LONDON: A historic club soaked in Indo-British history where the India League and many important post-independence figures met has won its 11-month-long battle for survival.
The India Club in the Strand, which was established in 1951 by V K Krishna Menon, India’s first high commissioner to the UK, whose founding members include Lady Mountbatten and
Jawaharlal Nehru, had been fighting demolition plans since September 2017 when the freeholder of its building, Marston Properties, put in plans to
Westminster City Council to knock down its bar and restaurant to make way for a modern 30-bedroom hotel with en-suite bathrooms.
More than 26,000 people signed a petition to save the India Club and there were 53 objections to the proposals, one of which came from Yadgar Marker, who has run the India Club since 1997.
Councillors at Westminster City Council’s planning sub-committee unanimously rejected the proposals on Tuesday night following the recommendations of planning officers.
Dr Kusoom Vadgama, 86, co-chair of the Indo-British Heritage Trust, who was at the meeting, immediately fought back tears as she told TOI how she had been visiting the India Club since 1953: “I offered to go on a fast to save it. People like
Harold Laski who discussed India’s freedom met there. You cannot get more ironic than that.”
“Every Indian student when they came to London that was where they went. They would go to India House first but it was too official and then they would discover the India Club,” Vadgama said. “It was of huge significance to me. It was a spiritual home. We loved going there for the food and friends and I continue to go there. I am part of the furniture.”
Officers recommended refusal because the India Club was “a much-valued institution which has substantial community worth”.
Historic England had recommended against giving the India listing status in May, claiming the India League, the British organisation which campaigned for Indian independence had not met in the Strand location until 1964 – a decision the India Club is appealing.
The officers in their report to the committee had written: “Notwithstanding Historic England’s conclusion that the application site is not the building originally occupied by the India Club, it is still linked to the India League and is considered to be of significant cultural importance.”
Officers also pointed out the loss of the India Club would cause “significant harm” to the local nightlife economy and cultural provision of the area and it contributed to its vitality and character, so its loss would go against the
London Plan and not be outweighed by the hotel upgrade.
Councillor Tim Roca told the meeting he had been inundated with requests from parliamentarians in the UK and India asking for the plans to be rejected, pointing out the role the club played in building UK-India cultural ties.
“Historic England may have refused it listed building status, but I think it clearly has historic merit,” said councillor Susie Burbridge, who said she could not remember ever seeing 26,000 signatures against a planning application.
“We have been overwhelmed with the support we have received and we are extremely grateful to Westminster City Council for recognising the building’s cultural importance and contribution to the area. Some of our supporters had said they would chain themselves to the building if anything happened,” Marker said.
He now plans to apply for designation as an “Asset of Community Value”, which will give the club protected status.
