STOP DEMOLITION CITY AND SAVE LONDON WALL WEST FROM THE WRECKING BALL
STOP DEMOLITION CITY AND SAVE LONDON WALL WEST FROM THE WRECKING BALL
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Latest: Jan. 28, 2024
Last Chance to Object
We are now less than a week from the end of the consultation period on the City’s planning application for London Wall West
If you haven’t registered an objection, please do so now
There ar…
Read moreBarbican Quarter Action is calling on the City of London to stop the greedy demolition of Bastion House and the Museum of London – important heritage assets and part of the much-loved townscape of the Barbican. Please consider supporting our urgent crowd funder to persuade the City to do the right thing – STOP the carbon crimes. SAVE London's shared heritage. REIMAGINE for a sustainable future.
There are two main reasons demolition would be a crime:
1. Carbon – demolition and rebuild will unleash tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2, even though industry experts have shown that these buildings are safe and suitable for reuse.
2. Heritage – demolition will destroy two internationally recognised icons of British post-war urban design, including important public realm.
YES, I WANT TO STOP THE SENSELESS WASTE!
Barbican Quarter Action (BQA) exists to fight for environmentally, ethically and socially responsible decision-making about the built environment in the City of London – decisions that will affect many lives and many generations to come. We are calling on the City to show leadership and vision in the face of climate change - not short-term greed.
This urgent public appeal seeks donations to help amplify the BQA’s case for creative retrofit and imaginative reuse of buildings designed by Powell & Moya – architects of the Festival of Britain Skylon. It will also help fund expert witnesses and legal advice to challenge the City of London Corporation, which is proceeding with its planning application for London Wall West in the face of national and local outcry.
The proposed scheme will result in the demolition of the former Museum of London, its distinctive dark brick rotunda echoing the Roman city walls, and the Miesian Bastion House – destroying outstanding built culture and history and unleashing 1000's of tonnes of carbon to make way for yet more super-scaled private office blocks.
YES, I WANT TO HELP TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE CITY’S RECKLESS PROPOSAL!
Supporters of BQA include the Twentieth Century Society, cross-party politicians, prominent design historians and international architecture commentators. Unsurprisingly, the plans for London Wall West have already attracted widespread opposition – but the City isn't listening.
Recently the Corporation inexplicably rejected multiple reuse proposals – offers it itself described as ‘credible’ – in favour of the mindless demolition of two important icons of post-war British architecture.
Not only is this move alarmingly out of step with global thinking on sustainability and the lead of world-cities, but it also flies in the face of the City’s own commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in the Square Mile by 2040.
YES, I WANT TO HELP PERSUADE THE CITY TO SEE SENSE!
BQA opposes the current scheme and will ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ‘call in’ the plans and hold a public inquiry. The Secretary of State will have an opportunity to rule on a landmark decision that will change the course of reckless construction in the Square Mile and far beyond. We believe we stand a very strong chance of winning.
YES, I WANT TO HELP SET A NEW PRECEDENT!
You can comment on the City's planning application, find advice on how to comment effectively and other resources here
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Barbican Quarter Action
Jan. 28, 2024
Last Chance to Object
We are now less than a week from the end of the consultation period on the City’s planning application for London Wall West
If you haven’t registered an objection, please do so now
There are two options. You can go straight to the City of London’s page for application comments here. This is particularly good for short comments.
On the same webpage, under the “public comments” tab, you can see what others have said
The second option is to email the City's Planning Department at [email protected]. If you use this route, don't forget to include
- the planning application 23/01304/FULEIA
- state that you are objecting and
- give your name and address
If you are not sure what can or can’t be included in your objection, our handy guide is here
When you have submitted your comment you should receive a confirmation mail from the City to say it has been received.
At Barbican Quarter Action, we have been very busy reviewing the application and preparing our objection. This has been done with your support and that of the Barbican Association.
Please keep funding BQA and invite your friends to support us
We will have more to say when we have completed the review, but we felt that it would be useful to share some highlights
City Chair of Policy and Resources Chris Hayward has said that all options for the site remain on the table while at the same time pursuing an office-led development. The inconsistency of this approach has been laid bare in the application. Leading expert Simon Sturgis has commented referring to the part of the application dealing with sustainability:
“There are fundamental flaws in the…. Assessment which narrowed down from 11 outline options to 6 options selected for detailed examination. These 6 options excluded ‘Option 2’, for a ‘Major Refurbishment’. This ‘Option 2’ is the option that is most consistent with the approach favoured by the commercial bids in the City’s market testing exercise.”
(The options referenced are those assessed by the City before it drew up its proposals for London Wall West and in advance of any public consultation. The market testing exercise solicited proposals for re-use the existing buildings)
Looking at the heritage aspects of the proposal, Alec Forshaw commented on the flawed approach taken by the applicant and concluded
“The proposals cause widespread harm to a large number of heritage assets, including the complete loss of two undesignated heritage assets*. Harm to designated heritage assets is less than substantial, but nevertheless of such degree that will considerably erode and harm their significance. This harm is not outweighed by heritage benefits elsewhere, nor do there appear to be other outstanding public benefits which would offset the great weight that must be given to heritage harm. Alternative solutions which could re-use and enhance the existing heritage assets, including their setting, should be explored”
*Bastion House and the Museum of London Building
The fundamental question – why offices? We have yet to find a compelling business case for an office-led development that goes beyond the argument that offices are a good investment because they always have been. Our review suggests Insufficient thought has been given to the impact of the pandemic, the needs of emerging businesses in the City and the strategic role the site can play in transitioning the City to a more diverse, greener future.
As well as planning for the next stage after 31st January, we are seeking further clarification regarding how the City was able, without consultation, to pivot from planning for a world-leading centre for music on the site, to supporting the construction of two and a half massive uninspiring office blocks.
This campaign will not end on 31st January but we need your continuing support to take it to the next stage. Please share the campaign with your friends and colleagues and consider giving us further support. Thank you for everything you have done so far.
Barbican Quarter Action
Jan. 12, 2024
We did it!
Thank you! With your support, BQA has now reached its initial target of £5,000. As a result we have been able to recruit additional expert analysis of the City of London’s planning application for the LWW site. In advance of the consultation deadline of 31st January, we have commissioned
- Alec Forshaw to review of the implications of the development from a heritage perspective
- Simon Sturgis to review the sustainability aspects of the proposal
- Specialist consultants Anstey Horne to look at the daylight and overshadowing aspects
In addition, we have used the expertise available within the team and the local community to review the impact of the construction plan and the overall design concept. The process by which the City arrived at this proposal is also important. We are analysing how consultation with stakeholders has been managed. Finally, as the world adapts to the post-covid working world, we will be looking closely at the process by which the City decided that two oversized office buildings represented best use of this unique site.
BQA will be submitting a formal objection to the proposal. We encourage you to do the same. Every contribution counts (and you don’t need to read all the documents). The necessary information to make an objection is here.
The work will not stop on the 31st, so please continue to support us. We will be approaching the Secretary of State to request that he “call in” the proposal and continuing to review the possibility of seeking further legal scrutiny of the way in which the City has advanced this scheme. We’re optimistic, but this all costs money and we have set a new funding target of £50,000. Your further support will increase the pressure on the City of London to align itself with the worldwide movement to reduce carbon emissions and preserve and enhance this unique townscape.
Many thanks again for your continued support, and please pass this message onto friends and neighbours as we need all the support we can gather to defeat this deeply flawed development.
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