Holocaust memorial beside Parliament is rejected by planners

‘A memorial next to where decisions are made will help us to learn the lessons that we have not done so far’

A LONDON council has voted down a proposal to build a national Holocaust memorial next to Parliament, but the senior Government minister who will have the final say has reiterated his commitment to the project.

Westminster city council’s planning committee voted unanimously to reject allowing the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre to be built in

Victoria Tower Gardens, saying it contravenes planning rules on size, design and location.

One Labour councillor said the council had been left in an “awful position” by a Government pledge five years ago to build a memorial in central London, without consultation.

With his voice at times breaking, David Boothroyd said: “That left us in this iniquitous position where we are now having to decide whether to disappoint people who are making points about their local park with perfect sincerity, or refuse the Holocaust centre within a fortnight of Holocaust Memorial Day.”

Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, said: “The Government remains implacably committed to the construction of the Holocaust Memorial and Education Centre at the heart of our democracy.”

Objections to the proposal came from a range of groups, including Historic

England, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, and the Royal Parks, the meeting heard.

David Dorward, a planning officer, told the meeting that concerns with the location ranged from fear of harming trees and increased security risks to more traffic in the area.

Mala Tribich, a Holocaust survivor, told the meeting: “A memorial next to Parliament where decisions are made will help us to learn the lessons that we have not done so far.”

Robert Rigby, the planning chairman, said while the council supported the principle of having such a memorial in central London, it could not approve the proposal, adding that it is “right” that the communities secretary will make the final decision.

Victoria Tower Gardens is a Grade Ii-listed park next to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, collectively designated as a World Heritage Site.

The council’s decision will form part of a public inquiry due to take place in summer, after which the communities secretary will make a final decision.