted against the new memorial being built in a February 2020 planning committee – but this was overruled.
Campaign group Save Victoria Tower Gardens have been given permission to contest two points put forward in a full court hearing.
The resident’s group are worried the new centre will damage the existing Buxton memorial and say the new Holocaust Memorial would be better suited at the Imperial war museum.
In a statement they said: “The High Court has given permission to The London Parks & Gardens Trust (LGT), with whom, as you know, we are working very closely, to challenge the Minister’s (formerly Chris Pincher) decision to grant planning permission for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens (VTG).
“We have been given permission to contest two key points in a full court hearing.
“The first point is about the correct legal way of evaluating harm to heritage assets and concerns the effect of the new building on the Buxton Memorial.
“The second point is about whether the Planning Inspector was right to require objectors to come up with detailed proposals for alternative locations to Victoria Tower Gardens (VTG).
“The judge accepts that it is arguable that that puts us into ‘an almost impossible position’.”
The government launched a public inquiry into the project in October 2020 before the building was given planning permission in July.
More than 170 MPs and peers voiced support for the memorial, including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
The memorial at Victoria Tower Gardens is predicted to cost around £100million and it would be made up of 23 large bronze fins and an underground education centre.
It is hoped that the venue will be ready by 2025 but a number of senior Jewish figures have questioned whether the memorial would be used correctly.
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