Lambeth Council's Planning Applications Committee has granted conditional permission for the temporary Between the Bridges
event to return to Hungerford Coach Park in 2026.
The popular event, which features bars, food concessions, performance stages, and a large screen, will run from April 7, 2026, to January 13, 2027. The capacity will be limited to 2,000 people.
The committee deemed the proposal acceptable due to its temporary nature and its contribution to the area's arts, culture, and leisure offerings. Concerns regarding heritage assets and Metropolitan Open Land were addressed. Officers concluded that the proposed structures and advertisements would cause no harm to the character or appearance of the South Bank Conservation Area, or the significance, special interest, setting, character, or appearance of the statutory and locally listed buildings and the Westminster World Heritage Site (WWHS).
Specific heritage assets considered included the Grade I listed Royal Festival Hall, Grade II listed Queen Elizabeth Hall/Purcell Room/Hayward Gallery, Grade II* listed County Hall, locally listed County Hall apartments and Shell Tower, and the South Bank Conservation Area. The site is also within an 'approach to the WWHS' and its 'immediate setting'. Assurances were given that the event's structures would be moderate in height, largely screened by railway tracks, and would not obscure existing viewpoints of the WWHS. The event's temporary nature and its cultural contribution were seen as positive, with officers concluding no harm to the WWHS's outstanding universal value, authenticity, or integrity. The site is identified as a negative contributor to the South Bank Conservation Area, and the event's offerings were considered to complement its character.
Conditions have been imposed to control noise, lighting, and construction activities. Noise targets are set at 59db LAeq for Sunday to Wednesday (excluding bank holidays) and 64db LAeq for Thursday to Saturday and Thursday to Monday of bank holiday weekends. Verification monitoring is required within two months of the event's commencement, with results submitted to the Council within three months. Illuminated signage operation is restricted between 00:00 and 08:00 Monday to Sunday, and between 00:30 and 09:00 on Friday and Saturday mornings. The outdoor performance screen must comply with specific brightness limits and use photosensor technology. Moving or flashing images are prohibited, and screens must default to a blank or still, dark image in case of technical faults.
A Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) is required before above-ground works commence, detailing site logistics, working hours, dust and noise mitigation, and communication procedures. A Delivery and Servicing Management Plan (DSMP) is also required, restricting Heavy Goods Vehicles from arriving during peak traffic hours (08:00-09:00 and 17:00-18:00 Monday-Friday). Non-road mobile machinery used on site must comply with emission standards. Monitoring and enforcement will be handled by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) through the review of submitted reports and site inspections.
The long-term plan for the Hungerford Coach Park site, designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), is for it to be landscaped and transferred to the Jubilee Gardens Trust to become an extension of Jubilee Gardens. This obligation is secured through a Section 106 agreement associated with the South Bank Place development. Braeburn Estates, one of the main landowners, is obliged to deliver this. The council is in preliminary discussions with Braeburn Estates and the Southbank Centre regarding the delivery of this scheme. An application for the extension of Jubilee Gardens is expected to be submitted in autumn 2026, with actual work on site taking longer. The temporary event's presence, ceasing on January 13, 2027, is not considered to prejudice these long-term aims due to the time required for planning and pre-commencement matters, and its end date is unlikely to cause any delay to the implementation of the Jubilee Gardens extension.
Councillor Paul Valentine declared an interest in the application due to his employment with the Southbank Centre, which was bringing forward the application, and therefore recused himself from the discussion. The decision was based on the application's merits, with Councillor Malcolm Clarke, chairing the committee, noting that while the applicant stated 2026 would be the final year for the event, the committee's decision was made on the current proposal.
