.....IT IS TIME FOR CELEBRATION:  WE HAVE REACHED AND OVERTAKEN THE 10K SIGNATURES MILESTONE!!!  Congratulations to all and a big thank you...This is a wonderful reminder of the importance of this campaign and of the depth of feeling against building in Victoria Tower Park. 

Yesterday a good number of  SaveVTGC supporters attended a private viewing of the new boards prepared to illustrate the planning submission.  It was also an opportunity for another debate with the architects and the representative of the UKHMC, a very passionate one that raised all the old issues and a few new ones, as the project has been developed and a few changes have emerged.  Our main argument remains that one should not build in the park - the park must remain in perpetuity for the enjoyment of the thousands of people who are currently visiting it.  

PLEASE VISIT THE EXHIBITION!!! It is taking place, as previously, in the basement of the  Church House Conference Centre, Great Smith Street, SW1P 3NZ on Wed 5 December to Friday 7 December between 12-7pm; and Sat 8 December between 10am-4pm.  We would be very grateful if you could please send us your comments- to bw@weiss.net

Apart from our all-encompassing objection to building in the park, these are some of our main objections in relation to what is proposed:

1. The park is split into two very separate segments, losing the generosity of the current configuration
2. The 'sombre' nature of the memorial and Learning Centre are incompatible within a park intended for leisure.
3. Breathtaking views of the Houses of Parliament are lost from the South
4. The new Memorial is out of place in relation to the many existing Listed buildings and monuments in the area.
5. The Buxton Memorial is 'buried' by the new building, glass parapets and foliage; only the upper part will be fully visible.  Its significance will be greatly diminished
6. It will be necessary to have a ticket to visit the Memorial - hardly in the spirit of its original objectives 
7. There is a real danger that the wonderful plane trees will be damaged by the excavations and by the paving over of roots
8. The park is now criss-crossed by many more proposed paved pathways and paved areas - reducing the appeal of the original large swathe of green and subdividing it un-necessarily into lots of mean "pockets" 
9. The new facility would be an inferior duplication of the much higher quality galleries at the IWM, less than a mile away
10. The new building will increase traffic to the area . Set-down points and parking for coaches are problematic to say the least
11. The new facility will become a new target for extremists 

Please continue to spread the word, to write letters to the press...We must continue to put pressure on our politicians, Councillors and anyone involved to get everyone to agree to a new, more appropriate site that will benefit the scheme and protect our parks.  

Thank you again for all your support