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You’ve probably heard of The Slab by now. As ominous as it sounds, it’s an enormous new building on the South Bank set to be the latest addition to the London skyline.
The plans for the building (officially called 72 Upper Ground) haven’t been without controversy. Set to redevelop the former ITV offices, the 79,000-square-metre office block will house 4,000 office workers. But locals, green campaigners and architecture enthusiasts have been campaigning against it for months, saying that the building, designed by architecture firm Make and backed by Mitsubishi Estate and CO–RE property developers, will threaten beloved landmarks, bring environmental concerns and jeopardise London’s architectural integrity.
Now, The Slab has been given the green light after the high court upheld a decision by the former communities secretary Michael Gove to approve the development. The legal challenge by Save Our South Bank was dismissed by the judge Justice Mould.
The 2.5 acre site promises to be a mixed use work and community space that ‘prioritises well-being and sustainability’, but the anti-Slab campaigners are concerned about high levels of carbon that will be generated by demolishing the old buildings and erecting a new one. They also argue the development is unsuitable as it doesn’t have any provision for housing. Plus, the campaign is concerned that landmarks like the National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall and Waterloo Bridge will be spoiled.
Michael Gove himself had reservations about the development, which he found to be unattractive and imposing, but approved it in 2023 anyway. Justice Mould upheld the approval on the basis that it was Gove’s decision to make.
‘This judgment is a huge disappointment for anyone who loves the River Thames and South Bank,’ said Michael Ball, of Save Our South Bank. ‘It supports Michael Gove’s wayward approval of a building about which he had great misgivings and acknowledged would harm a string of buildings of national prominence.’
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