Millionaire homeowners living near St James’s Park are mounting opposition to proposed plans for a national memorial honouring Elizabeth II, warning the development could spark a rise in street robberies.The Queen Anne’s Gate Residents’ Association, representing property owners in one of London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, has formally objected to the monument scheme submitted to Westminster City Council.Their objections centre on fears that the memorial would bring heightened criminal activity and antisocial behaviour to the area surrounding the Royal park.The association’s members include residents of 18th-century properties described as “the best of their kind in London”, with past occupants including Sting and MI6 founder Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming.Local residents have fought back against a proposed idea for a Queen Elizabeth II memorial | FOSTERS + PARTNERSAccording to documents obtained by The Telegraph, the residents’ group argues that the memorial would generate new concealment spots that muggers could exploit, while also providing areas where rough sleepers might congregate.”Our members are concerned that several elements of the proposal will facilitate increased crime and anti-social behaviour: The creation of new hiding spaces for muggers and the creation of new spaces for overnight sleeping,” the association states.The group further contends that widened pathways would encourage unlawful cycling, noting that such offences have risen markedly since the Royal Parks Operational Command Unit was disbanded last year.Additional concerns include tourist overcrowding potentially damaging the Grade I-listed park’s historic character. The residents also questioned whether the late monarch, “known for her thrift and frugality in her private life”, would have endorsed such extensive construction.The proposed memorial features a statue of the late Queen to be positioned within a newly created civic area named Queen Elizabeth II Place, situated at Marlborough Gate close to Buckingham Palace.The work would also include a proposed new bridge | FOSTERS + PARTNERSSculptor Martin Jennings, whose portfolio includes a bust of the Queen Mother displayed in St Paul’s Cathedral and the first crowned coinage portrait of King Charles, has been commissioned to create the work.His sculpture will occupy one end of a glass bridge designed by Fosters and Partners, the architectural firm that secured a competition last year to deliver Britain’s permanent tribute to the monarch who reigned for seven decades.Westminster City Council has recommended conditional approval for the scheme, with officers concluding that any “harm is fully outweighed by the substantial public benefits” of establishing “a national memorial of great importance”. The planning sub-committee is scheduled to consider the application on April 7.The memorial would be a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II | GETTY A Government spokesman described the memorial as “a beautiful space for people to come together to reflect on and celebrate our longest-reigning Monarch”, while noting the plans remain subject to ongoing planning procedures.However, Metropolitan Police figures appear to contradict the residents’ crime concerns, showing offences in the St James’s area have actually dropped 14 per cent over the past year, with theft falling by 20 per cent