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Southbank Undercroft

The iconic skate park has been saved from becoming yet another conclave of chain restaurants

The culture wars are over -- and skateboarding has won. London's Southbank Undercroft, one of the UK's most historically important skate areas, has been saved from being "redeveloped" into another conclave of chain restaurants and retail outlets.

The 17-month battle between the management of the Southbank Centre and Long Live Southbank (LLSB) -- an activist group comprised of the skaters, BMXers, graffiti artists and other lovers of urban culture that call the undercroft a second home -- has come to a surprising end: everyone wins. Both factions have settled and withdrawn respective legal actions, with the result being the skate park remaining as and where it is, while the Centre renovates its Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and Hayward Gallery without evicting the skaters.

"Following talks that have taken place over the last three months, Long Live Southbank and Southbank Centre are delighted to have reached an agreement that secures the Queen Elizabeth Hall undercroft as the long-term home of British skateboarding and the other urban activities for which it is famous," the Long Live Southbank campaigners announced. "The agreement has been formalised in a binding planning agreement with Lambeth Council. In the agreement, Southbank Centre agrees to keep the undercroft open for use without charge for skateboarding, BMX riding, street writing and other urban activities."

The Southbank undercroft has been the home of British skateboarding for over 40 years. The area itself is something of an accident of architecture though, the result of several surrounding developments and elevated concrete walkways birthing a space that came to be perfect for skating. Pro skateboarders including Nick Jensen and Geoff Rowley are lovers of the spot, and the location has even made its way into the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game series -- Hawk himself being another famour skater who called for the undercroft to be saved.

Although Southbank Centre had proposed moving the skaters 120m along the Thames, offering a purpose-built skate park under Hungerford Bridge, Lambeth Council received over 27,000 complaints at the suggestion. Even London Mayor Boris Johnson, who's likely never even gingerly placed a single foot on a skateboard, objected to the park being relocated.

The movement to save Southbank has been a true example of grassroots activism, and the victory against far richer and more powerful organisations is as historical as the skate park itself. Largely guided by film maker Henry Edwards-Wood, the LLSB campaigners had publicised their plight online, produced documentaries, and gotten all walks of London's community involved in efforts to save the small but beloved patch of concrete. The result has been a win for culture over capitalism, with the Southbank Centre dropping its challenge to the registration of the undercroft as an "asset of community value", and LLSB abandoning its application for village green status for the undercroft.

Lib Peck, Leader of Lambeth Council, which has had to evaluate all the planning applications, protests, and cultural considerations on both sides, said "I'm pleased that Lambeth Council was able to work with both sides and find an imaginative solution to resolve this. Shared public space in London is precious and Southbank Centre is a great asset to the country's cultural life. This agreement is a sensible way of protecting both and we can all now look forward."

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Historic London skatepark saved from retail redevelopment