English Heritage unveils new plan to protect Westminster

A new plan to protect London's Westminster area was unveiled on Tuesday by English Heritage, the government's adviser on the historic environment. 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 and Westminster Council. The plan aims to assess the impact of development proposals upon the Westminster area, 'including those for tall buildings'. Under the plan, the introduction of a new buffer zone aimed at protecting the Palace of Westminster and the Abbey from the impact of tall structures will also be considered.

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 for the management and protection of the site as a whole. David Lammy MP, Minister for Culture, said: 'The Government is accountable to Unesco for the future conservation and presentation of this important site. The plan aims to provide an understanding of the World Heritage Site within its historical and contemporary context.'

Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, said: '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.' Developments that could be affected by the buffer zone include Land Securities' Victoria project, involving two twin 50-storey office towers designed by American architect Kohn Pederson Fox.