§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the recent alterations to the placing and setting of the statue of Peter Pan were properly researched and with whom and whether permission for the work was obtained from both Westminster City Council and English Heritage.
§ Lord InglewoodResponsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter to Lord Kennet from the Head of Estate Management, the Royal Parks Agency, Mr. R. A. Jones, dated 25th July 1996.
In the absence of David Welch, who is currently on holiday, I have been asked by Lord Inglewood to reply to your parliamentary Question about whether the recent alterations to the placing and setting of the statue of Peter Pan were properly researched and with whom, and whether permission for the work was obtained from Westminster Council and English Heritage.
The agency's consultant landscape architects recently submitted a number of alternative schemes, aimed at improving the setting of the Peter Pan statue, to Westminster City Council and English Heritage. Discussion on these is continuing. Pending the result of these discussions, some preliminary work was undertaken, involving the clearance of some trees and shrubs in the immediate vicinity, as well as some replanting. I can confirm that none of the work carried out has been of a nature to require planning consent.