Southbank Centre barred from heritage status

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan has barred several Southbank Centre buildings from being granted heritage status.

Efforts to get Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and the Hayward Gallery listed have been ongoing since the 1960s. However, Morgan turned down an appeal last week and issued a 'certificate of immunity', which prevents the buildings from being listed for the next five years.

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She decided the Southbank Centre was "not of sufficient architectural or historic interest to merit listing" on the advice of Heritage England.

This is a departure from the heritage authority's previous opinion that the buidlings, built betweeen 1963 and 1968, should be included on the national heritage list.