UK Holocaust Memorial

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UK Holocaust Memorial

Proposed Holocaust Memorial, London

Location within City of Westminster Show map of City of Westminster UK Holocaust Memorial (Greater London) Show map of Greater London

A UK Holocaust Memorial and learning centre was first proposed in 2015 to preserve the testimony of British Holocaust survivors and concentration camp liberators and to honour Jewish and other victims of attempted extermination by Nazi Germany, including Gypsies and disabled people.

In 2016 a site in Victoria Tower Gardens, a public park next to the Houses of Parliament in London, was chosen for the memorial. This location caused controversy because of the popularity and nature of the location and the amount of space the memorial would take.

In July 2021, following a public inquiry, planning permission was granted for the Memorial. In November 2021 the High Court allowed a review of that decision. In April 2022, the planning permission was quashed and, in July 2022, the Court of Appeal refused an application for the case to be reheard, ruling that the planning process had overlooked a 1900 law banning construction in the park. In February 2023, the Holocaust Memorial Bill was introduced to repeal the 1900 statute that prevented construction of the memorial; following the 2024 United Kingdom general election, the Bill was reintroduced in July 2024.