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Caring
for Covent Garden
A Management and Conservation Guide
“Caring
for Covent Garden – a Management and Conservation Guide”
is a useful handbook for anyone interested in the history and welfare
of an extraordinarily vibrant and well-loved part of London. The
Guide was published in May 2004 by the Covent Garden Area Trust,
a charity set up in the wake of the GLC in order to protect the
ex-GLC properties. (The Trust owns a 150-year headlease on the main
buildings of the Piazza.)
In 1997 the Covent Garden Area Trust published its previous handbook,
the Environmental Study of Central Covent Garden. It had been commissioned
by the Trust because the Trustees felt that the Piazza was deteriorating
into a messy, badly-managed square in which advertising boards and
flyposters vied for attention and where most seating for visitors
was of the white plastic garden centre variety. They hoped that
with some advice and encouragement the area could regain its vitality
and style.
An up to date version of the Study, the new Management and Conservation
Guide was necessary because of several changes since 1997. The completion
of the Royal Opera House re-development, with its arcaded walkway,
changed the face of the Piazza. There have also been improvements
carried out by Westminster City Council to James Street, Southampton
Street and Russell Street.
In 2000 and 2002 Peter Heath of Civic Design Partnership (which
had overseen the original work on the Study) carried out a detailed
audit to see what changes had taken place during the previous years
and whether the recommendations in the Study had been heeded. He
found that of 536 separate recommendations, some 278 had been achieved.
He was pleased to see that traditional paint colours had more frequently
been used and first floor planting schemes (which had been suggested)
had been created by companies including All Bar One in Bedford Street.
One particularly good result of the original Study was that, stung
by criticism, restaurant owners in and around the Piazza banded
together to choose a universal “family” of tables and
chairs which will be used throughout the area to give a stylish,
co-ordinated look to outdoor eating places. Full details of this
chosen furniture is given in the new Guide (page 81).
The cost of the Guide has been paid for (as was the previous Study)
by the Trust together with Westminster City Council, English Heritage
and the Covent Garden Market Limited Partnership (Scottish Widows
and Henderson Global) who own many freeholds – including the
Market building -in central Covent Garden. Representatives of these
organisations sat on the Trust’s Environment Committee to
oversee the publication. Local involvement has been of key importance.
A similar
format for public consultation was followed in undertaking the original
Study and new, revised Guide. Several meetings were held with major
stakeholders and there was also a series of public events. A questionnaire
was distributed in and around the area and publicised in the local
magazine. The consultation was promoted on the Trust’s website.
The Environmental Study of Central Covent Garden has been available,
free, on the Trust’s website since it was published. There
has been an average of one “hit” a day. We have found
it has been of great interest to planners and architects renovating
similar historic market squares or restoring industrial buildings
throughout Europe and America. Geography students, schoolchildren
carrying out history projects as well as local residents and businesses
have all found the information useful. More significantly, it has
been quoted at several public inquiries and has influenced planning
decisions. Endorsed by Westminster City Council as “planning
guidance”, all those making planning applications in the area
have been referred to it by the local authority planning officers.
The “Caring for Covent Garden” version of the study is available to download in PDF format. A complete screen-readable version is available as well as a high resolution for printing which iss filed in separate chapters.
Chapter 1 - Foreword
Chapter 2 - Background and Introduction
Chapter 3 - History
Chapter 4 - A new Piazza plan
Chapter5 - Improvement Proposals
Chapter 6 - Buildings
Chapter 7 - Space between buildings
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