Millionaires in Mayfair lose battle to cease nationwide memorial to late Queen after they claimed it might be a magnet for crime and anti-social behaviour
Millionaires in Mayfair have lost their bid to stop a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II from being built in St James’s Park after planners recommended approval.
Westminster city council granted permission for the St James’s Park scheme during a planning sub committee meeting on Tuesday night.
Costing between £23million and £46million, the project will include a statue of the late head of state at Marlborough Gate and a companion statue of Prince Phillip.
There will also be a bust of Queen Elizabeth II at the Birdcage Walk entrance to the park as well as a glass bridge which will replace the existing walkway across the lake.
While the architects behind the plans, Fosters and Partners, described the memorial as an ‘exceptional opportunity to commemorate and celebrate a figure beloved worldwide’, some locals were not so supportive.
The Queen Anne’s Gate Residents’ Association, which represents those living in the exclusive area, had objected to the plans, claiming the memorial could spark a rise in crime and antisocial behaviour.
They claimed it would create hiding spaces for muggers and rough sleepers, encourage illegal cycling and provide opportunities for vandalism.
Meanwhile, the Residents’ Society Of Mayfair and St James’s argued the memorial would be a hub for tourists and increase footfall and congestion both inside and outside the park.
But their objections were overruled by the council, who concluded that any harm caused ‘is fully outweighed by the substantial public benefits of the scheme’.
Concept drawing of a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II which is set to be built in Marlborough Gate in St James’s Park
The statue of the late head of state has been designed by sculptor Martin Jennings and is set to be built in the park, in a section that will be called Queen Elizabeth II Place
A companion statue of Prince Phillip will also be erected just a few metres from the late Queen’s monument
Planning officers admitted the plans would cause harm to the Grade II listed Marlborough Gate and the replacement of the current Blue Bridge, an undesignated heritage asset ‘which makes a positive contribution to the park’.
They also cited the impact of the new paths and landscaping on trees and biodiversity as a key consideration in their decision.
‘Overall, in heritage asset terms, the proposals cause harm, due to reconfiguration of the Grade II listed Marlborough Gate, and because of the total loss of the Blue Bridge which is an undesignated heritage asset,’ the council said.
‘The proposals would also result in the removal and damage to valuable trees.’
However they ultimately ruled ‘this harm is fully outweighed by the substantial public benefits of the scheme which include a widened bridge, creation of an accessible landscape, and a national memorial of great importance’.
The statue of the late head of state is set to be built in the park, in a section that will be called Queen Elizabeth II Place at Marlborough Gate, a stone’s throw away from Buckingham Palace.
Sculptor Martin Jennings, who previously created a bust of the late Queen Mother in St Paul’s Cathedral, will create the piece.
He is also the artist behind the first crowned coinage portrait of King Charles III.
The memorial monument will be located at the end of a glass bridge, designed by architects Fosters and Partners.
Last year, they won a competition to design a national tribute to the beloved late Queen, who reigned over the country for seven decades.
