Sloane Square update
Sloane Square, home to Peter Jones, the Royal Court Theatre and Cadogan Hall is one of London’s most famous public spaces. However, the square fails to live up to its potential. Pedestrians vie for space on the pavement and the volume of traffic discourages people from crossing to the central area. The Council’s plans to improve the square have been well publicised and two consultations have already taken place.
A final consultation will be taking place in the New Year when members of the public will be able to consider the Council’s preferred option and an alternative proposal based on retaining the current roundabout layout.
The need for change
It is widely acknowledged that there are strains on the existing infrastructure of Sloane Square. The pavements are too narrow for the number of people using the perimeters of the square.
At busy periods, 3,500 people walk between the Underground station and King’s Road every hour. In stark contrast only about 100 people per hour use the central space.
The Council wants to make Sloane Square a more pleasant place to use and see and to reflect its importance as one of London’s most famous squares rather than merely a thoroughfare for traffic.
The Mayor of London has included Sloane Square amongst the first ten pilot projects in his public spaces programme for London and will be working with the Council to improve the quality of the square.
The story so far
In April 2003, the Council carried out a public consultation asking for local views on the future of Sloane Square. The consultation document put forward two options based on retaining the current design and two based on more innovative road layouts.
The results of the consultation showed that there was not only a strong case for improvements in Sloane Square, but there were also high levels of support for a radical change, including from the Chelsea Society.
Further detailed work showed that the favoured option of reintroducing the crossroads layout to create two large open spaces was technically feasible and would not adversely affect traffic flows in the area.
Award-winning architects Stanton Williams were appointed in an international competition to put forward a design for the new Sloane Square.
In March 2005, a further public consultation showed strong support for the staggered crossroads design. A group of residents presented a petition in February 2006 to retain the gyratory layout.
Subsequently, the Council decided to carry out a further consultation offering the options of introducing the staggered crossroads layout and retaining the current gyratory system, with improvements to its appearance. This third consultation will be held in February 2007.
The Council’s preferred option
Until 1930, Sloane Square was laid out as a crossroads. The Council’s preferred option would reintroduce the crossroads by creating two spacious paved areas at the east and west sides of the square, connected to the frontages of Peter Jones and the Royal Court Theatre. Removal of the gyratory would result in an increase of over 50 per cent in the public usable space, the equivalent of five tennis courts.
The canopy of trees, an essential part of Sloane Square’s character will continue to dominate the vistas from Sloane Street and King’s Road and new water elements will help to offset traffic noise. At night it will be transformed, with lighting set into the paving and uplighting of the tree canopy providing a lit ‘ceiling.’
Other main features include:
- The war memorial, fountain, flower stall and newspaper kiosk will all be important parts of the new layout.
- A replica of the statue of Sir Hans Sloane will be restored.
- Some older trees will be removed but new mature trees will be planted so the overall number will increase.
- The design will adhere to the Council’s Streetscape policies, as used in the award-winning Kensington High Street scheme. The design is clean, simple and uses a minimum palette of materials. All unnecessary traffic signage, visual cutter and street furniture will be eliminated.
Impact on traffic
The Council’s preferred option will see access to Holbein Place from Sloane Square closed. Symons Street will be restored to one-way working in the opposite direction, as it was 20 years ago, but drivers will not be able to enter Symons Street from Sloane Street or Cliveden Place.
The current right turn from Cliveden Place into Sloane Street will no longer be possible. Traffic aiming to get from Sloane Square to Pimlico will be able to use Lower Sloane Street instead of Holbein Place.
One of the key aims of the scheme is to improve pedestrian crossing conditions and banning the right turn from Cliveden Place to Sloane Street will reduce the time pedestrians have to wait to cross safely at the junction.
Closing Holbein Place at its junction with Sloane Square will connect the entrance to the busy Underground station to the square.
Option two – keeping the gyratory
This option is currently being designed. The scheme will feature widened pavements around the square whilst maintaining all current traffic movements. Holbein Place will be kept open as now. The war memorial and the fountain will remain in their current location. The flower stall and newspaper kiosk will be accommodated and there will be a replica of the statue of Sir Hans Sloane. More details will be made available on the Council’s website, www.rbkc.gov.uk and in the local press when they are available.
As always, we are interested to hear your views on the Council’s plans to transform Sloane Square? Are you in favour of the Council’s preferred scheme?. What other changes would you like to see? Are there other parts of the borough that you would like to see improved?
Email your comments on this story to rbkcdirect@rbkc.gov.uk or alternatively to traffic@rbkc.gov.uk.
To find out more email rbkcdirect@rbkc.gov.uk.
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