Collection COL/PLD/TP - PLANNING DEPARTMENT: TOWN PLANNING

Identity area

Reference code

COL/PLD/TP

Title

PLANNING DEPARTMENT: TOWN PLANNING

Date(s)

  • 1935-1997 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

11.9 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/TP 1935-1997 Collection 11.9 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

Records relating to the Town Planning Department, Corporation of London, 1935-1997, including background studies prepared for the City of London Development Plan, on economic activity, population, housing, shopping, tourism, environmental quality, public utilities and services, St Paul's Heights, archaeology, catering facilities, recreation and leisure, social and community services, transport, walkways and pedestrians, 1976-1979; papers relating to the City of London Draft Local Plan, 1984, including written statements, proposals, maps and comments; papers relating to the City of London Local Plan, 1986-1989, including copies of the plan (including revised and updated versions), maps, statements of public consultation, lists of modifications, monitoring reports, enquiry into objections with statement and response to the recommendations of the enquiry; papers relating to the City of London Unitary Development Plan, 1991-1994, including draft of the plan, analysis of representations regarding the plan with the Corporation's response, statement of public consultation, report of enquiry into objections to the plan, statement of decisions on the enquiry's recommendations, lists of proposed modifications and final version of the plan, and City of London Monitoring Report 1986-1993: An Analysis of the policies and context of the City of London Local Plans, 1995.

Newspaper cuttings, 1935-1948, including articles on enquiries into London County Council and City of London Town Planning Schemes and the reconstruction of the city after the Second World War; papers relating to the County of London Scheme produced under the 1932 Town and Country Planning Act, 1935-1936, London Replanned: The Royal Academy Planning Committee's Interim Report, 1942; Road, rail and river in London: The Royal Academy Planning Committee's Second Report, 1944; observations on a report of the Improvements and Town Planning Committee with regard to post-war development in the City submitted by various organisations and circulated to the Committee, 1944; Administrative County of London Development Plan: First Review, London County Council, 1960; Greater London Development Plan, 1976, with supporting documents, drafts and reports, 1966-1973; papers relating to the Smithfield Local Development Plan, 1979-1989, including maps and surveys; Abercrombie's Plan for London 50 years on: A vision for the Future, the 2nd Annual Vision for London Lecture by Professor Peter Hall, 1994.

Schedules of development, containing details of developments in the City, such as changes of use, refurbishments and new buildings, 1984-1996.

Registers, including register of purchase notices, 1947-1957; register of acquisitions, 1949 - 1975; register of applications of owners for registration of name and address for service of subsequent notices relating to the Town and Country Planning Act, 1932, scheme, with particulars of property owned in the City of London shown on the Resolution map, 1930s; register of owners, arranged alphabetically by streets and premises, 1930s.

Papers relating to the environmental impact of London, including articles, reports, conference papers, surveys, statistical data and statements, 1970-1997.

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

See also COL/CC/STS: Streets Committee. For plans, see COL/PL, the papers of the Public Health Department (COL/PHD), the papers of the Planning Department (COL/PLD), 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 Environmental impact assessment Urban development Urban planning Cultural property preservation Restoration Reconstruction Postwar reconstruction Law Legislation Town and country planning legislation Town and Country Planning Act 1932 c48 Environmental management Planning Department , Corporation of London x Department of Planning and Transportation City of London London England UK Western Europe Europe Town and country planning

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Corporation of London Records Office

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records relating to the Town Planning Department, Corporation of London, 1935-1997, including background studies prepared for the City of London Development Plan, on economic activity, population, housing, shopping, tourism, environmental quality, public utilities and services, St Paul's Heights, archaeology, catering facilities, recreation and leisure, social and community services, transport, walkways and pedestrians, 1976-1979; papers relating to the City of London Draft Local Plan, 1984, including written statements, proposals, maps and comments; papers relating to the City of London Local Plan, 1986-1989, including copies of the plan (including revised and updated versions), maps, statements of public consultation, lists of modifications, monitoring reports, enquiry into objections with statement and response to the recommendations of the enquiry; papers relating to the City of London Unitary Development Plan, 1991-1994, including draft of the plan, analysis of representations regarding the plan with the Corporation's response, statement of public consultation, report of enquiry into objections to the plan, statement of decisions on the enquiry's recommendations, lists of proposed modifications and final version of the plan, and City of London Monitoring Report 1986-1993: An Analysis of the policies and context of the City of London Local Plans, 1995.

Newspaper cuttings, 1935-1948, including articles on enquiries into London County Council and City of London Town Planning Schemes and the reconstruction of the city after the Second World War; papers relating to the County of London Scheme produced under the 1932 Town and Country Planning Act, 1935-1936, London Replanned: The Royal Academy Planning Committee's Interim Report, 1942; Road, rail and river in London: The Royal Academy Planning Committee's Second Report, 1944; observations on a report of the Improvements and Town Planning Committee with regard to post-war development in the City submitted by various organisations and circulated to the Committee, 1944; Administrative County of London Development Plan: First Review, London County Council, 1960; Greater London Development Plan, 1976, with supporting documents, drafts and reports, 1966-1973; papers relating to the Smithfield Local Development Plan, 1979-1989, including maps and surveys; Abercrombie's Plan for London 50 years on: A vision for the Future, the 2nd Annual Vision for London Lecture by Professor Peter Hall, 1994.

Schedules of development, containing details of developments in the City, such as changes of use, refurbishments and new buildings, 1984-1996.

Registers, including register of purchase notices, 1947-1957; register of acquisitions, 1949 - 1975; register of applications of owners for registration of name and address for service of subsequent notices relating to the Town and Country Planning Act, 1932, scheme, with particulars of property owned in the City of London shown on the Resolution map, 1930s; register of owners, arranged alphabetically by streets and premises, 1930s.

Papers relating to the environmental impact of London, including articles, reports, conference papers, surveys, statistical data and statements, 1970-1997.

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

See also COL/CC/STS: Streets Committee. For plans, see COL/PL, the papers of the Public Health Department (COL/PHD), the papers of the Planning Department (COL/PLD), 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