The museum and developer Dominus have said the proposed amendments are necessary to ensure the scheme is deliverable
A new museum in the City of London may end up with less space than initially planned under a proposal to increase the number of student rooms.
The Migration Museum, which was based in Lewisham until March last year, explores how the movement of people to and from the UK has shaped the country and its communities. It has moved between a series of temporary sites since its founding in 2011 by Barbara Roche, a former Minister of State for Immigration.
Under a scheme progressed by Dominus, a real estate developer, the museum was offered a permanent base in the City at 65 Crutched Friars.
The proposal, approved by the City of London Corporation in 2023, involves the demolition of a five-storey 1980s block and its replacement with a new 21-storey building.
The museum is to have two floors of exhibition space and a third for events, while the remaining levels are to contain studio apartments and shared accommodation for students, totalling 769 rooms.
As part of the package Dominus agreed to house the museum rent-free for 60 years alongside other financial contributions.
In a proposed amendment filed with the Corporation the developer has however requested permission to replace the museum floorspace at level two with 33 additional rooms. Internal changes are also outlined to the museum layout at the ground and first floors.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has been told the amendments are being sought to enable Dominus to contribute to the fit-out of the museum amid a particularly challenging environment for fundraising and the charity sector at-large.
One local resident, who did not wish to be named, however expressed disappointment with the proposal.
They said: “The original planning permission was justified in part by the significant public benefit of the Migration Museum. The developer is now seeking to reduce that cultural space while increasing the number of student rooms.
“If a key public benefit that helped secure planning permission is being diminished, the Planning Committee should carefully reconsider whether the overall planning balance still justifies the scheme. This is a conservation area with only around 350 permanent residents, yet the number of hotels and purpose-built student accommodation developments in the immediate vicinity has increased dramatically.
“Residents want to understand why the public benefit is being reduced, why the space can’t be used for another community benefit as originally intended and whether the cumulative impact of accommodating over 800 students has been properly assessed.”
A spokesperson for Dominus said the proposals have been developed in close collaboration with the Migration Museum “to secure the long-term deliverability, operational effectiveness and financial sustainability of its permanent home at 65 Crutched Friars”.
They continued: “Concentrated across two highly specified floors and shaped around the museum’s operational priorities, they would deliver a vibrant, free-to-enter programme of exhibitions, events, education and community activity.
“As long-term supporters of cultural delivery in the City of London, and of the Migration Museum, we remain deeply committed to its success. Alongside a 60-year lease with no rent or service charge, and continued support from our in-house development team, these proposals allow us to make a substantial contribution toward the fit-out, accelerating the delivery of cultural space at 65 Crutched Friars.”
The spokesperson added the proposals would also help address the ongoing shortage of purpose-built student accommodation, and that if approved, they would make the museum’s delivery “more certain” and encourage more funders to come forward.
Laurie Boult, Chief Executive at the Migration Museum, said: “Working closely with Dominus, our partners and our Board of Trustees, we have defined a new vision for the Migration Museum – an inspiring landmark destination exploring how the movement of people to and from the UK has shaped who we are. Dominus’s continued support, and these proposals, are vital to achieving it.
“Our refined plans are designed to ensure this once-in-a-generation opportunity – to create the UK’s missing museum in the heart of the City of London – is deliverable, sustainable and of the highest quality for generations to come.
“The proposal is for a museum across two floors, 50 per cent larger than our previous home in Lewisham, with exhibitions, learning suites and event spaces for an estimated 140,000 visitors a year.
“Thoughtfully designed, multi-functional spaces will allow the museum to move seamlessly from learning programmes by day to events by evening, without compromising the experience for any visitor. Since our original application three years ago, a challenging macroeconomic environment has significantly changed the fundraising landscape for the cultural and charity sector.
“This application would enable Dominus to contribute substantially toward the fit-out, giving us the certainty to deliver our permanent home on a stronger financial footing and with greater operational efficiency – allowing us to focus investment where it matters most: on the visitor experience.”
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