Plans to Pedestrianise Regent Street St James's Pushed Back

Plans by Westminster City Council and the Crown Estate to pedestrianise Regent Street St James's — the stretch running from south of Piccadilly Circus to St James's Park — have been pushed back. The scheme would create approximately 35,000 square metres of new public space, the equivalent of around five football pitches, along with wider pavements and new cycle lanes. The project was originally scheduled for council approval this autumn, with construction set to begin in early 2029. Instead, an additional round of public consultations will now launch next year before any approval is sought. In a joint statement, the council and Crown Estate said that "previous rounds of consultation had highlighted areas where more work was needed" and that they remained "committed to developing a scheme that incorporates those comments." Under the proposal, Regent Street St James's would be closed to vehicles, with Haymarket taking on bidirectional traffic in their place. Westminster Labour councillor Geoff Barraclough criticised the postponement as "an excuse for endless rounds of engagement, dithering and delay." The delay contrasts with the nearby Oxford Street pedestrianisation, led independently by the Mayor of London, with a 1km car-free stretch opening on 26 October.