Proposed Relocation of the Existing Emmeline Pankhurst

Memorial
(From Victoria Tower Gardens, London SW1

to Regent’s University London, Regent’s Park NW1)

Access and Design Statement

Accompanying a Listed Building Consent application

May 2018

Liam O’Connor Architects and Planning Consultants

THE EMMELINE PANKHURST TRUST LTD

Liam O’Connor Architects and Planning Consultants was asked by The Emmeline Pankhurst Trust Ltd
to develop a scheme for the relocation of the existing Emmeline Pankhurst memorial as part of the
planning application for a new, more prominent memorial to Emmeline Pankhurst, to be located on
Canning Green, Parliament Square.

1. Overall Proposal

The existing Emmeline Pankhurst memorial is located in Victoria Tower Gardens, London SW1P. It was
moved in the 1950’s from a more priominent central position within the gardens to a peripheral
location, now juxtaposed with the new temporaly education centre, which is sited to the immediate
east of the Palace of Westminster.

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Providing details for a satisfactory re-location of this statue was a condition attached to the planning
application approval “A memorial to Emmeline Pankhurst in the form of a bronze statue on stone
plinth set within the existing memorials on the west side of Parliament Square Gardens.” Reference
number:17/04187/FULL at City of Westminster’s Planning applications sub-committee on Tuesday
19th September, 2017.

Extract of Minutes of a meeting of the Planning Applications Sub-Committee (2) on Tuesday

19th September, 2017

2 PARLIAMENT SQUARE, LONDON, SW1P 3JX

A memorial to Emmeline Pankhurst in the form of a bronze statue on stone plinth set within
the existing memorials on the west side of Parliament Square Gardens. 3 Additional
representations were received from two interested parties (undated) and Sir Neil Thorne
(24/09/17).
Late representations were received from Sir Neil Thorne (16/09/17 and 18/09/17),
RadcliffesLeBrasseur (18/09/17), six MPs Andrew Rosindell, Mark Menzies, Glyn Davies; Henry
Smith, Alec Shellbrooke and Pauline Latham (12/09/17) and eleven interested parties
(15/09/17, 16/09/17, 17/09/17 and 19/09/17)

Councillor Louise Hyams addressed the Sub-Committee in her capacity as ward member.

RESOLVED:

That whilst the Sub-Committee was supportive of the application it be deferred in order for the
applicant to submit a listed building consent application to remove/relocate the existing
memorial to Emmeline Pankhurst located in Victoria Tower Gardens. Both applications to be
then reported back to the Sub-Committee.

Subsequently a number of sites were explored to provide a suitable new location for the existing
memorial. Options considered were Brompton Cemetery, where Emmeline Pankhurst is buried, a site
in Scotland and the site of the Former Bedford College in Regent’s Park.

Bedford College is now Regent’s University London which has a prominent series of buildings located
in Regent’s Park in London.

As Bedford College, this was one of the earliest educational establishments to offer degrees to women.
The college has strong historical associations with women’s suffrage and many prominent women
were donors to the college in the early part of the Twentieth century, as evidenced by the numerous
inscriptions and dedications in place around the college buildings. There is also an exquisite sculpture
in the building by the little known sculptor Margaret M. Jenkin (Labourers in the Vineyard, 1907.

The strong historic connections with women’s rights as well as the excellent publicly accessible
location makes this a fitting place for the relocation of the existing Emmeline Pankhurst memorial.

2
“Labourers in the Vineyard” by Sculptor Margaret M. Jenkin at Regent’s University London

3
The Existing Pankhurst Memorial

The existing Pankhurst memorial is currently situated at the north west end of the entrance to Victoria
Tower Gardens, a Grade II Registered Park and Garden within the City of Westminster, south of the
Houses of Parliament.

This charming and modestly scaled statue by AG Walker with a Portland stone plinth by Sir Herbert
Baker, was originally unveiled at the centre of the gardens by the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin in
1930. It was moved to a position closer to the Houses of Parliament in 1956 and low flanking walls
were added to incorporate commemorative medallions at each end in 1959. The pedestal is said to
contain a metal box with some of Mrs Pankhurst's letters and her Times obituary. The existing
memorial was registered Grade II in 1970.

(For further details refer to Heritage Statement)

Elevation of Existing statue, plinth and flanking walls

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Existing statue, plinth and flanking walls now located at the northern end of Victoria Tower Gardens, closer to
the Houses of Parliament (seen in the left background).

Existing statue, plinth and flanking walls from rear

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Existing Pankhurst Statue in Victoria Tower Gardens (location indicated with a red dot).

This 1920 plan has been marked in red with the location of the statue in 1930.