Royal Assent on 22 January 2026 placed the Holocaust Memorial Act on the statute book, removing a statutory obstacle to the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre by Parliament. The government confirmed the step following cross‑party passage. (gov.uk)
Legally, the Act disapplies parts of section 8 of the London County Council (Improvements) Act 1900 for this project-provisions that required the land to remain a public garden-and it does not remove the need for planning permission. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)
Planning permission granted in July 2021 after a public inquiry was quashed by the High Court on 8 April 2022 on grounds that the 1900 Act stood in the way of the scheme, sending the application back for redetermination. (westminster.gov.uk)
The application remains live. A new decision will be taken by a designated minister who has been kept separate from the project to ensure a fair, transparent and unbiased determination. (gov.uk)
The legislation proceeded as a hybrid bill, receiving additional scrutiny and completing parliamentary ‘ping pong’ on 21 January before obtaining Royal Assent on 22 January 2026. (parliament.uk)
Responsibility sits with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the department’s name since 2024. Steve Reed OBE MP has served as Secretary of State since 5 September 2025, with planning casework among his responsibilities. (gov.uk)
According to the government, the scheme comprises a series of bronze fins leading to a below‑ground learning centre by Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad, with park works by Gustafson Porter + Bowman intended to improve access and views to the Thames. (gov.uk)
Ministers set out the project’s education role alongside remembrance, including use of digital and audio‑visual testimony. The announcement comes in the week of Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January. (gov.uk)
The Act also provides powers for central government to fund, operate and improve the memorial and learning centre; the planning decision will still be taken on its merits under the usual policy tests. (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)
The immediate next step is the ministerial redetermination of the called‑in application. If consent is granted, detailed delivery and works to the park would proceed through the normal consents and oversight processes. (gov.uk)