The Green Plaques Scheme
Westminster City Council
CONTENTS
This section is devoted to information and resources related to the effort to secure a 'Green Plaque' for 21 Eccleston Square, the London home of Sir Clements R. Markham.
INTRODUCTION
21 ECCLESTON SQUARE
OUR PATRONS
PERSONS BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT THE NOMINATION
FINAL UPDATE An e-mail sent out on 27 June 2013
To those who supported a Blue Plaque (and then a Green Plaque) for 21 Eccelston Square, the home of Sir Clements Markham:
It's been many months since I've updated those on my mailing list about the status of the Green Plaque for 21 Eccleston Square.
To refresh our memories, here's a brief timeline of events:
15 June 2000. Nomination for a Blue Plaque submitted to English Heritage.
18 October 2000. Nomination for a Blue Plaque turned down by English Heritage.
9 August 2010. Second nomination for a Blue Plaque with extensive information and letters of support submitted to English Heritage.
20 October 2010. Second Nomination for a Blue Plaque turned down by English Heritage.
5 February 2012. Nomination for a Green Plaque submitted to the Westminster City Council.
This nomination advanced well within the Westminster City Council. Forms were filled out. Information was submitted. Meetings held.
The final step was for a simple letter or e-mail to be sent by the building's owner to the Council agreeing to having a Green Plaque affixed to the building.
As the building is now flats, the individual owners had to sign off on the proposal. We had to work through the building's management company and never knew the individual owners although information on Markham and the Green Plaques scheme was said to have been distributed to all the owners.
The upshot of this was that one or more owners refused to give their permission for a plaque.
I was told by the Council's Green Plaques administrator, that this had only happened once before and that the process could go no further.
I had some discussions with interested persons in Eccleston Square about placing a plaque on the railings opposite No 21 or placing one elsewhere within the private park making up the Square.
On 21 November 2012 I relayed these possibilities to the Westminster City Council asking whether permission of any sort would be required in order to do this. After not hearing back, I again asked the question and again received no answer.
So six months having passed, I think it's time to shut this effort down, or at least my participation in it. The best I can do is wait until another 10 years have elapsed since the last attempt at a Blue Plaque and then re-submit it for a third time. (You may be aware that the scheme hasÑtemporarilyÑbeen discontinued due to cost considerations.) If in 2020 I still have any energy left, I may just do that, although it might be better for another person to make the nomination.
So for those who offered ideas and encouragement, who wrote letters or e-mails of support and who pledged money, many thanks indeed. I only hope it could have turned out better.
For more information on the whole undertaking, go to these sections of my website:
Blue Plaques attempt—http://www.antarctic-circle.org/markhamplaque.htm
Green Plaques scheme—http://www.antarctic-circle.org/markhamplaque2.htm
Markham resources—http://www.antarctic-circle.org/markhamplaque2.htm