In all, it usually takes between four and six years from the initial proposal of a blue plaque – if successful – to its installation. English Heritage receives about 100 suggestions each year for blue plaques in London, almost all of which come from members of the public.
Every nomination has to meet basic selection criteria before it can be considered. Most importantly, a London building associated with the subject must survive, and they must have been dead for 20 years or have passed the centenary of their birth.
These rules exist to allow a person’s reputation to mature and to help ensure that their achievements can be assessed dispassionately, with a proper historical perspective. Once a plaque is erected, it may last for hundreds of years, so consideration of such issues is important.
Selection process
English Heritage’s Blue Plaques Panel, composed of representatives from various disciplines from across the country, considers all the suggestions which meet the basic criteria.
Roughly a third of proposals are approved in principle, and are placed on a shortlist. Such is the popularity of the scheme and the level of detailed research that has to be carried out, that it takes about three years for each case to reach the top of the shortlist. Proposals which are not taken forward can only be re-proposed once ten years have elapsed.
In judging whether a plaque should be awarded, the Panel uses as a guide a much broader set of criteria than those set out for eligibility for consideration. A summary of these criteria is set out below. A fuller set can be found under 'Related Documents' above.
In order to be eligible for consideration for a blue plaque in London:
- a figure must have been dead for 20 years, or have passed the centenary of their birth, whichever is the earlier
- a building associated with the figure being proposed must survive in London
Nominated figures must also:
- be considered eminent by a majority of members of their own profession or calling
- have made an important positive contribution to human welfare or happiness
- have had such exceptional and outstanding personalities as to be recognisable to the well-informed passer-by, or deserve national recognition
- have resided in London for a significant period, in time or importance, within their life or work
In the case of overseas visitors, candidates should:
- be of international reputation or significant standing in their own country
Additionally, it should be noted that:
- plaques can only be erected on the actual building inhabited by the nominated figure, not the site where the building once stood. However, consideration may be given in cases where reconstructed buildings present an exact facsimile frontage on the identical site.
- buildings marked with plaques must be visible from the public highway.
- plaques can only be erected on buildings, not on boundary walls or gate piers.
- each figure may only be commemorated with one plaque: unless a case is deemed exceptional, suggestions will not be considered for figures already commemorated by a plaque erected by the (Royal) Society of Arts, the London County Council, the Greater London Council or English Heritage.
- proposals will not be considered for the commemoration of individuals still living.
- proposals will be considered for the commemoration of sites of special historical interest, though these should be of national (or even international) significance.
- a building shall not be commemorated solely because it figures in a work of fiction.
- the erection of plaques on blocks of flats is not excluded, nor are significant places of work.
- unless a case is deemed exceptional, plaques shall not be erected on educational or ecclesiastical buildings or Inns of Court.
- the City of London and Whitehall are ruled out for consideration under the blue plaques scheme.
Research
Once a proposal has reached the top of the shortlist, detailed research is carried out into all the surviving addresses of the candidate using sources such as electoral registers, Post Office directories, autobiographies and rate books.
As only one plaque is allowed per person, the house to be commemorated must be chosen very carefully. English Heritage aims to erect plaques on buildings which had a particular importance in a person’s life or work: houses where a person lived for a long time are preferred, as are those at which a person was living when a significant achievement in their career occurred. A noteworthy place of work might also be considered.
In some instances, it is found that no London address survives. This was the case, for example, with William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and Haile Selassie (1892-1975), Emperor of Ethiopia. Under such circumstances, there is no alternative but to reluctantly remove the figure from the shortlist.
Consents and design
Before a plaque can be erected, permission to erect the plaque must be requested and given by the owners of the building in question. Sadly, if an owner does not agree to the installation of a plaque, the proposal cannot go ahead at that address.
Furthermore, if the building is listed, Listed Building Consent must be sought from the relevant local authority. Only when such consents have been granted is the plaque designed, positioned, and then produced by a specialist manufacturer. It is normally ready within about two months. Plaques are set into the fabric of the building, flush with the wall face. The cost of plaque manufacture and installation is borne entirely by English Heritage.
Unveilings
English Heritage plaques are often formally unveiled, shortly after their installation. These ceremonies – organised by members of the public or specialist groups, in liaison with English Heritage – might be attended by relatives, friends and colleagues of the person being commemorated, and are often memorable, emotional events.
