PRESS RELEASE: Response to delay on Gove decision

Delayed sign on cork notice board

Coin Street Community Builders has responded to the delay of the expected decision from Michael Gove MP on the former ITV studio site development on Upper Ground. 

Coin Street Community Builders has been informed that Michael Gove's decision on planning permission for the former ITV studios on the South Bank has been delayed until 6 October. Coin Street Community Builders is a prominent campaigner against the proposal for a large, imposing office block to be built on the Upper Ground site. 

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Housing, Levelling Up and Communities, informed Coin Street that 'further time is required to consider this case'. The Secretary of State has the power to vary the timetable previously set out under paragraph 6 (2) of Schedule 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. 

Coin Street and local campaigners fully expect that Michael Gove will honour his commitment to sustainable urban transformation.  

This planning decision is an opportunity for the Secretary of State to demonstrate his pledge to encourage the construction of homes on brownfield sites, encourage thorough public engagement throughout the redevelopment process, and ensure that the reuse of existing buildings is fully explored as an alternative to demolition.  

David Hopkins, Director of Communities, Coin Street Community Builders said: “Michael Gove has spoken extensively in recent weeks about his commitment to building more homes, using brownfield land to tackle the housing crisis, and prioritising a low-carbon future. This delay is an opportunity for the Secretary of State to ensure this decision is closely aligned with his own vision of building the homes London so desperately needs.”