HISTORY OF THE DISPUTE
The Developers, Berkeley Homes of Kent, proposed a plan for the site which they hoped, would appeal to the Hermitage Campaigners, but found that their offer to construct a Development that included an Exhibition centre and Gallery at the Western end with Housing in the middle plus a small Memorial Park on the east side, did not meet with local campaigners approval, their demand was for the whole site being turned over for the use of a War Memorial and Public garden, the land should not be lost to yet another luxury development along the Thames.

THE ORIGINAL PLAN

showing a third of the area to be used to construct 'quality' flats, 40% for a Memorial Park and the rest for a Gallery and exhibition Centre, the Architect responded to local people to incorporate one of their prime demands, a plan with environmental and Tourist considerations in its design. an extended Walkway along the River is shown below, and a direct link to the Tower of London with riverfront views, plus Public space and a possible jetty, but organisers of 'Civilians Remembered' had set their sights on demanding nothing less than the whole site for their Memorial plan.

THE FINAL PLAN (Click below to see more)

The dispute continued as a new Labour Government came to power, but by December 12th 1997 it was clear things were not going as planned, so Campaign leader Marianne Fredericks, and her colleague Maureen Davies organised a coach trip direct to the Houses of Parliament where they met local Labour MPs. Oona King and Jim Fitzpatrick, Oona's impassioned plea in the House of Commons to Tony Blair on behalf of the Campaign was during Prime Minister's question time, earlier the campaigners and MPs had visited No.10 Downing Street to put their case directly to the Prime Minister why Wapping was a special place for a Civilians Remembered Memorial.  ...more history continued