Skateboarders and graffiti artists who have put the Southbank Centre undercroft on the international tourist map for 40 years are fighting plans that would see it turned into restaurants and shops.
Long Live Southbank has lodged an application with Lambeth council to protect the undercroft by listing it as a community asset. More than 25,000 people have signed an online petition, with messages of support from around the world.
A three-day event, organised by Long Live Southbank, over the bank holiday weekend showcased the artistic and skating heritage of the site. Under plans published by the Southbank Centre, the undercroft, a famous skateboarding venue since the Seventies, would be lost forever.
Last month the Southbank Centre announced a £120 million transformation including new space for performances, exhibitions and socialising.
Jude Kelly, the Southbank Centre’s artistic director, described the area occupied by the skaters as “Cinderella space”. Her plans are for more shops and restaurants at ground level with skaters offered an alternative space near Hungerford Bridge.
Speaking on behalf of Long Live Southbank, Henry Edwards-Wood said: “We recognise that the Southbank Centre has to adapt and improve their facilities to attract new visitors but the undercroft is an iconic venue on the Southbank which has attracted skaters, artists and filmmakers for over 40 years.
“Southbank say in their plans that they will create a new home for the skaters next to Hungerford Bridge, but that misses the point.
“What we have now wasn’t designed by committee. It grew organically and is totally unique. People come from all over the world to watch the skaters on the Southbank and it’s sad to think something this creative could be replaced by something as unimaginative and sterile as another glass mall.”
Lambeth council leader Lib Peck said: “The Southbank Centre is an important asset to the borough, and the skate park has become an established part of it. We would like to see skateboarding kept on the South Bank, and are confident that a satisfactory solution can be found.”
