Al fresco in the West End

• THE Soho Society notes Councillor Matthew Green’s announcement of delay to the Vision for Soho process until after the local elections in May, (Al fresco streets are off the table, for now, February 25).

Westminster City Council is proposing the most significant changes in Soho’s public realm for 50 years involving timed road closures in residential streets this year, pavement widening, and full road closures from 2023.

The process has been confused with the proposals set out diagrammatically but not in writing and with serious questions – such as how these proposals relate to tables and chairs licensing and the cumulative impact zone – unanswered by the council.

The timings of the proposed road closures were not mentioned in any of the council’s documents. As a result only 4 per cent of Soho’s residents responded to an online consultation in November 2021.

The council also failed to separate residents’ responses from those of the business community in its report on the consultation.

The background is that the council had closed 14 streets in Soho in 2020 and 2021 to allow for the temporary use of the streets for outdoor dining, seven days a week, until 11pm in response to the pandemic and restrictions on indoor dining.

The council repeatedly stated that these were temporary measures but in February 2021 decided it would consult on making them permanent.

Cllr Green, council cabinet member for business, licensing and planning, and leader of the council Rachael Robathan said the proposals would only progress with the backing of residents.

Having discovered in its consultation that residents do not support the proposals the council has moved the decision on next steps until after the local elections in May.

During the schemes in 2020 and 2021 a number of long-term residents were forced out of their homes because of the intensity of noise at night.

The Soho Society’s survey, which did ask the questions in a clear fashion, found 85 per cent of residents who responded against the proposals.

The changes proposed by the council would lead to seven-day-a-week outdoor drinking and dining in many of Soho’s streets until 11pm with significant adverse impacts on noise, waste, public urination, disabled access, access for offices and crime.

None of it has been thought through. Not least the impact on Soho’s culture and heritage.
While we appreciate voices of concern and support from some Conservative candidates the risk is that the council will ignore them once the election is over.

Before proposals are progressed further the leader of the council should withdraw the proposals and commission up-to-date Soho-wide traffic and noise surveys and deliver a renewed noise strategy for Soho and all of Westminster.

In addition the council’s noise policy should be based on the World Health Organisation guidelines on environmental noise and human health.

THE SOHO SOCIETY