The Prince of Wales’ opinions on contemporary architecture are well known, and have even given rise to the annual Carbuncle Cup which is awarded to the UK’s ugliest new building.
However the so called “black spider letters” unveiled this week, after 10 years of legal campaigning by the Guardian, have caused many to question the influence the Prince has in the planning process, after it emerged he lobbied against the proposed commercial redevelopment of Smithfield Market.
Correspondence between the heir to the throne, and the then Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, suggests the Prince played a significant role in preventing the demolition of certain historical buildings in the market.
Dating back to February 2005, the letters demonstrate an agreement between Prince Charles and Ms Jowell that the General Market and Annexe buildings at Smithfield Market should be listed and thereby protected from demolition under plans proposed by Thornfield Properties.
In a letter to Prince Charles, Ms Jowell said; “I share your concern about the fate of these buildings, and whilst the General Market and lavatory block do not appear to be of sufficient architectural and historic merit to meet the listing criteria in their own right, I consider that they nevertheless provide an important contribution to the character of the historic area.
“I have therefore written to the deputy prime minister suggesting that he call in the conservation area consent application for the demolition of these three buildings.”
Ms Jowell also revealed that she had sought the advice of conservation charity English Heritage to protect the properties which resulted in the listing of the buildings in question, blocking attempts by the developer to proceed with the scheme. It also emerged that the Prince himself had lobbied charity chairman Sir Neil Cossons to express his support for the listing.
In a reply to Ms Jowell, Prince Charles said; “Needless to say, I was extremely glad to read of your appreciation of the value of this group of buildings.
“As you know, I attach the greatest importance to preserving, restoring and re-using such precious heritage townscapes and I can only pray that the Deputy Prime Minister will take your advice and give the most careful consideration to the development plans.”
The Prince of Wales has never hesitated to express his views on property development issues, having previously intervened in the debate over the Chelsea Barracks project, which resulted in the eventual dismissal of architect Richard Rogers.
However, this correspondence may well raise eyebrows in the commercial property sector, particularly as it was only last July that Communities Secretary Eric Pickles rejected the latest office-led proposals for Smithfield Market from Henderson Global Investors.
Many may now be wondering to what extent Prince Charles might have influenced commercial development proposals over the past decade, and whether this revelation will have an impact upon the pace of new developments on sensitive historical sites in the future.
