Westminster Consults On A Particular Planning Policy To Protect Fine Art Galleries

The City of Westminster is currently consulting on proposals for a NEW Special Planning Policy designed to to protect the fine art galleries currently located inwards Mayfair & St James as well as peculiarly the remaining galleries inwards Cork Street. 

You create got an chance to comment earlier 14th Feb - as well as produce non postulate to hold upward a resident of Westminster to produce so.

The galleries include ones which create got been pivotal inwards advancing the careers of many overstep artists inwards the UK

Cover of the Consultation Document

Below is the content of a missive of the alphabet I've received from Messums - 1 of the overstep dealers inwards the area - as well as a gallery who exhibits a number of artists who are mentioned on this weblog from fourth dimension to fourth dimension (people similar Daphne Todd, Pete Brown, William Bowyer, Tom Coates, Jane Corsellis, Saied Dai, Ruth Stage etc)

They are highlighting the consultation nearly the proposed novel policy to protect fine art galleries inwards Mayfair as well as St. James - and the deadline for comments which is 14th Feb 2014.

I am writing to depict your attending to an exciting consultation paper of late issued past times Westminster Council, proposing the creation of a novel Special Policy Area (SPA) inwards Mayfair, London to protect the futurity of fine art dealers as well as inwards especial Cork Street every bit a centre for the arts. It builds on the existing SPAs inwards St James’s, inwards favour of fine art dealers as well as someone clubs, as well as Savile Row, inwards favour of the tailors.

Our concern is that amongst out it, the extraordinary concentration of overstep degree fine art dealers inwards Mayfair as well as St James’s, which contributes as well as thus significantly to the London fine art scene, volition come upward nether threat from novel developments as well as quickly rise rents, driven past times the advance of the fashion manufacture as well as the influx of wealthy foreigners looking at belongings inwards the surface area every bit a rubber identify for their money.

The betoken nosotros would brand is that inwards may ways the fine art merchandise as well as streets similar Cork Street create got given Mayfair its richly hewn tapestry. It has helped to create the special graphic symbol of the surface area as well as larn inwards a desirable identify to see as well as alive as well as if the fine art concern is driven out, this graphic symbol may hold upward lost as well as roughly of the long term economical wellness as well as vitality of the surface area volition larn amongst it.

We are delighted that Westminster Council create got accepted the possiblity of this loss, as well as that they are proposing an SPA policy, which aims, non to foreclose the fashion merchandise or wealthy unusual residents from moving in, only to endeavor as well as ensure that at that spot is roughly residuum as well as that this is non at the expense of the fine art trade.

However they produce postulate to take away heed peoples views on this recommendation, as well as inwards especial from those who value as well as relish Cork Street as well as this business office of Mayfair every bit an of import centre for Art.

Whether you lot are resident inwards the United Kingdom of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland or overseas, I produce promise that you lot volition reckon adding your weight to what Westminster Council are trying to produce as well as that you lot volition write to the Council inwards back upward of their plans. The address to write to is ready out on the final page of the proposal paper which tin hold upward accessed inwards total via this link, as well as the consultation menstruum ends on fourteen February, as well as thus it is of import to deed inside time. 

Review

Relevant documents are:

• Study of Art Galleries inwards St James's, Oct 2012
• Current consultation on Westminster & St James: Developing Westminster's Local Plan - peculiarly pages 3, ix as well as 15

All comments on the proposals should hold upward directed to the City Planning Department of Westminster City Council - details of how to produce this are on page eighteen of the pdf file - BEFORE fourteen February. Comments should focus on

• whether or non you lot back upward the proposed plans and 
• any planning considerations relevant to the postulate to brand special provision to protect specialist niche economical uses which are NOT currently protected nether electrical flow planning policy.

Other relevant context includes:

• The Art Newspaper - Westminster council moves to protect Mayfair galleries
  The metropolis proposes making the arts district a special policy surface area inwards reply to encroaching fashion shops
• Change.org - Westminster Council: Save Cork Street: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 British fine art establishment threatened past times developers
• The Guardian / The Observer
• Galleries are forced out of their historic London home (19 Jan 2014) Cork Street dealers country belongings evolution is a threat to graphic symbol of St James as well as Mayfair
• Mayfair's Cork Street fine art hub nether threat from developers (23 September 2012) Half of galleries may hold upward forced out every bit upmarket London fine art district faces existence 'killed off past times the greed of the landlords'
• Cork Street: London fine art scene's historic commercial heart (20 Auguust 2012) Mayfair street was 1 time the fundamental address for fine art dealers, only they create got been spreading across the working capital missive of the alphabet since the 1960s

This is a photograph I took inwards Cork Street roughly 10 days agone - roughly vii galleries create got shut on 1 side of the street - the edifice volition hold upward demolished as well as it's unliklely the galleries which create got shut volition return

Closed Galleries inwards Cork Street
(the 1 on the left amongst the low-cal on is Messums)

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