LSE move 'gains ground'

HOPES were raised yesterday that the London School of Economics may take over the former Greater London Council headquarters at County Hall on the South Bank, instead of a Japanese company which wants to turn it into a hotel, writes Colin Brown.

Sir Rhodes Boyson, a former Tory minister, and Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, who are leading a cross-party Commons campaign, said last night that their optimism follows a request by the London Residuary Body, which replaced the GLC, for a financial report on the LSE takeover.

Last Friday, Robin Squire, the Environment Under-Secretary, dismissed reports that the Japanese company Shirayama had withdrawn its bid. The agreement between the LRB and Shirayama provides for the sale of the building to be completed in October next year.