The St. James’s Conservation Trust A Review of 2016 Featured in this edition Edition 20 St. James’s Personalities Historic Summer of St. James’s premises of Garden Party shops and Page 10 Page 8 businesses Page 11 | 1 ST JAMES’S A WORD FROM CONSERVATION TRUST Featured in this edition OUR CHAIRMAN 4 ST. JAMES’S I am delighted to report on the Trust’s This will complement the work of the PALACE UPDATE progress over 2016 which has seen many Trust, but in a form that can be consulted long term and new initiatives coming to on, leading to formal planning adoption, fruition. In addition we have welcomed with statutory power, by the City Council, in 2016, new Trustees, both long-term following any successful referendum, locally supporters of the St. James’s area, Mrs Molly in 2017... more to follow... 6 AN OUTLINE Borthwick and Mr Martin Low and looking Completion of some of the key development HISTORY: forward, anticipate Miles Wade of the Royal sites, with kind invitations to visit for the THE CLUBS Automobile Club joining the Trust Chairman and Peter Heath, included: OF ST. JAMES’S in 2017. PART 1. They join our ever-widening representation • 11 - 15 Arlington Street: Milos at of residents and business interests who make British Columbia House, the return 8 THE TRUST’S up the Trust’s voluntary team. of restored and improved D R Harris SUMMER and St. James’s Market developments, GARDEN PARTY This year’s review rightly features inside, repaving and even a new “green wall” JULY 2016 just some of the many wonderful moments and completions, at Russell Court, of our first major fundraising event: 88 St. James’s Street, and a Summer Garden Party, on a warm evening 50 St. James’s Street anticipated, in 2017. 10 PERSONALITIES on 6 July 2016, hosted thanks to the OF ST. JAMES’S St. James’s Square Trust, in the beautiful • St. James’s Palace: Our improvement historic setting of St. James’s Square gardens. campaign continues with grant This has demonstrated, yet again how the applications and donations, sought in Trust can bring together local commercial order to match over half the total costs, and residential communities to support our already committed towards the required 11 HISTORIC aims and we hope to make this a regular funding partnership. PREMISES OF event each summer, bringing new friends • We say farewell and welcome to and much needed funds, to enable our SHOPS AND new Trustee, Martin Low. After many ideas and future studies to improve the area BUSINESSES years at Westminster Council as City and help direct positive development and Commissioner of Transportation he has changes. In addition, the event hosted a been a good friend to our area and 12 DEVELOPMENT, Trust display alongside one by the new St. James's Review of Licensing Trust. In his professional roles he has St. James's Conservation Trust January 2016 St. James’s Neighbourhood Planning Forum, LICENSING AND worked across the borough in initiating, which has also been financially aided by the RECENT ISSUES promoting and implementing such Trust, as it commences work with appointed street and lighting improvements as: planning experts, Gerald Eve, who have the restoration of 2-way traffic to been consulting with stakeholders in the St. James’s Street, Pall Mall and Piccadilly/ 14 formulation of a St. James’s Neighbourhood ST. JAMES’S Piccadilly Circus, transformation of Plan, to be published soon. NEIGHBOURHOOD Waterloo Place, Regent Street, PLANNING FORUM: Waterloo St. James’s, Haymarket and Charles II UPDATE Place, now Street, together with some better bus improved with an elegant routes serving the area and as legacy island, has projects, Jermyn Street and the long- 15 PHOTOGRAPHIC celebrated this year with awaited improved safety and setting COMPETITION better building around the junction at St. James’s WINNER: THE illuminations and a Palace. He is now a most valued CROWN ESTATE Christmas St. James’s Trust trustee. tree! Letters to the editor Send your letters to The Trust Architect/Planner and Administrator, care of Atkins Ltd. The Trustees would welcome letters or Peter Heath RIBA MRTPI, Design Director, Email: [email protected] or via our emails, with comments or ideas from Euston Tower, 30th floor, 286 Euston Road, website: www.stjamestrust.london readers concerning the history, architecture, London NW1 3AT commerce and social life of St. James’s, Tel: 07803 260 700 for inclusion in future Newsletters. Credit: (Front cover) The Crown Estate’s image of St. James’s Market development. 2 || THE TRUST’S SUMMER GARDEN PARTY “…St. James’s Square was transformed with entertainments, marquees, stalls, stages and beautiful flowers, for the Trust’s July fundraising event…” The next event is placed for 29th June 2017 Chairman, Andrew Love, in his speech, He reminded the audience of The flanked by resident Trustee event organiser, St. James’s Conservation Trust’s continuing Virginia Chichester (LHS) and The Lord need for donations and partnerships, Mayor of Westminster, thanked sponsors, which since 1999, have helped protect supporters, the Square’s Trustees, and improve the area’s, now formally Westminster Council and all attendees. designated, “Special” characteristics…” | 3 ST. JAMES’S PALACE : UPDATE “…The Trust first promoted ideas for improvements to the setting of St. James’s Palace in 1999…” The ancient St. James’s Palace site, dating back to the 12th century has changed little since the layout of buildings by Henry VIII, who built the surviving brick, Tudor gateway, comparable in importance to Hampton Court, but with even greater significance as the official residence of the reigning monarch ever since the 17th century fire that almost destroyed all of Whitehall Palace. However, the setting of this most important Court of St. James’s has changed for the worse by comparison, as a result of modern road traffic growth and its location as a junction of multiple routes at the corner of the rectangle forming historic St. James’s. The Trust has worked over many years to build a successful partnership of supporters for an improved layout and landscape which will be a safer, more convenient and attractive for all vehicle and pedestrian visitors to the area, and which recognises the dignity and needs of a ceremonial and secure Royal Palace environment, at the heart of this historic area. The project will focus on the publicly accessible, but leftover space, comprising the traffic junction which forms the setting of the main Tudor front and surrounding Listed Buildings of historic and architectural importance. St. James’s is a Conservation, Special Policy and Neighbourhood Planning Forum Area, originally developed in the 17th century north of the 12th century leper hospital site, transformed into the Existing photo: a leftover space dominated by vehicle traffic. 16th century, St. James’s Palace after The Reformation. A 3D laser scanned CAD model of the area. 4 | “...there may be opportunities for new public art or sculpture and even possibly a traditional, ornamental form of greening...” An early 1930s view of St. James’s Palace from the bottom of Visual of St. James’s Palace proposed improvements from the bottom of St. James’s Street. Photograph courtesy of Leonard Bentley. Flickr. St. James’s Street. The Palace should be at the heart of St. James’s and appreciated by the local and wider community, as well as the many tourists who visit the various nearby attractions. The project will improve the setting by reconfiguring roads, in partnership with the City of Westminster and principal landowners, including The Crown Estate, creating new, formal public spaces as a fitting frontage to the palace. This will enable the local community, public and international visitors to appreciate both St. James’s and its historic connection to the palace, its unique functions and architecture in the context of local streets and buildings. The project will effectively transform this space, by creating a new place of appropriate landscape quality, with the roadways around it providing for a better and safer, disciplined flow of vehicle traffic, with a new right turn option from Marlborough Road to Pall Mall, better pedestrian crossings, in locations that help routes that encourage the appreciation of the Palace’s architecture and presence, revealing it’s qualities. With suitable sponsors and additional funding, there may be opportunities for new public art or sculpture and even possibly a traditional ornamental form of greening for the new island public space. This attractive roundabout layout, appropriate, to the Palace heritage, would enhance the amenity and environmental value of the space, by introducing biodiversity. The implementation in phases is led by the City of Westminster, as the highway and planning authority. Over half of the total £1.9m capital works funding has already been committed and will be provided by a public and private funding partnership. Aerial view of the proposals. CAD computer model proposals courtesy of The Crown Estate and Atkins. | 5 AN OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE CLUBS OF ST. JAMES’S : PART I 17TH TO 18TH CENTURY CLUBS Sources: London Encyclopedia/Trust books) After the 1660s development of St. James’s and improvements by the paving commissioners to St. James’s Street, the area became celebrated for its coffee and chocolate houses, which evolved into gentleman’s clubs. The clubs are especially important in the history of the fabric of the area and their evolution in the 18th century into subscription membership clubs. Their proprietors were among the most influential men who helped shape the social as well as architectural characteristics of their day. Before the establishment of St. James’s clubs, in 1657, Roger North had written that: “…the use of coffee houses seems newly improved by a new invention called chocolate houses…” The Cocoa Tree was a sign used after chocolate was first brought to England in 1652.