UK Government Gives Further Protection to Cradle of English Church and Parliament

Westminster WHS Management Plan Logo English Heritage Announces Publication of First-Ever Management Plan for Westminster World Heritage Site

New guidelines for the management and protection of one of the nation’s most iconic World Heritage Sites have been published today in preparation for the World Heritage Committee’s 2007 meeting in New Zealand later this month.

The area comprising the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including St Margaret’s Church was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, but until now there has been no official plan agreed by all the relevant parties for the management of the site as a whole.  

In his foreword to the document, David Lammy MP, Minister for Culture, comments: “The Government is accountable to UNESCO for the future conservation and presentation of this important site. It is a responsibility we take seriously. The Plan aims to provide an understanding of the World Heritage Site within its historical and contemporary context. ”

Aerial view of Westminster Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, said: “We are delighted to have led this project and we hope it will cement the strong working relationship between all the parties involved. Westminster holds a supremely important place in the national consciousness as the birthplace of a system of parliamentary democracy that has travelled the globe, and as a stage on which English history has been played out for more than a thousand years.

“Both the Palace and the Abbey are world-renowned architectural masterpieces – it is vital that we manage their future with care and thoughtfulness. At a time when UNESCO has concerns about the growth of London around its World Heritage Sites, we hope that the publication of this plan will help to demonstrate that the UK is deeply committed to protecting its heritage and that it has the knowledge, understanding and experience to do so.”
 
The new Management Plan has been created by a steering group chaired by English Heritage and made up of stakeholders including the Government Office for London, the Greater London Authority, Westminster and Lambeth Councils, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey and the Parliamentary Estates Directorate.

Little Cloister, Westminster Abbey One of the key objectives in the plan is to produce a dynamic visual assessment of local views around, into and out of the World Heritage Site so that the local authorities involved and developers are better able to assess the impact of proposals upon it - including those for tall buildings. Another objective in the plan, in line with the Government’s White Paper on heritage, is for those involved to decide whether a buffer zone (defined local setting) around the World Heritage Site is appropriate.

The Plan starts with a detailed description of the site, summarising the history and development of the buildings and institutions that form it, and a statement of significance which sets out what aspects of the site are important and why. A section on issues and risks encompasses everything from traffic to tourism. The Plan ends with a vision for the site and an implementation plan. The document is designed to be reviewed periodically and to complement existing policies developed by the site owners and managers as well as Westminster City Council and the GLA.

For more press information or images, please contact Anya Matthews, English Heritage Corporations, 020 7973 3372 anya.matthews@english-heritage.org.uk 

NOTES FOR EDITORS

• The 31st session of the World Heritage Committee meets in Christchurch, New Zealand between 23 June and 1 July 2007.
• There are 27 UK World Heritage Sites of which 25 have agreed Management Plans in place. A Management Plan for the Tower of London is due to be published later this year.
• The full steering group for the Westminster Management Plan chaired by English Heritage comprises representatives of Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Government Office for London, the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, the Parliamentary Estates Directorate, Transport for London, the Greater London Authority, Westminster City Council, the London Borough of Lambeth, the Royal Parks Agency, ICOMOS UK, the Church Commissioners and Visit London.
• The Westminster Management Plan has been prepared by the steering group with a consultant team led by Atkins with Barry Stow, conservation architect, and tourism specialists PLB consulting. It has been developed in line with the Management Guidelines for World Cultural Heritage Sites and was the subject of a public consultation.

The Management Plan is available from the International Policy page