Redevelopment of ITV Studios facing legal opposition
In the heart of London, a contentious development project is causing a stir among locals and heritage campaigners. The proposed redevelopment of the ITV South Bank studios, initially unveiled in 2021 by Mitsubishi Architects and CO-RE, has been met with criticism due to concerns about its potential impact on surrounding national heritage sites, carbon emissions, and the capital's housing crisis.
Save Our South Bank (SOS), a local advocacy group, has been vocal in their opposition to the project. They argue that the development would cause "immense harm" to these heritage sites and fly in the face of policies regarding housing, reducing carbon, and the circular economy. SOS claims that the site should be utilised to build new, sustainable homes to address the city's major housing crisis.
The initial plan for the site was an office-led development, but the proposal for new homes on the site is now an alternative. If completed, the development will not focus on building new office spaces but rather on constructing new, sustainable homes. However, the redevelopment is claimed to generate 100,000 tonnes of carbon, potentially prohibiting net zero goals.
Lambeth Council, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and CO-RE, the developers based in central London, have given their permission for the project to progress. Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, has also given his approval, stating that the public benefits of the proposal outweigh the harm to designated heritage assets.
However, SOS has announced plans for a judicial review of Gove's decision to give the £700m project the greenlight. They argue that his approval contains significant legal errors, including the threat of two overbearing joined-together tower blocks to the South Bank.
The delay in the project, which was put on hold in 2022 after Gove issued an Article 31 notice while the government considered whether the development should be 'called-in', does not seem to have influenced the ongoing disagreement between SOS and the authorities regarding the development's approval.
Heritage campaigners in Bristol have also threatened legal action over plans for new homes, demonstrating a broader concern about development and heritage preservation. The delay in the ITV studios regeneration project by two months has not affected the ongoing controversy surrounding the development.
While Michael Gove's broader policy actions involve environmental stewardship, the search results do not contain evidence of judicial review or legal criticisms regarding his decisions on the ITV South Bank redevelopment related to legal errors, carbon emissions, or national heritage harm. Such judicial review matters would typically require referencing court documents, planning inquiry reports, or legal commentary which are absent from the provided results. Further dedicated legal or planning-related sources would be needed for a precise assessment.
The redevelopment, if completed, will be a two-block development reaching 25 storeys at its highest point. Some locals have described it as 'a swollen deformity'. The development's potential impact on reducing carbon emissions and its effect on national heritage sites remain contentious issues. The future of the ITV South Bank studios redevelopment continues to be a topic of intense debate.
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