§ Mr. Kerrasked the Minister of Works whether he has reached a decision on the disposal of the Coronation arches in the Mall.
§ Sir D. EcclesI have been considering what to do with the Coronation arches used in the Mall.
The Palm House in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which was completed in 1848, has reached the end of its life and must be reconstructed; and the possibility of incorporating the arches in the new Palm House has been investigated. Research and tests have been carried out to discover the strength and suitability of the arches for this purpose.
As a result, a design has been evolved which shows how the arches might be used. They would support the structure externally but only aluminium would be used inside the house, thus eliminating painting and the consequent disturbance of growing plants.
Preparatory design work is being started. A final decision about proceeding with the scheme will be taken when more detailed drawings and estimates of cost have been prepared.