Camden Council has granted planning permission for an Aids memorial on South Crescent, off Store Street in Fitzrovia — paving the way for the next phase of the long-running project.
An application was submitted last year by the charity AIDS Memory UK (AMUK) for an artwork and public seating to be sited at a cobblestone-paved part of the public highway just east of Tottenham Court Road.
The location is also at the southern end of Alfred Place Gardens which was opened as a public park as part of Camden’s West End Project in 2022. At the opposite end at North Crescent is a twentieth century war memorial.
A “Halo Tree” design by artist Anya Gallaccio will be constructed on what is currently used for car parking and loading — a location chosen due to it being a short walk from the now demolished Middlesex Hospital where the UK’s first dedicated HIV/Aids ward was opened by Princess Diana in 1987.
Gallaccio said: “I’m so grateful that we can now move forward. The work has grown from the desire to hold space, to remember those lost across many communities but very importantly a place to gather and celebrate resilience and give voice to stories of care and collective memory.”
The symbolic felled tree, with rings extracted, is intended to create a powerful and contemplative space for remembrance, reflection and solidarity for all those affected by HIV/Aids — past, present and future, says AMUK.
While permission has been granted the total funds required to realise the project are still to be raised.
Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has promised £130,000 from the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm towards the memorial.
But the planning permission together with financial support from the Mayor just “marks a major milestone for the project and clears the way for the next phase of development and fundraising” says AMUK.
Donations are invited to make the memorial a reality but no fundraising target has been set or final cost or delivery date for the project has been revealed.
However, Ash Kotak, founder and artistic director of AMUK, is upbeat about progress on the project.
“It’s been a long battle, 10 years to get to this point of the campaign. It’s been hard work and challenging at times but it’s also been an ambition driven by memory and remembrance,” he said.
Stephanie Allen, chair of the board of trustees of AMUK, said: “Planning approval represents a vital moment for the charity and for the many people who have contributed to this project with such generosity and rigour.”
Justine Simons OBE, deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, said: “The Aids Memorial in London will be a space of remembrance for the lasting impact that HIV and Aids has had on so many people and communities across our city. I am glad that it is a step closer to being a reality today, as we continue the work to combat stigma, end transmissions, and build a fairer, healthier London for everyone.”
Camden Council granted planning permission on 23 March and the decision states that the development must be started within three years. A number of “conditions” and “informatives” are attached to the permission due to the changes required to the public highway and the need to protect nearby trees.
More information about the project is available from AIDS Memory UK.
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