Letter to the Programme Manager for the
Parliamentary Visitor and Information Centre from the Director
of Parks and Deputy Chief Executive of the Royal Parks Agency
Further to our meeting at the end of October,
I am writing to confirm the views of the Royal Parks regarding
the possible involvement of Victoria Tower Gardens.
The starting point for the Royal Parks was outlined
in our letter to the Clerk to the Administration Sub-Committee,
in June 2006. The sensitivity of the Gardens and their visual
importance to the West Fac"ade of the Palace of Westminster
is central to our care of the Gardens. Proposals to place an Information
and Visitor Centre beneath the Gardens raise some general issues
of concern but it is accepted that, given the right design and
possible enhancements to the Gardens, the feasibility study should
continue to a more detailed proposal.
The Royal Parks has, over the years, undertaken
a number of restoration studies aimed at making sympathetic improvements
to the Victoria Tower Gardens. If the proposals for the Information
and Visitor Centre progress making use of space beneath the Gardens,
it would seem opportune to consider a Master Plan approach that
would achieve the investment the Gardens need. The Plan would
need to respect the sensitivities of the overall vision for the
Gardens and the linkage to the World Square project and its proposals
to improve pedestrian access and linkages.
In conclusion, the Royal Parks wish to be actively
involved in the process of taking forward the proposals for the
Information and Visitor Centre. Our concerns will remain the protection
of Victoria Tower Gardens and its landscape connection with the
west front of the Palace. We look forward to seeing the concept
drawings for the proposal.
10 November 2006
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