GREENWICH PARK CONSERVATION PLAN 2019-2029 GPR_DO_17.0 ‘Greenwich is unique - a place of pilgrimage, as increasing numbers of visitors obviously demonstrate, a place for inspiration, imagination and sheer pleasure. Majestic buildings, park, views, unseen meridian and a wealth of history form a unified whole of international importance. The maintenance and management of this great place requires sensitivity and constant care.’ ROYAL PARKS REVIEW OF GREEWNICH PARK 1995 CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD Greenwich Park is England’s oldest enclosed public park, a Grade1 listed landscape that forms two thirds of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The parks essential character is created by its dramatic topography juxtaposed with its grand formal landscape design. Its sense of place draws on the magnificent views of sky and river, the modern docklands panorama, the City of London and the remarkable Baroque architectural ensemble which surrounds the park and its established associations with time and space. Still in its 1433 boundaries, with an ancient deer herd and a wealth of natural and historic features Greenwich Park attracts 4.7 million visitors a year which is estimated to rise to 6 million by 2030. We recognise that its capacity as an internationally significant heritage site and a treasured local space is under threat from overuse, tree diseases and a range of infrastructural problems. I am delighted to introduce this Greenwich Park Conservation Plan, developed as part of the Greenwich Park Revealed Project. The plan has been written in a new format which we hope will reflect the importance that we place on creating robust and thoughtful plans. Within the plan we have set a course that we believe can address the fundamental issues facing the site in order to satisfy the park’s needs in the short and medium term whilst increasing resilience for the next 100 years. My team always welcome any comments or thoughts on our ambitious plans, we hope you join us in our vision for this significant park. Loyd Grossman CBE The Royal Parks Chairman CONTENTS PART 1 FOREWORD CONTEXT A message from Loyd Grossman iii MANAGEMENT ECOLOGICAL Our Parks 11 Ecological Context 54 The Royal Parks Context 13 Geology and Soils 54 PREFACE Park Management 13 Hydrology, Drainage and Conduits 54 Authority to Manage 13 Habitats 56 The Royal Parks Landscape Documents vii The Royal Parks Charitable Objects 13 Species 58 The Structure of this Plan viii Designations and Compliance 13 Tree Pest, Disease and Invasive Species 60 Process, Guidance & Acknowledgements ix Greenwich Park Management Structure 14 Biosecurity 61 Resources 15 Climate Change 61 Engagement 15 Sustainability 62 Pressures 15 Risk 15 COMMUNAL Safety and Security 16 Public Access 64 Leases, Licences and Concessions 16 Events 64 Database and Archive 16 Visitor Profile 64 iv Demographics 65 POLICY Visitor Facilities 66 International and National Policies 18 Organised and Informal Activities 66 World Heritage Site 18 Learning 66 International and National Designations 18 Community Volunteering 67 Strategic Planning Advice 19 Community Engagement 67 Local Planning Policies and Designations 19 TRP Strategies, Plans, Policies and Regulations 20 AESTHETIC Views 70 HISTORIC Topography 72 The Evolution of the Park’s Layout 24 Lighting 73 Greenwich Park Timeline 28 Horticulture 73 Cultural Significance 46 Wellbeing 74 Monuments and Main Artefacts 46 Archaeology 46 Boundaries and Gates 47 Furniture and Signage 48 Road and Path Network 48 Buildings and Structures 49 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER POLICIES IMPLEMENTATION The Significance of Greenwich Park 77 Management 121 Implementation of the Management Plan 127 Landscape Character Areas 77 Policy 121 Monitoring 127 Landscape Significance 78 Historic 121 Review 128 Landscape Condition 79 Ecological 122 The Project Register 129 Landscape Character Areas Assessment 79 Communal 123 Aesthetic 124 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREAS 81 Blackheath Gate 82 Blackheath Avenue 84 The Giant Steps and the Parterre Banks 88 ABBREVIATIONS FIGURES The Playing Field 90 AOD Acute Oak Decline Fig 1 Our Landscape Documents The Queen’s Orchard 92 BAP Biodiversity Action Plan Fig 2 The Structure of this Plan One Tree Hill and the Coombes 94 BAME Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicities Fig 3 Location and Vision of each Royal Park DEFRA Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs Fig 4 TRP Management Structure Maze Hill Fields 96 DCMS Department of Digital, Culture Media and Sport Fig 5 WHS Map Great Cross Avenue 98 ExCom Executive Committee Fig 6 Surrounding Green Spaces The Flower Garden 100 FMC Facilities Maintenance Contractor Fig 7 Grand Axis Evolution v FoRP Friends of Greenwich Park Fig 8 Park Masterplan 2018 The Wilderness 102 FsC Forest Stewardship Council Fig 9 Gateways and Main Routes The Bandstand Field 104 FSC Field Studies Council Fig 10 Archaeological Importance Ranger’s Field 106 GiGL Greenspace Information for Greater London Fig 11 Underlying Geology GIS Geographical Information Systems Fig 12 Broad Habitats The Rose Garden 108 GLA Greater London Authority Fig 13 Plan of Local Boroughs The Reservoir Field 110 HLF Heritage Lottery Fund Fig 14 Key Views Croom’s Hill and the Anglo-Saxon Cemetery 112 LLTIs Limiting Long-term Illness and Disability Fig 15 Topography LMC Landscape Maintenance Contractor Fig 16 Assessment of Landscape Character Areas Castle Hill and the Observatory Garden 114 LSOAs Lower Super Output Areas Fig 17 Significance Diagram St Mary’s Fields 116 LUC Land Use Consultant’s Fig 18 SignificanceVs. Condition Matrix The Nursery Yard 118 MGWHS Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site Fig 19 Greenwich Park Character Areas NERC Natural Environment and Rural Communities NNR National Nature Reserve NVC National Vegetation Classification OCGW Oriental Chestnut Gall Wasp OPM Oak Processionary Moth ROSPA Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents RPWG Greenwich Park Wildlife Group APPENDICES SAC Special Area of Conservation TfL Transport for London Appendix 1: Selected Bibliography and References TRP The Royal Parks Appendix 2: Listed Buildings not managed by TRP TRP OCU The Royal Parks Operational Command Unit Appendix 3: Map of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site (Metropolitan Police) Appendix 4: Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest WFD Water Framework Directive WW1 World War One WWII World War Two 6 PREFACE TRP STRATEGIC THE ROYAL PARKS PLAN LANDSCAPE DOCUMENTS THE ROYAL PARKS LANDSCAPE STRATEGY ‘Who’ are we... ‘why’ we manage the way we do The Landscape Strategy is a public document which sets out The Royal Park’s (TRP) overarching ethos and principles regarding landscape management. It sets the parks within their TRP London context and presents their importance. LANDSCAPE STRATEGY PARK CONSERVATION PLAN ‘What’ we will do... ‘what’ we want to do The Conservation Plan is a 10 year plan which facilitates effective park management. The plan is strategic in nature, setting out the 100 year vision for the park and the broad objectives which will guide its management. 7vii PARK PARK MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE PLAN EXECUTIVE CONSERVATION SUMMARY ‘What we deliver... ‘when’, ‘who’ and ‘how’ PLAN The Management and Maintenance Plan is prepared every year as the working document for the management of the park. It contains the park’s annual Action Plan and Park Business Plan while also records progress made in the previous year. PARK MANAGEMENT GREEN FLAG/ PARK BUSINESS AND HERITAGE PLAN MAINTENANCE PLAN < fig 1. OUR LANDSCAPE DELIVERY DOCUMENTS THE STRUCTURE OF THIS PLAN HISTORIC PART 1 - CONTEXT TRP’s view the park’s landscape as one which has been developed over many years by natural processes and layers of human interaction. This section brings together key ECOLOGICAL AESTHETIC information required to understand the shaping of the park we manage today. CONTEXT PART 2 - LANDSCAPE CHARACTER The park is recognised as an entity in its own right with its own character. In this section the park is broken down into COMMUNAL MANAGEMENT Landscape Character Areas. These character areas are a tool for understanding and subsequently helping to determine the management priorities for each distinctive area of the park. 1 PART 3 - POLICIES This section builds on the identification of opportunities and priorities set out in part 2. It brings these together to articulate policies for the park’s management as a whole. LANDSCAPE SIGNIFICANCE CONDITION viii8 CHARACTER PART 4 - IMPLEMENTATION This section describes the main mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing the delivery of the Conservation Plan’s priorities and policies. 2 It includes the Project Register a dynamic and active component that combines the Character Area Priorities, developed in part 2, and the park wide policies, developed in part 3. The Project Register identifies and lists potential CHARACTER PARK projects which TRP aim to develop and deliver over the next AREAS POLICIES WIDE decade subject to availability of resources. 3 MONITORING PROJECT & REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION REGISTER < fig 2. THE STRUCTURE 4 OF THIS PLAN PROCESS GUIDANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The development of the Greenwich Conservation Plan has Particular reference was made to government publications Ths plan has been prepared by TRP, namely: been a collaborative process which began with formulating and documents, the European Landscape Convention a new simple framework which required a re-think of the guidance documents, Natural England publications, Land Use Graham Dear - Park Manager existing document. The Landscape Management