SAVE OUR SOUTH BANK!

Despite objections from Waterloo's ward councillors, Florence Eshalomi MP, the National Theatre, Historic England, and hundreds of residents, permission was granted for 72 Upper Ground (old ITV Studios) by Lambeth's Planning Committee on 29 March.

Six of the councillors ignored their ward colleagues and MP, and agreed that tenants in social housing weren't entitled to the same amount of daylight in their homes as can be enjoyed in more suburban parts of the borough, or is considered adequate by the British Research Establishment (BRE). The BRE's standards were upheld by the Secretary of State last year at Albert Embankment, but Lambeth councillors chose to ignore the government regarding their own residents.

The National Theatre objected strongly at the meeting to the impact of the proposal on the NT and views of the South Bank from Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge, but councillors argued it was a 'marmite' design about which was purely subjective - willfully avoiding any mention of the 7 detailed planning policies in the Lambeth Plan designed to weed out poor design.

Only one councillor questioned the scheme - Scott Ainslie, who came all the way from Streatham to ask why such an ugly building should be allowed to desecrate the South Bank and wreck resident's daylight. But he was over-ruled by the other 6, who were won over by the 'offer' of 10% affordable workspace (largely in the basement) for 15 years - which is in fact the very minimum which Lambeth's policy requires.

In 25 years of attending and reporting on planning committee decisions, this was by far the worst example by councillors of disinterested ignorance of planning policy, catastrophic judgement, and a basic unwillingness to question anything at all.

Thankfully, decisions of this importance don't have to be left to the ineptitudes of Lambeth Council. The application needs to be approved by the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, and could be 'called in' by him, over-ruling Lambeth and taking the decision himself. There are many reasons why it should not have been approved. Some of these are laid out by our MP, Florence Eshalomi. You can read her letter here. 

It can also be called in for a public inquiry by the Secretary of State. Meanwhile, councillors face their own public inquiry at the local elections on 5th May.
 
Please take a few minutes to:

• Write directly to Sadiq Khan and ask him to “call the application in” – mayor@london.gov.uk
• Copy in our GLA Member Marina Ahmad and express your concerns about Lambeth’s decision:  Marina.Ahmad@london.gov.uk

To be kept up to date ensure that you have signed & shared the petition which we are now preparing to present to the Mayor and Secretary of State    https://www.change.org/p/sos-save-our-south-bank

 To join the action group email: saveoursouthbank22@gmail.com

'Save our South Bank Action Group’ is made up of local residents from Iroko Co-op; Mulberry Co-op, Palm Co-op; Peabody Stamford Street Estate and Waterloo Community Development Group and Coin Street Community Builders among others.