Open Spaces
City of London
As at 31st March 2013
Updates to 2012 Audit Report
Department of the Built Environment
Published November 2013
This document updates the statistics provided by the Open Spaces Audit Report (as at 31st March 2012).
The 2012 Open Spaces Audit
The City of London is one of the world’s most densely-built urban areas. Yet
The purpose of this report is to update the March 2012 open spaces audit to March
within this close-grained urban fabric there are a great number of gardens and
2013.
open spaces, which provide recreation and respite for the people who live and
The distribution of open spaces in the City of London as at 31st March 2013,
work in the City of London.
classified by typology, is shown in Map 1; an explanation of the typology
The City of London Core Strategy (adopted September 2011), Policy CS19
classifications is set out in the City of London’s Open Spaces Audit Report 2012.
sets out the policy for protecting and developing open space within the City of
The spatial distribution of changes to open spaces provision in the City of London
London.
between 1st April 2012 and 31st March 2013 is set out in Map 2 (see page3). This
details:
A full audit was undertaken in 2012; the audit findings are detailed in the City of
st
London’s Open Spaces Audit Report, providing data as at 31 March 2012
•
Loss of open spaces and changes to accessibility (see page 4).
•
New open spaces, including those added retrospectively following
(published April 2013). This report showed that the total open space in the City
2
was 32.09 hectares (320,900 m ). Since the 2012 audit, a number of open spaces
have ceased to be operational, primarily due to redevelopment activity, whilst
reassessment by the City of London (see page 5).
•
Open spaces previously closed due to construction works (see page 5).
A summary of the data amendments is set out on page 6.
some open space has been enhanced through works carried out by the City of
London.
Open Spaces Audit Report 2012
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Open Spaces Audit Report 2012 – updates as at 31st March 2013
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Open Spaces Audit Report 2012 – updates as at 31st March 2013
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Losses of Open Spaces and Changes to Accessibility
1.
Open Spaces closed due to construction works
2.
Open Spaces no longer with full public access
Three areas of open space in the City have been affected by major redevelopment
Petticoat Square forms part of the Middlesex Street housing estate and previously
works:
had full public access. This was closed to the general public as at 31st March 2013
•
Open space at Bassishaw Highwalk, which was temporarily closed as at
st
•
as part of improvement works to address “security and antisocial behaviour
31 March 2013. Improvement works to the open spaces are in progress
problems”, detailed in the City of London Planning and Transportation Committee
associated with the works at the adjacent property of City Place House.
report dated 30th September 2009 (planning permission 09/00466/FULMAJ). This
As at 31st March 2013 this site is currently accessible to the public only
open space now provides improved access to residents of the Middlesex Street
as a through route between St. Alphage Highwalk and Basinghall Street.
housing estate. Due to the design of the layout small scale revisions have been made
Part of the open space at 11-19 Monument Street has been closed due to
to the site boundary. This is shown in Map 2.
associated proposed redevelopment works to the adjacent building
(planning permission 13/00049/FULMAJ).
•
Seething Gardens (adjacent to Seething Lane) has been closed due to
excavation works associated with the redevelopment of 10 Trinity
Square (planning permission 11/00317/FULMAJ); the gardens will be
replaced upon completion of the works with an improved open space.
The locations of these sites are illustrated in Map 2.
For more information on development activity in the City of London, refer to the
biannual Development info reports (March and September).
Open Spaces Audit Report 2012 – updates as at 31st March 2013
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New Open Spaces
3.
Additional Open Space Provision
4.
No new open spaces were created in the City of London between 1st April 2012
and 31
st
March 2013. Additional open spaces were added retrospectively
Open Spaces no longer affected by construction works
In some cases, temporary closures to open space are required to enable building
works.
following reassessment, to determine whether they meet the audit criteria:
•
The playground associated with the City of London School for Boys,
As at 31st March 2012, the following open spaces were closed due to development
situated to the east of White Lion Hill (Picture 1) enables provision for
activity and not included in the overall statistics:
children. Although it is private, and not visible from the public realm, it
•
from Whitefriars Street.
provides an amenity for the school.
•
The publicly-accessible forecourt to the rear of 2 Bridewell Place, accessed
A new public open space provided by the City of London at Sun Court,
•
The churchyard at St. Andrew Undershaft.
st
completed in 2011 (Picture 2). The purpose of this scheme was to create
As at 31 March 2013, they are no longer affected by the construction works and
a “small public space” and provide “a local place to stop and rest”, as
became available as a public amenity.
set out in the report to the City of London Streets and Walkways Sub-
The locations of these sites are illustrated in Map 2.
Committee dated 16 November 2009. This is classified as a Primary
Civic Space.
Picture 1: City of London School for
Picture 2: Sun Court
Boys Playground
Open Spaces Audit Report 2012 – updates as at 31st March 2013
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Changes to Open Space Statistics
As at 31 March 2012, the total amount of open space in the City of London was 32.09 hectares (320,900 m2). Of this, 25.66 hectares (256,600 m2) was publicly accessible.
As a result of the above amendments:
•
There has been a short-term loss of 1 hectare (1,000m2) of open space as part of redevelopment and improvement schemes.
•
A further 0.35 hectares (3,500m2) of open space is no longer publicly accessible.
•
There has also been a gain of 0.06 hectares (600m2) of open space following the completion of construction works that had required temporary closures.
•
Reassessment of current sites in the City for provision as open space has resulted in an additional 0.17 hectares (1,700m2) of open space; however, just 0.003
hectares (30m2) is accessible to the public.
•
Overall, this has resulted in a net increase of 0.13 hectares (1,300m2) of open space but a loss of 0.39 hectares (3,900m2) of publicly accessible open space.
The total open space in the City as at 31st March 2013 is 32.22 hectares (322,200m2). Of this, 25.27 hectares (252,700m2) is publicly accessible.
Open Spaces Audit Report 2012 – updates as at 31st March 2013
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Information
General Planning Enquiries: 020 7332 1710
Queries regarding the Open Spaces Audit in the City of London can be made to:
E-mail: [email protected]
Gavin Felgate
Internet site: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/plans
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 020 7332 1303
Criteria used for identifying sites as open space are given in the City of London’s
Open Spaces Audit Report (data as at 31st March 2012).
Stuart O’Callaghan
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 020 7332 1843
Queries regarding open spaces policy in the City of London can be made to:
Lisa Russell
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 020 7332 1857
The City of London Corporation is the Local Authority for the financial and commercial heart of Britain, the City of London.
Philip Everett BSc CEng MICE,
Director of the Built Environment
Peter Wynne Rees BSc BArch BTP RIBA FRTPI FRSA,
The City Planning Officer
PO Box 270, Guildhall, London EC2P 2EJ
Open Spaces Audit Report 2012 – updates as at 31st March 2013
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