Camden Council has confirmed that a planning enforcement investigation is under way following concerns raised by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) about a rooftop statue of convicted Palestinian terrorist Marwan Barghouti at “Palestine House” in central London. The latest investigation follows earlier complaints by UKLFI about unlawful signage at the same building.

UKLFI wrote to Camden Council on 22 October 2026, requesting an investigation into whether the life-size bronze statue and its plinth, installed on the roof of Palestine House at 113 High Holborn, required planning permission and whether they breached existing planning conditions.

The following day, Camden Council’s Planning Enforcement Team confirmed that it currently had an investigation for the site.   As set out below, there have been a number of planning breaches at “Palestine House”.  The Council said UKLFI’s report had been forwarded to the investigating officer for review.

Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian political figure associated with Fatah, is serving five life sentences in Israel following his conviction for involvement in terrorist murders during the Second Intifada.

The bronze statue, which depicts Barghouti with his hands raised above his head, is displayed on the rooftop of Palestine House, a building within the Bloomsbury Conservation Area. The location is in the London Borough of Camden, which is also the planning authority for the area.

In its letter, UKLFI noted that Camden had granted planning permission for works to the building on 10 July 2025, under application 2023/2586/P.

The Council’s decision had described the building as making a positive contribution to the conservation area. In particular, permission for the rooftop extension had been justified on the basis that its setback and modest height made it “not readily prominent from the ground at front or rear.”

UKLFI argued that the statue and plinth needed to be assessed separately against that reasoning, rather than assuming that permission for the rooftop works also authorised the statue.

UKLFI also highlighted that the statue and plinth did not appear on the approved architectural drawings.

The organisation drew attention to Camden Council’s own guidance on artworks, statues and memorials, which states that outdoor artworks or memorials, or installations materially altering the appearance of a building or area, will generally require planning permission.

UKLFI asked the Council to establish whether the installation constituted development under section 55 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, whether it had the necessary permission, and whether it adversely affected the character or appearance of the Bloomsbury Conservation Area.

Previous planning violations 

The latest investigation follows a series of earlier interventions by UKLFI concerning Palestine House.

In August 2024, UKLFI reported Palestinian flags hung on street furniture and a large banner advertising “Gaza Cola” on scaffolding over the front of the High Holborn premises to Camden’s planning department. Camden’s Borough Solicitor, Andrew Maughan, informed UKLFI in October 2024 that the Council had opened a planning enforcement file. The flags and banner were subsequently removed, but it appears that no penalty was imposed.

In June 2025, UKLFI complained again to Camden Council about a massive illuminated fascia sign featuring the slogan “STOP THE GENOCIDE” above a Palestinian flag and the words “PALESTINE HOUSE”, as well as projecting, illuminated signs mounted on the front of the building and provocative political advertisements on the pavement outside the premises.

UKLFI pointed out that the signs and advertisements breached the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 and were liable to damage community cohesion.

Following further letters from UKLFI Camden subsequently refused retrospective advertisement consent for the digital fascia and projecting signs, under application reference 2025/4801/A.

However, the signs remained in place, prompting UKLFI to seek an update on enforcement action in February 2026.

On 2 March 2026, Camden Council’s Appeals and Enforcement Manager, Elizabeth Beaumont, confirmed that an appeal had been lodged against the refusal of advertisement consent.

She told UKLFI:

“We have received an appeal against the Council’s decision to refuse advertisement consent (ref: 2025/4801/A) for the digital advertisements. We are currently awaiting a start letter from the Planning Inspectorate. Accordingly, we will await the outcome of the appeal before considering any further enforcement action.”

Stone cladding was also applied to the front of the building in a further, flagrant violation of planning law.

A UKLFI spokesperson said:

“Camden’s failure to enforce the law in relation to this building is a disgrace. It encourages lawlessness and undermines confidence of law-abiding citizens.

The fact that it involves highly divisive messaging, stirring up racial hatred and extolling a terrorist, only makes it worse.

The occupier of this building is making a mockery of Camden Council, which would have saved itself time and trouble if it had enforced the law rigorously in the first place.”