News Flash – Secretary of State Rt Hon Robert Jenrick REFUSES PLANNING PERMISSION

Yesterday at 3pm on 23rd June 2021 the Secretary of State the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick issued the following decision notice on the planning application by U+I and the London Fire Brigade, for a development at the Brigade’s historic HQ at 8 Albert Embankment.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/called-in-decision-8-albert-embankment-london-borough-of-lambeth-ref-3254203-23-june-2021

The Secretary of State has agreed with his planning inspectorate report and has REFUSED planning permission.

Christopher Woodward of the Garden Museum whose Lambeth Green plans would have been affected by shadowing from the proposal – which included 5 towers in total, 2 of which would overshadow Old Paradise Gardens and residents of the Whitgift Council Estate said:

‘We are thrilled that we can continue with our plans to make a new park for central London without it being overshadowed by the dead glass of skyscrapers of luxury flats.

‘But the greatest relief is for our neighbours in social housing, who would have lost over 40 per cent of the sunshine at their windows if U+I had been able to build its towers.’

‘This is the second public inquiry the GLA has lost for the site, which has been left derelict for over a decade. We all want the site to be developed. Can the GLA please invite ideas for other uses, which does not deprive a community of one of the most basic of human needs – sunshine.’

See today’s article in Architects Journal:

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/jenrick-rejects-pilbrow-partners-plans-for-former-london-fire-brigade-hq?eea=clo3NjhaS1Z2ckp3b2VXcnZCdnRWU0Vwejgydkk1a0xVWUk5Q3B4eU44RT0=&n_hash=853&mkt_tok=NDA3LUlYQi01MjkAAAF93DJ2zW4BqJBJiiZwES2BKOPb0CluuF_ysICis2MMJ4FOMq0g0YFmbEizvtX0zofzF_v6Y9FlSvcVJ6bp04bBoP_l_t2d6_JKVzjAtPwQFKmFsQ

Michael Ball from Waterloo Community Development Group, who represented Lambeth Village at the public inquiry says:

‘Fantastic community effort, from every political party and none; businesses, residents & many stakeholders. We won all the main points: threat to daylight, heritage, the democratically agreed Plan. Lambeth Council needs to take more care protecting us.’

‘The LFB has left these sites largely vacant for nearly 20 years, benefiting no one other than speculators. Two madcap proposals have wasted millions of pounds of public money, and have terrorised the local community for the past decade.’

‘It’s time that Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, called a halt. He needs to instruct the LFB to bring these sites back into use immediately for ‘meanwhile’ uses, then work with the local community to develop a scheme which will benefit everybody.’

Helen Perrault-Newby from the Whitgift Estate TRA says:

Residents on the Whitgift Estate have been saved by the Secretary of State’s decision at 8 Albert Embankment, from living in sub-standard housing.

We of little resources should never have had to fight with a public body, simply to keep a decent level of daylight in our homes, a fundamental human right.

We hope the London Fire Brigade will choose in future a development partner capable of real consultation and not simply glossy exhibitions and pre-ticked support cards.

We hope all residents, including the social housing tenants on our estate whose lives would have been devastated by this development, can now look forward to being treated with respect.

News Flash – Secretary of State Rt Hon Robert Jenrick REFUSES PLANNING PERMISSION