One last chance to make Diana gardens bloom again

WHATEVER else they may do, suggestions for a Princess Diana memorial in Kensington Gardens offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We are unlikely again to have the chance of tackling the sadly deteriorated west side of the gardens and we must hope that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's committee will make this possible.

In 1992 the Parks Review Group, which I chaired, reported that north of the palace "where once there was 'the Wilderness' the children's playground, lavatories, tea kiosk (since replaced) and the Paddock sports pavilion looks more like a suburban municipal recreation ground than part of a royal park" and although "the area to the south retains the bones of its original form (it) wears a neglected appearance". This area has been further degraded since last August when the grass was turned to dust by thousands of mourners.

The new scheme, whatever it looks like, must not be to the detriment of those who actually use the park and who seem to have been overlooked in the proposals so far. Are the young people and families who throng the grass in front of the palace on fine evenings and weekends to be displaced by flower beds and water features? Are the model boat enthusiasts who sail their craft on the Round Pond to have their craft sunk by the proposed fountain? And will the local residents see their roads, buses and Tubes overwhelmed by tourists? Nor do the ideas which have been mooted pay much respect to the historic design of the park or to the palace it was created to frame. Despite these fears, the wider public expects there to be some appropriate memorial to the Princess near where she lived and where there was such an extraordinary demonstration after her death. I believe that several of the ideas being proposed would restore a sense of beauty and dignity to this part of Kensington Gardens, would enable regular park users to continue to enjoy their pastimes and would provide a fitting memorial. The most striking proposal is for a 300ft single jet of water rising from the Round Pond. This could be visible from as far as Hyde Park Corner and would have the effect of encouraging an approach from different points of the compass for those sightseers who are in any case arriving to visit what has become - at least for the time being - a centre of attraction. Nor need the fountain spoil the fun. It could be turned off when the model boats set sail and the children fly their kites. Sensors would automatically reduce the height in windy conditions so that it did not drench passersby. The Round Pond - in fact octagonal - has degenerated into a rather bleak place. It would be enormously improved if the original shape were restored and edged with stone and if the piebald turf were renewed. Something has to be done to the worn-out area south of the palace in order that regular park users can once again enjoy this sheltered spot for informal games and relaxation while sightseers can also reach their goal. What is needed is to look ahead to the time when the security railings and the shrubberies can be swept away and the palace can once again be related to the park. The paths need to be realigned and the grass properly re-turfed, but this is not a suitable place for elaborate horticulture and formal features, whether of 17th century or contemporary inspiration. If the palace ceases to be a royal residence the decorative gates, which were installed as part of the security arrangements, could be moved to Kensington Road from where the shows which usually entertain children in London during the summer holidays but for which there are no funds this year. The northern perimeter along Bayswater Road is bleaker and less sheltered from noise and pollution than is the southern flank. Imaginative planting of scented shrubs and flowers would be appreciated by those who pass their time here. The trustees of the Princess of Wales Memorial Fund have agreed to put their ideas to full public consultation and will presumably also commission an environmental impact assessment. The local authorities, the residents' groups and the Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens will be able to comment. Whatever the plans they must be carried out to the highest standards, which means that they cannot be done on the cheap. THE TRUSTEES can no doubt provide the necessary GBP 10 million capital sum, but this will be of no long-term benefit unless the cost of operating the fountain and paying for the additional gardeners for the northwest quadrant can also be financed. I know that the Royal Parks Agency is so strapped for cash that in order to make up this year's cut in funding it is being forced to try and raise more income. Not surprisingly it is coming under attack for excessive commercialisation - a carousel at Speakers' Corner, more car parking, more large-scale events and even, perhaps, a hot air balloon centre. Let us hope that the current financial difficulties can be solved without destroying the peace and tranquillity which opinion surveys show to be valued above all else. Even were there to be no memorial to Princess Diana more visitors than usual will come to Kensington Gardens this year, and probably for several years to come. These proposals would spread the load in the short term and in the long term would reestablish the visual link between park and palace and make it a place of greater beauty and pleasure.

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