West End Review

Planning, 27 April 2007

Name of plan - Oxford, Regent and Bond Street draft action plan
Date of publication - March 2007
Commissioned by Westminster City Council

Purpose

A wide-ranging transformation of the West End through visual improvement, traffic management and regeneration of existing assets.

Westminster City Council has announced a £40 million plan to transform the West End's most famous streets, to cement their status as the UK's leading shopping and entertainment destination.

Not before time, some would say, with Oxford Street's narrow pavements already at capacity almost every day. The West End has been the UK's dominant retail and entertainment centre since the early 19th century. But research by the council and the New West End Company (NWEC) reveals that many people who come to the area are disappointed and choose not to return, finding it too cluttered, polluted and jammed with traffic.

The transformation (Planning, 9 March, p7) is due to be completed before 2012, when the Olympics will train the eyes of the world on the capital. Westminster planners are determined that visitors will be wowed by what they see. The lesson from previous host cities such as Barcelona and Sydney is that the impact of visitors' experiences will be far-reaching, affecting how the world views London and playing a critical role in securing the city's position as a top global tourist destination.

Making the streets better for pedestrians

Working with NWEC and Transport for London (TfL), the council has developed the Oxford, Regent and Bond Street (ORB) draft action plan. This document sets out more than 100 action points. Freedom to move, improving the visual appearance of Oxford Street and creating attractive public spaces are key themes.

Designers Gillespies aim to make the streets less of a challenge to pedestrians. "The chance to transform Oxford Street is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that is well overdue," says partner in charge Steve Wardell. "The designs will improve the experiences of a large number of people and this has been a priority of this project."

Owing to the eclectic nature of the buildings, various designs have been employed to pull the West End together. Oxford Street, London's principal shopping street, will see pavements widened and resurfaced with high-quality durable materials along its entire 1.5 km length.

Getting the right balance between the needs of vehicles and pedestrians is crucial. The roadway will be narrowed to accommodate a two-way flow of traffic. Pedestrian priority crossings and traffic calming measures will be installed. As well as a walking zone next to shopfronts, the zone next to the road will feature street furniture, signs, bus stops and lay-bys.

A line of iconic light masts on the south side of Oxford Street will offer clear lighting at night using low-energy and LED fittings. Regent Street will get broader pavements and a central reservation with regular crossing points. The junction of Bond Street and Oxford Street will be emphasised with a pedestrianised area featuring traditional lighting, reflecting the area's character.

A series of "oases" off Oxford Street on Old Cavendish Street, Great Titchfield Street and Dean Street will provide for al fresco dining, public performance and art. Gillespies felt that people need to be able to step out of the hustle and bustle to enjoy the area's pace and vibrancy.

Providing refuge from the main street

Work is already starting on a prototype oasis at Old Quebec Street, which links the western end of Oxford Street to Seymour Street near Marble Arch. The £500,000 scheme aims to encourage visitors to explore shops and restaurants in the Portman Village area north of Oxford Street.

The piece de resistance of the ORB action plan will be a light sculpture hanging 9m above Oxford Circus. Suspended from the surrounding buildings, it will change colour throughout the year to reflect the city's rich cultural diversity and form an iconic gateway. The display has the potential to act as a multicultural decoration, complementing the Christmas lights. It will change colour to green during Eid and red during Chinese New Year, as well as complementing other festivals such as Diwali and Hannukah.

But the changes will not only be cosmetic. "The project is a good example of the desire to change the balance in streets and towns throughout the UK in favour of pedestrians," Wardell explains. "We want to move away from the predominance of traffic in areas where there is a huge amount of pedestrian activity."

Doing something about the area's transport congestion has been a priority from the start. "We know that for many people the infamous red wall of buses that runs down Oxford Street and, to a lesser extent, Regent Street is a real problem," says Danny Chalkley, council cabinet member with responsibility for the West End.

"It contributes towards a highly negative perception for the pedestrian and it is also extremely bad for the environment. For that reason the council has put this at the centre of the action plan and has said that it expects TfL to reduce the number of buses by ten per cent as a start. We would then look for further reductions on a sustainable basis."

Another priority is regenerating the east end of Oxford Street, which has been steadily declining for the past 20 years. Change has been put off owing to the complexity of issues such as land ownership. However, Chalkley feels that the time for talking has now passed.

"We have stated explicitly that we will support the development of the eastern end of Oxford Street through the various powers we have at our disposal. As a last resort, we would be prepared to use compulsory purchase orders to unlock regeneration," he insists.

Better public transport comes at a price

The Crossrail scheme is critical to this objective. If it goes ahead, a large chunk of land at the eastern end of Oxford Street will need to be redeveloped. The council strongly supports Crossrail because it wants better public transport to get people in and out of London - and the West End in particular. "It is alleged that a funding deal has been done and that at some point the government will make an announcement. It is now time for a decision. It is either on or off," says Chalkley.

The total cost of the action plan is estimated to be in excess of £40 million. The council has earmarked £3 million for the plan, with a further £9 million coming from TfL and NWEC. The council is also calling on landowners to make a financial commitment to the area, as well as urging the government to allow it to use more of the money collected through business rates to help provide further funding.

"Even a marginal increase in the amount of business rates returned to Westminster would allow us to realise our ambitions for the West End," Chalkley argues. "We are only five years away from the Olympics, so it is time to stop merely discussing this. Investment is needed, and now."

Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street: An Action Plan for the Retail Streets is available at PlanningResource.co.uk/doc. Consultation on the ORB action plan continues until 27 May. Submissions should be sent to orbactionplan@westminster.gov.uk

KEY FACTS

- More than five million people a week visit the West End.

- The three retail streets contain 613,140m2 of retail space and more than 600 shops.

- Around 36,000 people live in the immediate vicinity.

- Up to 1,200 vehicles travel along the three streets every hour.

- An estimated 165,000 people get on or off buses in Oxford Street each weekday.

- The five tube stations serving the area are used by more than 100 million passengers a year.

- The costs of keeping the streets clean and collecting waste, including emptying 300 bins six times a day, are similar to those of a small town.

MAIN AIMS

- To give people a reason to return to the West End.
- To compete with out-of-town shopping centres.
- To regenerate the east end of Oxford Street.
- To wow visitors.