London, July 30 (PTI) Planning permission has been granted to build the UK's first national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, next to the Houses of Parliament at Westminster in London, with construction set to begin later this year.

The UK government's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) made the announcement on Thursday, following an inquiry into the project in April. The plans for the memorial had attracted some objections, with a loss of open space being among the concerns raised.

“This is an important moment for the whole country: today's decision means that the National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre will be built in the heart of Westminster, right next to Parliament. The government will now move forward with the construction of the memorial, which will start later this year,” said UK Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.

“We have a duty to ensure that the history of the Holocaust is never forgotten and never repeated – the Memorial and Learning Centre will allow everyone to reflect, remember and honour those who suffered and died and to educate future generations in anti-Semitism, where, if unchecked, antisemitism and hatred can lead,” he said.

The new Holocaust Memorial has been described as a national focal point to honour the 6 million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and other victims of Nazi persecution, including the Roma, gay and disabled people.

The co-located Learning Centre will also focus on subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

The “world-class facility” is planned as offering visitors “powerful and engaging experiences” to learn about the Holocaust and subsequent genocides through a variety of mediums, including historic photographs, film footage and audio recordings so that the stories of survivors can be heard by younger generations, present and future. The UK government said it will provide free entry to all visitors, in perpetuity.

“This is an important milestone, bringing closer the day when we have a national Memorial which properly commemorates the 6 million Jewish men, women and children and all others murdered by the Nazis,” said Ed Balls and Lord Eric Pickles, Co-Chairs of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation.

“Our responsibility now is to move as quickly as we can towards completion, creating a Memorial that the whole nation can be proud of, and one which ensures that essential lessons are never forgotten,” they said.

The Memorial and Learning Centre is expected to open in 2024, with the construction expected to last into 2025. The government has already announced that it will contribute up to GBP 75 million towards construction costs, to be supplemented by GBP 25 million from charitable donations.

The project was initiated by former British Prime Minister David Cameron in 2013.

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