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Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan

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Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan 1 Tower of London World Heritage Site Management Plan 2 Contents Section Number Section Page Foreword by John Barnes, Conservation & Learning 4 Director, Historic Royal Palaces Executive Summary 5 1.0 Introduction 7 1.1 World Heritage and the World Heritage Convention 1.2 The UK and the World Heritage Convention 1.3 The Tower of London World Heritage Site Plan 2016 1.4 The purpose of the Management Plan 1.5 The planning status of the Management Plan 2.0 Description of the World Heritage Site 13 2.1 General information 2.2 Summary of the historical development of the Tower 2.3 The development of the capital city around the Tower 2.4 The character of the Tower in its setting 2.5 Current management 3.0 Statement of Outstanding Universal Value and 33 Attributes 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Statement of Outstanding Universal Value 2011 3.3 Attributes of Outstanding Universal Value 3.4 Attributes of OUV of the Tower of London WHS 3.5 Associated Attributes of national and local significance 3.6 Instrumental benefits 4.0 Overview of UK Planning and Policy Framework 52 5.0 Progress since the last Management Plan 2007 61 6.0 Opportunities, Challenges and Issues 70 6.1 Introduction 3 6.2 Opportunities 6.3 Challenges and Issues 7.0 Aims and Objectives 80 7.0.1 Introduction 7.1 Aim A – To conserve the tangible assets of the WHS 7.2 Aim B – To research and increase our understanding of the Tower in order to support its conservation and interpretation 7.3 Aim C – To preserve and enhance the local and wider setting 7.4 Aim D – To sustain and promote the Tower’s intangible assets 7.5 Aim E – To communicate the stories of the Tower and promote the OUV of the Tower through engaging and effective interpretation 7.6 Aim F – To ensure the complete visitor experience is reflective of the Tower’s WHS status. Summary Aims, Objectives and Actions table 117 8.0 Mechanisms for implementation 124 9.0 Monitoring and reviewing the Management Plan 126 Bibliography Appendices Appendix A Historical development of the Tower i Appendix B Relevant current planning policy xxi Appendix C Prior public consultation processes xxxv Appendix D About Historic Royal Palaces xxxvi Appendix E Text of the Justification for Inscription contained in xxxviii the State Party’s Nomination Dossier and copy of ICOMOS evaluation Appendix F Criteria for the assessment of outstanding universal xli value Appendix G Scheduled Monuments and Listed Structures within xliii the World Heritage Site 4 Foreword John Barnes, Conservation & Learning Director, Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces is proud to be responsible for the care, conservation and presentation to the public of the Tower of London - one of six important and historic sites in our care. Our aim, through the work that we do, is to help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society, in some of the greatest palaces ever built. In recent years, the Tower has played a part in key moments of national celebration and public engagement, from the Thames Jubilee River Pageant to the 2012 Olympic Games. It has also been a focal point for commemoration; in 2014, the Tower staged Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, an art installation of ceramic poppies, marking one hundred years since Britain's involvement in WWI. The ‘Poppies’ were visited by an estimated 5 million people and received a circulation of 1.5 billion worldwide through press and media. Since the last Management Plan, the Tower has experienced a significant increase in visitor numbers; over 3 million people now visit each year. This has enabled us to invest in major conservation projects to the White Tower, the Wall Walks and the Mural Towers and successful onsite partnership projects: the re-presentation of the White Tower with the Royal Armouries; the development of a new exhibition on the Tower Mint with the Royal Mint, and a re-presentation of the Fusiliers Museum with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Increased visitors also bring challenges, such as the potential impact on the monument itself and the visitor experience. Against this backdrop, in 2013 Historic Royal Palaces began a piece of strategic work to set a framework for projects at the Tower over the coming decades. This work, our ‘Tower Future Thinking’, is reflected in the revised Plan. The greatest challenge to the World Heritage Site, however, remains the impact on its setting of development and tall buildings. Although slowed in the years after financial crisis, the rate of development is picking up again, greater than before. As well as providing an agreed framework for decision-making on the conservation and improvement of the Tower, the Plan provides a mechanism for considering the setting of the Tower. Local planning authorities are expected to take relevant Plan policies into account in developing their strategies for the historic environment and in determining relevant planning applications. The revised Plan brings together knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm from those with an interest in, and responsibility for, the Tower of London and its environs. I feel confident that it will provide a positive model for sustaining the outstanding universal value of the Tower of London into the future. 5 Executive summary HM Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London (the Tower) is one of England’s most evocative ancient monuments. There is a tangible sense of history in every tower and around every corner, making it an endlessly fascinating place for visitors from all round the world. The buildings and layout that we see today stand as the culmination of a sequence which started around 1067, and have developed dynamically ever since in line with the changing needs of the site’s occupants, users and visitors. The Tower was inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 1988. To be inscribed, sites must be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ and meet at least one of ten selection criteria. The Tower was inscribed under two of the required criteria: Criterion (ii): To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design; - A monument symbolic of royal power since the time of William the Conqueror, the Tower of London served as an outstanding model throughout the kingdom from the end of the 11th century. Like it, many keeps were built in stone, e.g. Colchester, Rochester, Hedingham, Norwich or Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight. Criterion (iv): Be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;- The White Tower is the example par excellence of the royal Norman castle in the late 11th century. The ensemble of the Tower of London is a major reference for the history of medieval military architecture. The Outstanding Universal Value of the Tower is recognised by a number of key attributes including its landmark siting for protection and control of the City of London, as a symbol of Norman power and military architecture, and for its association with State institutions. The purpose of the Tower of London World Heritage Site (WHS) Management Plan is to ensure the effective management of the WHS for present and future generations and to provide an agreed framework for long-term decision-making on the conservation and improvement of the Tower. 6 The vision for the WHS is to sustain its Outstanding Universal Value and to manage the Tower effectively in order to protect, conserve and present it to the public and to transmit it to future generations. The Tower benefits from unique characteristics that afford opportunities for its future development. Conversely, these characteristics are fragile and raise complex issues that affect the conservation and management of the site. The Plan seeks to utilise opportunities in a way that is appropriate to the Tower’s significance and helps work towards an optimal solution to the challenges and issues faced by the Tower. The Plan sets out the principal aims and management objectives for the Tower, supported by actions, which reflect the opportunities and mitigate, where possible, the challenges and issues highlighted in the Plan. Our Principal Aims are: • To conserve the tangible assets of the WHS • To research and increase our understanding of the Tower in order to support its conservation and interpretation • To preserve and enhance the local and wider setting • To sustain and promote the Tower’s intangible assets • To communicate the stories of the Tower and promote the Outstanding Universal Value of the Tower through engaging and effective interpretation • To ensure the complete visitor experience is reflective of the Tower’s WHS status. Historic Royal Palaces is the lead body responsible for implementing the Plan, in co- operation with its on-site and off-site partners. The Tower of London WHS Consultative Committee, a group including on-site partners, local authorities and heritage specialists, provides a forum for consulting on issues affecting the Tower and its environs. The Committee will continue to review progress on achieving the agreed aims and objectives and assist in monitoring implementation of the action plan every year. The entire Plan will be reviewed again in five years. 7 1.0 Introduction 1.1 World Heritage and the World Heritage Convention 1.1.1 World Heritage is the designation for places that are of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ to humanity and, as such, have been inscribed onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.
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