It has been announced that the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial has been approved. The proposed memorial and learning centre, which is intended to preserve the testimony of British Holocaust survivors and will provide a focal point for national remembrance of the Holocaust and learning. It is dedicated to the 6 million Jewish men, women and children murdered in the Holocaust and all other victims of the Nazis and their collaborators.
The memorial, which will be built in Victoria Tower Gardens next to Parliament, had the planning permission “called in” by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP for determination at national level because of the project’s significant importance. This decision follows a Public Enquiry on the matter, which was chaired by a planning inspector.
It was announced in January 2021 that the new national memorial will have free admission, like most other important monuments and museums in the UK.
It is incredibly welcome news that the proposed UK Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens has been approved, and I look forward to visiting when it is completed. Recent events in my constituency have shown that there is still too much antisemitism in our society.
In the near future, the personal living testament of the survivors will be lost. I hope that this memorial serves as a permanent reminder of why we must stand against antisemitism and racism in all its forms, wherever it is found.