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31 Jul 2003 - 31 Dec 2003 Expert Panel tells Mayor to keep 300 year old Richmond View Richmond A panel of experts has told Ken Livingstone that his plans to remove legal protection for a 300 year old view from within Richmond Park to St Paul's Cathedral must be shelved. 'Dismissal of the importance of that particular view appears tendentious and subjective...We conclude that no convincing case has been made for ceasing to protect either the Richmond View or the Westminster Pier view of the Cathedral,' they announced on 22 July 2003 in the Examination in Public Panel Report. The Mayor's draft Plan for London had ignored the 300-year-old strategic view from atop King Henry VIII's Mound in Richmond Park to St Paul's, over 10 miles away. The Mayor claimed the view didn't exist but the Panel reported that not only was the viewing area interesting and well maintained but that they had seen the distant Cathedral for themselves and that it attracted regular visitors and tourists. However the Mayor still has the option of ignoring this expert advice and the supporters of the view are continuing to work for its survival. Simon Richards, Park Manager of Richmond Park said, 'This is an important milestone in the campaign to protect this unique view. I hope that the Mayor listens to the experts on the Panel and removes this threat. Until this happens The Royal Parks and others will continue to press for the right decision to be made.' Looking east from the King Henry VIII's Mound (the highest point in Richmond Park) you look through a special gap in the holly hedging, down a specially maintained clear avenue in Sidmouth Wood and then all the way across London to St Paul's Cathedral. Looking west you see a magnificent panorama of the Thames Valley. The view to St Paul's was established soon after the completion of St Paul's Cathedral in 1710. It was temporarily 'lost' following WWII when many of the park's staff were called up. Trees grew across the avenue in Sidmouth Wood and the holly hedge spread over the gap. It was 'rediscovered' by Mr James Batten in 1976. Campaigners have already worked to protect the view and on 22 May 1992 the Secretary of State for the Environment gave protection for '...the strategic view of St Paul's Cathedral from Henry VIII's Mound in Richmond Park...(and its)...viewing corridor.' However, in 2002, the Mayor's Draft London Plan omitted the view of St Paul's from the list of 'London Panoramas'. Strong objections were lodged by The Royal Parks and other concerned individuals and organisations. Source: Royal Parks For more information contact: Royal Parks Press Office T: 020 7298 2128 Editor's notes: The relevant sections of the Panel's Report are 2.112-2.115 (pg39-40) and R2.40 (pg42). See http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/sds/eip_report/index.jsp for a copy of the full Examination in Public Panel Report. According to the Transcript of Planning and Spatial Development Committee (item 5) on 18th July 2002 (see http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/plansd/2002/plansdjul18/plansdjul18mins_app.rtf) the Mayor said 'Can you stand there and see it' Because I can't. What's the point of a street and community which only exists on the map' You can't see St Paul's from there.' See Evening Standard (City Prices, 6th March, page 22) for the proof that you can easily see it with the naked eye. Richmond Park is London's largest Site of Special Scientific Interest, a National Nature Reserve, a candidate European Special Area of Conservation and a Grade 1 Listed landscape. Species records for the Park include 49 grasses, rush and sedges; over 250 fungi; more than 1000 beetles; 546 butterflies and moths; 139 spiders; 144 birds; and 25 mammals. Excerpt of Examination in Public Panel Report (pg39-40): 2.112 As regards the strategic views proposed to be omitted, these are towards St Paul's Cathedral from King Henry's Mound in Richmond Park ('the Richmond View') and from Westminster Pier. No explanation is given for their omission in the draft Plan, but the Mayor confirmed that part of the reason is because the views are not panoramas. Whilst this is true, for the reasons discussed above, that in itself does not warrant the removal of strategic protection. 2.113 The Richmond View in particular is very well supported. We found the viewing place at the Mound to be interesting and well maintained, offering attractive vistas to the west as well as the strategic view. We saw that the view towards the Cathedral, through the shrubs and between the trees, attracts both regular visitors and tourists. We visited the location twice, once when it was hazy and only the outline of the Cathedral could be discerned and once when the Cathedral was extremely clear. The information we were given indicates that the days when the Cathedral is clearly visible far outnumber the days when it is not, and this ratio may be expected to improve further as air quality improves. The view complies with Policy VA2 criteria by being 'a linear view to a defined object' and we consider its strategic protection should be maintained. The DEGW report is plainly wrong in concluding that London has no such views, and its dismissal of the importance of that particular view appears tendentious and subjective. We found much to agree with in the arguments puts forward in support of this unique and outstanding view. 2.114 The view from Westminster Pier also comprises a 'a linear view to a defined object' and although from the lower level of the Pier itself the view towards the Cathedral is obstructed by a ticket kiosk, there is a better view from the embankment immediately to the rear, where the view plate is in fact situated. Although this view-point was criticised by the Mayor, we found it reasonably satisfactory and certainly disturbance by traffic is less than is likely to be the case with some of the new views and associated viewing places proposed in Plan, including the river prospect from Westminster Bridge. Wherever the specific view points envisaged for the proposed Westminster Bridge river prospect, it seems to us that the view experience will be significantly different from that provided by the RPG3A view. Although the RPG3A view of the Cathedral is somewhat obstructed by trees on the south bank of the River at present, this is a management issue and in our opinion does not warrant removal of the strategic protection. At the EIP the Mayor suggested that if the Westminster Pier strategic view were not included in the Plan, then it might be reinstated in the future if the kiosk were removed. Removal or relocation of the kiosk could help to further improve the viewing experience, but as we have indicated we consider the strategic protection should be maintained in any event. 2.115 We conclude that no convincing case has been made for ceasing to protect either the Richmond View or the Westminster Pier view of the Cathedral and recommend (R 2.40) that they be added to the list in Table VA1, and shown on the maps, as a separate category of linear views to a landmark. |
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