Previous
work within Parliament
15. In July 2002 a feasibility study for a visitor
centre on the Parliamentary Estate was commissioned and a report
prepared on behalf of the House of Commons Commission, to be considered
by the relevant Domestic Committees.[20]
It recommended that a security and reception building be created
at Cromwell Green to provide a more welcoming entrance for visitors
than the current arrangements at St Stephen's Entrance. Whilst
accepting this conclusion, the Committees were opposed to the
recommendation that two floors of offices and meetings rooms off
Westminster Hall could be displaced to provide a visitor centre
and shop. The consultants were asked to develop the proposals
for the security and reception building on Cromwell Green, look
at options for a visitor centre outside the Parliamentary Estate
and also to consider whether a scaled down visitor centre could
be housed on one floor next to Westminster Hall. Those proposals,
considered by the Domestic Committees in May 2003, found that
an extension out onto Cromwell Green would provide only limited
extra capacity and would have an impact on the view of the front
of the Palace. Therefore, the Committees concluded that there
was not enough space within the Palace to house a visitor centre.
16. The House of Commons Commission and House of
Lords House Committee agreed that the results of the two studies
should be used by a senior group of officials of both Houses[21]
to assist the Commons Administration and Accommodation and Works
Committees in an inquiry on the subject.
17. On 10 February 2004 the Joint Report of the Commons
Administration and Accommodation and Works Committees was published.
It agreed that Parliament needed to improve the access, welcome
and information for visitors. The Report recommended the construction
of a visitor reception building on Cromwell Green, as an initial
step towards improving facilities for the public, but recommended
further study to seek a location outside the Palace of Westminster
for a full-scale interpretative visitor centre to include:
- An exhibition space explaining
the work and role of Parliament;
- Accommodation for school parties and their reception;
- A bookshop/retail facility;
- A ticket office for tours of Parliament, and
- A display area for pictures and artefacts from
Parliament's collection. [22]
18. The Report concluded that it could not identify
a space on the Parliamentary Estate for these facilities, without
undue disruption of current users.
19. The House of Commons approved the Committees'
Report on 11 May 2004 and endorsed their proposals for a new reception
and security building at the north end of Cromwell Green.
20. Shortly afterwards, on 16 June 2004, the Select
Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons Committee published
a Report on Connecting Parliament with the Public which welcomed
the Joint Report and recommended that "the House consider
the provision of dedicated educational facilities for the use
of the Education Service, including a teaching area"[23]
and envisaged "planning for a dedicated Visitor Centre"
with the following objectives:
a) it must provide a welcome to visitors;
b) it must provide an interesting and friendly
environment;
c) it should make Parliament more accessible,
allowing visitors to see at least something of what Parliament
is and does without necessarily having to visit the galleries,
committees or take a tour, and
d) it must improve public understanding and knowledge
of the work and role of Parliament.[24]
21. On 16 July 2004 the House of Lords accepted the
recommendation of the House of Lords House Committee to endorse
the recommendations of the Joint Report of the House of Commons
Administration and Accommodation and Works Committees.
22. In response to the Modernisation Committee's
Report in November 2004, the House of Commons Commission said
that the Committee's recommendations would be addressed in the
development of plans for a Visitor Centre; and given the pressures
on space in the Estate, the best opportunity to provide dedicated
educational facilities for the use of the Education Service, as
recommended by the Modernisation Committee, would seem to lie
in the proposed Visitor Centre.[25]
23. On 26 January 2005 the House noted "with
approval" the Modernisation Committee's Report, welcomed
"the steps taken or planned as set out in the Commission's
response" and resolved "that the House should make itself
more accessible".[26]
The Administrations of both Houses agreed that work on the feasibility,
consultation, design and approvals for an off-site visitor centre
should be taken forward by a group of officials. The results of
that work would be presented to the relevant Domestic Committees
for approval, before being put to both Houses for agreement.
Previous work outside Parliament
24. Proposals for a visitor centre have also been
discussed by external project teams in the context of improving
the Westminster area in general for visitors:
a) The World Squares for All Parliament Square
Regeneration Project aims to:
redress the balance between traffic and pedestrians,
to restore a sense of sanctuary to much of the open space between
buildings and to enable people to stop, understand and enjoy the
fine heritage of the structures at the very heart of the capital.[27]
The project's initial feasibility study examined
how to upgrade and improve the areas around the Palace of Westminster
and Westminster Abbey, including: Parliament Square, Cromwell
Green, Canning Green, Dean's Yard, New and Old Palace Yards, and
College Green and Victoria Tower Gardens. Plans to enhance the
visitor experience included a potential centre for visitors to
the Westminster area on College Green and an orangery, café
and toilet facilities in Victoria Tower Gardens.[28]
It is still examining ideas for a visitor information point in
Parliament Square related to key visitor attractions in the area.
The project team includes representatives from the Greater London
Authority (GLA), English Heritage, Royal Parks Agency, Transport
for London, Westminster Abbey, Westminster City Council and the
Parliamentary Estates Directorate.
b) A draft Management Plan has been prepared
for the Westminster World Heritage Site which includes the Palace
of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including St Margaret's Church.
The Steering Group for the Plan includes representatives from
the Parliamentary Estates Directorate, Westminster Abbey, Westminster
School, Westminster City Council, GLA, Transport for London, Royal
Parks Agency and other interested parties. The draft plan envisages
that in the future the site will be:
A place where people can come to work, learn,
worship and visit with comfort, safety and enjoyment. A place
where people of all nationalities and abilities can be inspired
by its unique character and beauty and its rich living history.[29]
The plan aims to provide visitors with a high quality
experience through good visitor management and modern facilities.
It states that the whole area would benefit from better signage
and orientation plans and identifies the challenge faced by pedestrian
visitor flow and traffic around the area. Whilst not incompatible
with the initial proposals for a Parliament-only visitor centre,
the plan is in favour of a more holistic approach to visitors
to the World Heritage site with, for example, information points
explaining the historical relationship between the Abbey and Parliament.[30]
Results of this work
Changes to existing Parliamentary
visitor information activities
25. In response to the Modernisation Committee's
Report on Connecting Parliament with the Public, the Group on
Information for the Public was made responsible by the Board of
Management of the House of Commons for co-ordinating action on
the Committee recommendations agreed to by the House of Commons
Commission. The GIP Business Plan, published in March 2006, recognised
that work on connecting Parliament with the public needed several
strands.
26. As well as development of visitor facilities
the plan set goals to be achieved by 2011 as set out in the following
table :Table
1: GIP Business Plan Goals
