Westminster’s historic gas lamps have been given another flicker of hope after council bosses admitted they ‘share the concerns’ of campaigners fighting to save them and will keep any which are given listed status.
Although 174 of the original 300 lamps were saved last year following a campaign backed by the Daily Mail, almost 100 of the lamps that are not currently listed remain under threat and are set to be replaced with eco-friendly LEDs.
Campaigners including the Victorian Society and the London Gasketeers had demanded that each remaining unlisted lamp is given protection to prevent it being converted.
The council have cited Net Zero environmental concerns as part of their reasoning for replacing the lamps, despite campaigners’ insistence that their contribution to climate change is negligible.
Now, Westminster Council has committed to saving any lamps which are given protection by Historic England, which has been asked by officials to carry out inspections.
However, they reiterated that any lamps that are not deemed worthy of listing will still be replaced with LED replicas.
Westminster’s historic gas lamps have been given another flicker of hope after council bosses admitted they ‘share the concerns’ of campaigners fighting to save them and will keep any which are given listed status. Above: Three gas lamps are seen glowing in New Palace Yard, London
Although 174 of the original 300 lamps were saved last year following a campaign backed by the Daily Mail, almost 100 of the lamps that are not currently listed remain under threat and are set to be replaced with eco-friendly LEDs
The London Gasketeers – which was founded by Westminster residents Tim Bryars and Luke Honey – have submitted a series of listing applications to Historic England for the remaining under threat lamps.
However, they expressed concern at the weekend at a previous announcement by Historic England which appeared to give cautious backing to LED conversion.
The statement said: ‘If the latest generation LEDs are integrated into existing historic lanterns, with historic mechanisms retained, the impact and heritage harm caused by the consultation proposals could be much reduced.’
It added that Historic England ‘strongly supports urgent climate action and is committed to achieving net zero.’
The organisation had previously criticised the earlier proposed modern LED replacements for the lamps when the conversion plans were put to public consultation in 2022.
The Gasketeers said at the weekend: ‘We demonstrated in 2022 that there is no serious environmental case for electrifying the handful of surviving gas lamps in Westminster, and the lamps now being considered for conversion account for less than 0.003% of borough emissions.
‘If converted, at great expense, they will no longer be gas lamps, and the jobs and skills of the people who maintain them will be lost.’
They added that Historic England’s position ‘completely undermines everything we’ve been working towards, and for no discernable “green” gain.’
Christopher Boyle KC, a leading lawyer who supports the campaign to preserve the lamps, said on Instagram: ‘HE’s remit is the historic environment, and in particular whether the gas lamps are worthy of Listing as historically or architecturally important – it is not for them to fret about carbon calculations and the like.’
London lamplighter Aran Osman, one of the five lamplighters still working in London, is seen climbing up his ladder to fix and maintain a lamp
Mr Osman is seen repairing and maintaining one of the lamps in Westminster
In the new statement, Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg of Westminster Council said: ‘Westminster City Council cares deeply about the city’s history and heritage, and we share the concerns of people campaigning to preserve Westminster’s gas lamps.
‘There are around 300 Victorian gas lamps still in use in Westminster and the council has already committed to preserve and maintain 174 of these streetlamps.
‘We have asked Historic England to inspect the remaining gas lamps to make recommendations on which lamps should be granted listed status. The council will keep and maintain all gas lamps that are recommended for listing.
‘Any gas lamps that are not deemed worthy of listing by Historic England will be replaced with LED replicas, using materials that recreate the aesthetic of the original Victorian lamps to the highest possible standard.
‘We believe this is the best way to preserve the city’s unique heritage while also keeping our streets lit safely for pedestrians and road users.’
A Historic England spokesperson said: ‘We are continuing to assess unlisted gas lamps in Westminster to consider whether they would merit listing, and are making recommendations to the Department of Culture, Media & Sport.
‘This will help inform ongoing discussions about appropriate management of this notable collection of London’s historic streetlighting.’
exclusively revealed in July 2021 that Westminster Council was in the process of converting the 302 lamps under its control to LED versions that it said were more eco-friendly.
A gas lamp is seen in St James’s Square, Westminster, when it was being removed in the 1930s
However, in November 2022 – after more than 30 lamps had already been replaced – council officials dropped the proposals following a public consultation.
Instead, they said they would retain 138 of the lamps that are Grade-II listed, with a further non-listed lamps that are in prominent positions also protected.
But the council said 94 non-listed lamps would still be converted to LEDs to aid their aim of ‘reaching the council’s net zero carbon target by 2030’.
When Charles Dickens was telling his popular tales set in Victorian London, 25,000 people worked as lamplighters.
Now a team of five, who work for British Gas, service the lamps, the oldest of which have existed since 1812.
London Gasketeer co-founder Tim Bryars stands by the gas lamp outside his bookshop in Cecil Court, Westminster
The lamps controlled by the council light up some of London’s most famous landmarks, such as Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square.
They are among only 1,500 still left in the capital.
Gas lamps – which revolutionised life when they were first installed in London in the early 19th century – also feature in films including Mary Poppins and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Lamps which were not under threat include ones within the Parliamentary estate, which is part of the Palace of Westminster and not controlled by the council.
There are also hundreds of lamps in the Royal Parks and Palaces which will not be affected by the council programme.