Steven Holl-designed Maggie鈥檚 Cancer Care Centre for St Bart鈥檚 hospital has been narrowly approved by City of London planners
A controversial Maggie鈥檚 Cancer Care Centre designed by Steven Holl for St Bart鈥檚 hospital has been narrowly approved by City of London planners.
The vote saw 11 side in favour of the scheme while 10 voted against with Holl himself attending the hearing at the Guildhall and speaking up for the scheme.
This morning鈥檚 vote came after a new planning application was submitted by the hospital and Maggie鈥檚 after the project was initially turned down last summer.
Then, a series of objections were made against it by organisations including the London Society, Save St Bart鈥檚, Friends of the Great Hall and the Bart鈥檚 Health NHS Trust Archive Committee.
Objectors to the new plans included Michael Hopkins who argued that it is in the wrong place.
The architect, whose practice has won planning for a rival scheme at the hospital, said better options existed for a single- or two-storey Maggie鈥檚 鈥渢hat would be closer in spirit, function and scale to the Maggie鈥檚 already built elsewhere鈥�.
These should be fully evaluated in consultation with English Heritage, City of London planners and his client, the Friends of the Great Hall, he said.
In a letter to City of London planners Hopkins listed his objections to Holl鈥檚 Maggie鈥檚 centre and an allied proposal by Donald Insall Associates.
He said the cancer centre must be moved to another site 20 yards away to allow a wheelchair lift, cloakrooms and toilets to be added to the grade Ilisted Great Hall.
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