Collection COL/PLD/PL - PLANNING DEPARTMENT: PLANS

Identity area

Reference code

COL/PLD/PL

Title

PLANNING DEPARTMENT: PLANS

Date(s)

  • 1752-1979 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

15.6 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The improvement of the streets, the location of trades, markets and common or open spaces and the regulation of buildings have always been within the purview of the Corporation of London and the Court of Commissioners of Sewers in particular. After the Great Fire an Act of Common Council of 1667 declared what streets were to be widened and to what proportions. Improvement Committees were appointed by the Common Council throughout the nineteenth century and the construction of Holborn Viaduct, King William Street, Cannon Street, Tower Bridge, Charterhouse Street, Princes Street, Moorgate, St Martins-le-Grand and numerous street widenings constituted a gradual replanning. Towards the end of the nineteenth century the City cooperated with the Metropolitan Board of Works and later with the London County Council in improvements such as the Victoria Embankment and Queen Victoria Street.

In 1932 the Corporation was constituted the authority in the City of London for implementing the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Acts. A town planning scheme was prepared but the outbreak of war in 1939 delayed the continuation of the plan. The extensive damage caused by enemy action during the Second World War facilitated more ambitious schemes, under the direction of the Improvements and Town Planning Committee who managed the Town Planning Department. The post-war plan aimed to improve office and warehouse buildings, improve traffic flows, preserve and improve sites of historic and architectural importance, provide more open space and pedestrian circulation and to improve car parking provision.

The Planning Department is now the Department of Planning and Transportation.

Archival history

COL/PLD/PL 1752-1979 Collection 15.6 linear metres Corporation of London

The improvement of the streets, the location of trades, markets and common or open spaces and the regulation of buildings have always been within the purview of the Corporation of London and the Court of Commissioners of Sewers in particular. After the Great Fire an Act of Common Council of 1667 declared what streets were to be widened and to what proportions. Improvement Committees were appointed by the Common Council throughout the nineteenth century and the construction of Holborn Viaduct, King William Street, Cannon Street, Tower Bridge, Charterhouse Street, Princes Street, Moorgate, St Martins-le-Grand and numerous street widenings constituted a gradual replanning. Towards the end of the nineteenth century the City cooperated with the Metropolitan Board of Works and later with the London County Council in improvements such as the Victoria Embankment and Queen Victoria Street.

In 1932 the Corporation was constituted the authority in the City of London for implementing the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Acts. A town planning scheme was prepared but the outbreak of war in 1939 delayed the continuation of the plan. The extensive damage caused by enemy action during the Second World War facilitated more ambitious schemes, under the direction of the Improvements and Town Planning Committee who managed the Town Planning Department. The post-war plan aimed to improve office and warehouse buildings, improve traffic flows, preserve and improve sites of historic and architectural importance, provide more open space and pedestrian circulation and to improve car parking provision.

The Planning Department is now the Department of Planning and Transportation.

Corporation of London Records Office

Plans used by the City Architect, Planning Department, 1752-1979, including plans, diagrams, maps and photographs of City of London and Greater London housing estates, offices, warehouses, wharves, churches, railway stations and tunnels, police stations, public houses, schools and colleges, the Guildhall complex, Mansion House, markets (including the Metropolitan Cattle Market, Spitalfields, Billingsgate, Leadenhall and London Central Market), streets, squares, bridge approach roads, City of London Cemetery, courts, Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, open spaces, parks and gardens, the Monument and sewer systems, 1752-1979.

Also plans of Tower Pier, 1827-1828; Victoria Embankment, 1910, including proposals for a miniature rifle range; plans of the proposed site for Fairlop Airport, Essex, 1938-1950; War Department plans of Burnham Beeches, 1940-1946; anti tank ditches in Epping Forest, 1945; tracings of sites of Temple Bar and Temple Bar Memorial, with tracings of elevations and detail of Memorial, and notes on history, sculptors etc, also includes tracings of Queen Anne's Statue in front of St. Paul's Cathedral, 1960.

In sections according to catalogue.

Available for general access.

Copyright City of London
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

For more plans see the papers of the Public Health Department (COL/PHD), general plans (COL/PL), the papers of the Surveyor's Department (COL/SVD) and the papers of the Technical Services Department (COL/TSD).

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. February 2009 Planning Department , Corporation of London x Department of Planning and Transportation Dance , George the younger , 1741-1825 , architect Architects Artists Urban development Urban planning Industry Construction industry Railway construction Plans Building plans Construction engineering Building operations Building construction Visual materials Maps Railway track diagrams City Architect , Planning Department , Corporation of London Ilford Essex England UK Western Europe Fairlop Epping Forest Redbridge London Europe Town and country planning

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Corporation of London Records Office

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Plans used by the City Architect, Planning Department, 1752-1979, including plans, diagrams, maps and photographs of City of London and Greater London housing estates, offices, warehouses, wharves, churches, railway stations and tunnels, police stations, public houses, schools and colleges, the Guildhall complex, Mansion House, markets (including the Metropolitan Cattle Market, Spitalfields, Billingsgate, Leadenhall and London Central Market), streets, squares, bridge approach roads, City of London Cemetery, courts, Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, open spaces, parks and gardens, the Monument and sewer systems, 1752-1979.

Also plans of Tower Pier, 1827-1828; Victoria Embankment, 1910, including proposals for a miniature rifle range; plans of the proposed site for Fairlop Airport, Essex, 1938-1950; War Department plans of Burnham Beeches, 1940-1946; anti tank ditches in Epping Forest, 1945; tracings of sites of Temple Bar and Temple Bar Memorial, with tracings of elevations and detail of Memorial, and notes on history, sculptors etc, also includes tracings of Queen Anne's Statue in front of St. Paul's Cathedral, 1960.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

In sections according to catalogue.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright City of London

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

For more plans see the papers of the Public Health Department (COL/PHD), general plans (COL/PL), the papers of the Surveyor's Department (COL/SVD) and the papers of the Technical Services Department (COL/TSD).

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area