Lambeth Council halts plan for giant balloon Santa hat on ITV HQ

Plans for a giant Santa hat shaped balloon to be tethered to the roof of ITV’s headquarters have been scuppered by Lambeth Council.

ITV wanted to put the 32 metre helium balloon on the roof of the studio headquarters in South Bank to support their Text Santa charity appeal.

The balloon would include the appeal’s phone number and encourage passers-by to make a donation supporting six charities.

But a Lambeth Council planning committee ruled the balloon would be “visually dominant within the surrounding area”.

A planning document said: “This would detrimentally impact upon and would fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the surrounding South Bank Conservation Area and the setting of the grade II listed National Theatre.”