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Dateline: 11th April, 2003 Livingstone Objects to the Loss of the Mermaid The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has directed refusal of plans to redevelop the Mermaid Theatre in Blackfriars. The Mayor, who considered the plans under his powers on strategic planning applications, has told the Corporation of London they should direct refusal of the proposed office and retail scheme because it would mean the permanent loss of a London theatre, without proper compensation arrangements to support new theatre projects in central London. However, the Mayor has indicated that he considers the proposed scheme to have many merits and that subject to a satisfactory resolution of the theatre issue and some outstanding transport concerns, he would be prepared to let the scheme go ahead. The Mayor said: ‘The permanent loss of the Mermaid Theatre without sufficient plans in place to support a new theatre project is not acceptable. While the Corporation has accepted the principle of a legal agreement to secure a compensatory payment of £6m for loss of the theatre, no such legal agreement is in existence and there are no clear plans on how the funds would be used to support new theatres.’ £6m would not be enough to replace the theatre but would be a significant sum to support new theatre projects, said the Mayor. His position is supported by the Theatre Trust, which has also expressed concern about the lack of transparency over how the money will be spent. The Mayor has also directed refusal of the application on the advice of his transport body, Transport for London, due to insufficient confirmed traffic and transport improvements including the provision of a pedestrian crossing at Blackfriars Junction.
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