New plans to pedestrianise parts of central London around Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus have been revealed.
Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate want to create 35,000 square metres (or five football pitches) of new traffic-free public space in the West End, and plan to do so by:
- Making Regent Street St James's (the road running south from Piccadilly Circus to Waterloo Place) traffic-free;
- Changing Haymarket — which runs parallel to Regent Street St James's — from its current one-way traffic set-up to two-way traffic, while also adding more pavement space on Haymarket;
- Increasing existing pedestrian space at Piccadilly Circus by 1000 square metres "to create places for social exchange and performance";
- Transforming Regent Street so that it has just a single line of traffic running in each direction for its entire length, making room for wider pavements;
- Removing the central island running the length of Regent Street, and installing better pedestrian crossings on the street;
- Introducing safer cycling routes from All Soul's Church (north of Oxford Circus) all the way down to Piccadilly Circus
The overall idea is to create "more space for cultural activations, events and diverse public realm experiences, including space to rest and play".
Some of these changes make sense. Safer cycling routes are always to be encouraged, and transforming Haymarket into a two-way street makes sense for it to pick up the slack if the parallel Regent Street St James's goes traffic-free. While the addition of 1000 square metres of pedestrian space in Piccadilly Circus sounds like a lot for an area that's already heavily pedestrianised, much of the extra footfall space will be added in the south-western area, at the top of Regent Street St James's.
The central island running down the middle of Regent Street will be missed by photographers and Instagrammers, especially those hoping to capture the 'money shot' of the Christmas lights. While making Regent Street single lane in both directions sounds drastic, it's worth noting that parts of it are already set up like this, and have been since the pavements were widened a few years ago. It's not yet clear whether the existing (but non-segregated) bike lanes on the road will be kept, nor whether loading bays will be provided for vehicles delivering to the shops.
Councillor Geoff Barraclough, Cabinet Member for Planning & Economic Development at Westminster City Council, said:
By removing traffic from Regent Street St James’s and expanding pedestrian space at Piccadilly Circus, we’re creating a new network of public spaces that will serve Londoners for generations. This is a rare opportunity to reimagine the heart of the West End as a greener, more welcoming and accessible place that works better for residents, visitors and local businesses alike.
Have a look at the full plans, and have your say, on the Future of Regent Street site. The online survey runs 3 July-10 August 2025.
This announcement comes just a few weeks after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he will move ahead with plans to pedestrianise part of Oxford Street following a public consultation on that matter.
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