Janice R. Andrews
After more than 800 locals and activists voiced their outcry, Michael Gove unexpectedly stepped in to stop the demolition of the former Museum of London building and the nearby Bastion House.
Following years of deliberation, the City of London Corporation had approved plans to regenerate the area, which is now known as London Wall West. Gove’s Department for Housing, Communities, and Leveling Up, however, has issued a “holding direction,” which has put the permission process on pause.
Opponents of the plan, such as Barbican Quarter Action, are pressing Gove to act now since more investigation is necessary due to the project’s complexity and controversy, even though a formal decision to submit the planning application is still pending.
56,000 square meters of office space, along with potential employment prospects and cultural facilities, are the goals of the proposed makeover. Critics counter that the previous museum should be adapted rather than dismantled because it has substantial heritage significance.
Gove’s participation coincides with rising developer fears about the government’s attitude to new construction in London, after a recent court decision declared his obstruction of a significant redevelopment project at Marble Arch to be illegal.
