London World Heritage Sites
The London Plan sets out policies to conserve and enhance London’s World Heritage Sites and their settings. There are four World Heritage Sites in London:
- Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, including St Margaret’s Church
- Tower of London
- Maritime Greenwich
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Each has been designated a World Heritage Site because they are deemed to be of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) and acknowledged to be of international significance.
The sites themselves are set in a very dynamic, complex urban environment in which pressure for development is high. However one of the things that makes London distinctive is the way it combines old and new, protecting heritage but encouraging change.
What guidance does the SPG provide?
The purpose of this supplementary planning guidance (SPG) is to provide:
- information on understanding World Heritage Sites and their settings in the context of London
- information on the elements that contribute to a site’s Outstanding Universal Value, to ensure these are conserved and enhanced by developers, policy makers and other stakeholders
- guidance for assessing the effect of potential development on London’s World Heritage Sites and their settings.
Read the SPG and statement of consultation
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