Public battle over the Kensington
Palace 'garden shed' designed by Prince of Wales's friend
A public hearing is to be held about a controversial porch proposed for
Kensington Palace, the former home of Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Queen and English Heritage have both given their assent to the design of
a new entry porch for Kensington Palace as part of its £12 million
refurbishment, but the worthies on the local council are not so sure.
Mandrake can disclose that the issue of the ornate classical loggia proposed
for the new visitors' entrance to the former home of Diana, Princess of
Wales will be decided at a public hearing before a government planning
inspector in early April.
The loggia is designed by John Simpson, a favourite of the Prince of Wales,
but Daniel Moylan, Kensington & Chelsea council's "design champion",
described it as "twee" and said it was akin to "something from a garden
furniture catalogue".
In what was portrayed as a defeat for the Prince, the planning committee
complained that the loggia was too high, obscured windows and "failed to
respect the simplicity and dimensions of the palace". Historic Royal Palaces
then modified the design.
John Barnes, its head of conservation, said the palace needed "an
architectural signal to indicate clearly our new visitor entrance and offer
shelter to visitors in bad weather".
Moylan, who is a chum of the Prince's long-term opponent on architectural
matters, Lord Rogers of Riverside, struck again, in July, saying it was
"just a few steps above a garden shed". Historic Royal Palaces hopes that
the inspector will be less dismissive.