It is a very happy time to give you an update, as the Campaign is proceeding better than we could have ever expected.
We now have clocked up 606 objections (thank you to all of you who have written!) on the planning portal https://tinyurl.com/SaveVTG, a tremendous show of just how much we all oppose this totally crazy proposal. Reading a number of these very disparate comments has been a very moving experience, as many of the writers have been speaking, in a very personal way, about their family lives, their experiences in London, their memories in relation to the park. It is amazing how this tiny green pocket has meant so much, in so many different ways, to so many of us. Maybe there is a book to be written on this?
Most importantly, Royal Parks has written a very robust rebuttal of the scheme https://tinyurl.com/SVTG-Parks + https://tinyurl.com/JBarrell-Report – a brave move, given all the political implications and inevitable arm-twisting that must be going on behind the scenes. This is a great win for us, and has really set the cat amongst the pigeons, as is evidenced by the huge media coverage received during the last few days. http://tinyurl.com/SVTGguardian1 + http://tinyurl.com/SVTG-ES1
Not only, Rowan Moore, one of the UK’s most distinguished architectural critics, has written his second wonderful critique of this project in the Observer, delving into the inadequate, ‘muddled’ thinking behind the brief and the design, and urging Westminster to refuse planning. http://tinyurl.com/RowanMooreObs1
Not only…a large number of opponents to the scheme have come out in their Objections to this site clearly stating that, notwithstanding the fact that they are Jewish, or have been personally affected by the Holocaust in one of many different ways, they are totally against sacrificing such a unique park in the name of the Holocaust. This of course is a very important step forward for our Campaign, as it is now clearly obvious that the only criterion for judging the adequacy of this site for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is a planning one: building in parks is simply NOT ON.
We anticipate that the Planning Committee Hearing is going to be held some time after April, though we do not have a clear date yet. Please write in, there is still plenty of time to do so.
IT IS OUR GOAL TO ACCRUE AT LEAST 1000 OBJECTIONS BEFORE APRIL.
PLEASE CLICK ON https://tinyurl.com/SaveVTG + https://tinyurl.com/VTG-Crib AND WRITE IN YOUR COMMENT - IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE LENGTHY!
PLEASE ALSO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO SO. EVERY OBJECTION MATTERS TO US. IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH DOING THIS, PLEASE HIGHLIGHT ANY PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH THE HORRORS OF THE HOLOCAUST, AS MANY HAVE ALREADY DONE IN RECENT DAYS.
MANY THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!