City of London Corporation threatened with judicial review over decision to approve demolition and redevelopment at site it owns

The City of London Corporation is facing a potential judicial review of its decision to approve the demolition of the former Museum of London and Bastion House and redevelopment of the site into three office buildings.

The Corporation owns the site at 140 and 150 London Wall, known as London Wall West.

However, Barbican Quarter Organisation (BQO), which has instructed law firm Leigh Day, said this month that it has applied for permission for a judicial review. 

In December 2024 notice was given that the Corporation had formally approved the planning application for London Wall West, meaning the demolition and redevelopment of the site can now go ahead. 

Leigh Day said former Communities Secretary Michael Gove had previously issued an Article 31 Order in April 2024 effectively putting the plan on pause, before then announcing he would not call in the major redevelopment. 

BQO’s grounds of the challenge are as follows: 

• The Corporation failed to comply with the 2017 Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations - in respect of acting with impartiality and objectivity when granting planning permission to themselves. 
• The Corporation misunderstood and/or failed to apply a local planning policy which puts in place a presumption that buildings will be reused instead of demolished. 
• The Corporation failed to consider alternatives and/or failed to comply with the duty to make enquiries under Secretary of State for Education and Science v Tameside MBC [1977] AC 1014 – specifically in relation to the requirement for developers to avoid demolition through the reuse of existing buildings or their main structures. 
• The Corporation gave inadequate reasons for the benefits that it considered supported the grant of permission. 

Averil Baldwin, chair of BQO’s campaigning arm Barbican Quarter Action Chair, said: “The Barbican community and many architectural, environmental and heritage experts have repeatedly asked for sustainable alternatives to demolition. It is devastating to see such disregard for our environment and for the irreplaceable heritage of the Barbican area. This legal challenge is about holding decision makers to account and ensuring that the future value of this world-renowned place is not sacrificed for short-term gains.”  

Ricardo Gama of Leigh Day said: “Our clients believe that we need to bring to an end the constant cycle of demolish and rebuild which planners and developers seem to be stuck in. The embodied carbon involved in building a new office building is not something we can afford when there is a refurbishment option. This legal challenge is about ensuring that the City of London’s own planning policies which are meant to address this issue are followed.” 

The City of London Corporation has been approached for comment.