Landscaping Proposals
The Victoria Embankment Gardens provides open space for local residents and visitors, however access to the Gardens is currently unclear and is further weakened by a rise in level near the entrance.
The proposal includes removing the existing steps outside the entrance to Victoria Embankment Gardens, to open up the highway space to pedestrian activity, and relocating these directly adjacent to the Victoria Embankment Gardens entrance. The new steps in front of the gates would have a porphyry/granite finish. A new retaining wall would feature around the frontage of the Gardens entrance with new planting provisions.
New steps in front of gates - porphyry/granite finish
Welcome
WSP and FM Conway have been appointed by Westminster City Council to improve the public realm and placemaking of Villiers Street; to improve the route for pedestrians by making it more pedestrian friendly - and increase the safety of the street from potentially hostile vehicles.
The works seek to provide a street that is both visually inviting and pedestrian friendly, supported by enhanced security measures and temporary timed closures to improve the look and feel of what is already a heavily used pedestrian space that will only benefit from the investment in the public realm and help to improve the way it is used.
Visualisation of pre-consultation design - Outside Embankment Station looking towards Victoria Embankment Gardens
Why?
- Villiers Street is a narrow street connecting Strand to the Embankment as well as train and underground stations, particularly Embankment Station and Charing Cross Station - The current layout gives priority to vehicular traffic, which reduces the space available to pedestrians.
- The paving is uneven and worn, with street clutter taking up valuable space.
- The nearby Victoria Embankment Gardens provides open space for local visitors but access to the garden is not obvious, and suffers from a rise in ground levels, which makes it less visible.
- The Villiers Street project is also being developed to increase protective security and to address public safety concerns, as the area has been identified as a high-risk location for ‘vehicle-as-a-weapon’ attacks due to the narrow width, the high pedestrian volumes and the uncontrolled vehicle access.
How?
The proposals are listed below:
- Remove uneven surfaces, and introduce high quality footway paving in natural materials, and carriageway surfacing for Villiers Street, extending in side streets where required.
- Improved planting and upgraded lighting will enhance the look and feel of Villiers Street, to achieve an overall upgrade to the Public Realm.
- Declutter the footways by removing certain street features, to create wider and less cluttered footways, which will enhance the pedestrian experience.
- Enhance public safety by introducing Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures around the perimeter of the scheme.
- Timed road closures reducing vehicular access to the area.
- Restrict access to Villiers Street for loading vehicles during peak pedestrian utilisation periods, through the removal of marked bays and introduction of dedicated times for access for such activities.
THE SCHEME
The preferred option that has been developed incorporates:
- A timed pedestrian and cycle zone along the length of Villiers Street between Embankment Place and John Adam Street as per the signage below;
- Full pedestrianisation on Villiers Street between John Adam Street and Strand.
- The existing two pay-by-phone parking bays on John Adam Street would be relocated to the east of Buckingham Street.
- An existing 5-metre section of single yellow line waiting restrictions on Craven Street would be changed to double yellow line waiting restrictions.
- 30 metres of existing taxi rank provision in Embankment Place would be relocated to Whitehall Place, replacing existing residents’ parking provisions.
- Two 10.5-metre loading bays would be introduced at the north-eastern end of Embankment Place.
- The existing cycle stands by Embankment Station entrance are currently obscured by the kiosk and offer poor passive surveillance of parked bicycles. As such, these are proposed to be removed and relocated nearby. There is expected to be a net increase in cycle parking under the proposed scheme.
- Villiers Street is currently proposed to be open to traffic between 6.30am and 11.00am, throughout the week. It is intended that, wherever possible, all deliveries and servicing are undertaken in these morning hours when Villiers Street is open. These proposed times will be subject to the outcome of the forthcoming Traffic Order consultation.
- Emergency services will have 24/7 access to Villiers Street.
- The bollards controlling access to Villiers Street are electro-mechanically operated and will provide access to all emergency services without any delays.
- Cyclists are permitted at all times.
All deliveries and servicing should be undertaken when Villiers Street is open (between 6.30am and 11.00am, throughout the week). These proposed times will be subject to the outcome of the forthcoming Traffic Order consultation. All planned deliveries should be arranged and carried out with this in mind, including online shopping, etc. Deliveries that are completed by cyclists, e.g. food or document deliveries, would be unaffected by the closure.
Any deliveries by motor vehicle to Villiers Street occurring when the road is closed would be required to take place away from Villiers Street and completed on foot. It is proposed that two 10.5-metre loading bays (with sufficient space for four cars) would be introduced in Embankment Place near the southern bollard-controlled entrance to Villiers Street. In addition, there would be some loading / unloading capacity in John Adam Street. Wherever possible, residents and businesses are encouraged to arrange for deliveries to be made during the hours when Villiers Street is open.
Scheme Plan
- Download Latest Phase Plan (pdf 4mb)
What does the project mean for me?
Residents
The proposals sought to return Marylebone to how it was originally intended; as a place for people.
Introducing two way traffic flow aimed at reducing the need for traffic to follow unnecessarily long routes around the road system and the volume of traffic having to make circuitous routes on residential streets to access and leave locations across the area.
The project has made it easier for residents to cross the road by introducing new controlled crossings and improving existing crossings. Improvements at Gloucester Place – George Street are now under review as part of our monitoring strategy.
As part of the wider improvements to the area, wider footways have been introduced along Baker Street and at Dorset Square, alongside reduced street clutter and improved street lighting where it is most needed. The scheme has also introduced more trees (further information on trees is available on our FAQ’s page.
Business
Removing the old one way system aimed at creating a safer, more pleasant neighbourhood where people want to spend time. By making it easier for residents and visitors to access local businesses, the project aims to help businesses grow.
The project has also helped prepare the area for additional visitors and commuters that can be expected when Crossrail opens and to accommodate additional numbers of people resulting from the Chiltern Line upgrade into Marylebone station.
Businesses currently based on Baker Street and Gloucester Place can now feel as if they are located in a historic and prestigious location rather than on an urban motorway.
Pedestrians
The project has delivered significant improvements to pedestrian amenity in the area including:
- More than 50 upgraded signalised pedestrian crossing points, with green man and countdowns along 23 signalised junctions.
- Wider crossings with shorter crossing distances;
- New crossings in six locations improving pedestrian safety and comfort;
- Wider footways along Baker Street and at Dorset Square;
- Enhanced signage;
- Reduced street clutter and accompanied by improved street lighting helping address pedestrian congestion and the risk of petty crime.
The project has also sought to create better pedestrian links to the major transport hubs at Bond Street, Baker Street and Marylebone stations.
Cyclists
The project has introduced more places to park bicycles and new cycle lanes to connect the area with the London Cycle Grid. This coupled with new advanced stop lines at all signalised junctions.
Motorists
The previous one way road system had sections where there was little delay followed by sections that became heavily congested. The introduction of two-way traffic aimed at improving journeys through the area.
Bus users
Creating two way traffic flow on Baker Street and Gloucester Place has long been an aspiration of Transport for London in order to improve access to buses and take passengers closer to their destinations. The project aims to make the bus network easier to understand, by locating northbound and southbound services on the same street, where possible. Bus stops could also be combined and relocated to more suitable positions.
Further information
More detailed information regarding what has been delivered can be found on our FAQ’s page:
THE TEAM
Westminster City Council
Westminster City Council is the highway authority responsible for Baker Street and Gloucester Place south of Marylebone Road. These roads form part of the Strategic Route Network (SRN). The City Council has led on the Baker Street Two Way project.
Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London, including major roads and bus services. Its role is to implement the Mayor of London’s transport strategy and to manage transport services across the capital. TfL is the highway authority responsible for Baker Street and Gloucester Place north of Marylebone Road and Marylebone Road itself. These roads form part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN).
Baker Street Quarter Partnership
Baker Street Quarter Partnership is a not-for-profit organisation that was established by a core group of businesses to bring newfound purpose and focus to the Baker Street and Marylebone area. Representing over 160 organisations it aims to create a thriving and prosperous area for the entire local community. Its three core areas of work focus on creating a high quality public realm, a vibrant area and providing member services. It is already making an impact on traffic reduction through its waste and freight consolidation programmes.
The Portman Estate
The Portman Estate is located between Oxford Street and Edgware Road, and extends north towards the Marylebone Road and east to Manchester Square. The Estate is a mixture of residential, retail and office space and it aims to deliver a sense of community amongst its occupiers. Over recent years, The Portman Estate has restored many Georgian buildings to today’s high standards, and has created contemporary homes and offices that reflect their historical context.
It has also improved many areas, such as Portman Square and New Quebec Street, through co-investment with the Council.
Latest News
The Traffic Order consultation for the Villiers Street proposals closed on 22nd November 2023. The City Council is currently reviewing the responses that have been received.
Public realm works are ongoing (with a break for the Christmas period). You can subscribe for regular email-updates by clicking here to subscribe.
TMO Consultation
We are now consulting again on the timed closure of Villiers Street.
We are proposing to:
- Increase the hours of opening in Villiers Street from 5am to 12 noon, 7 days a week.
- Provide loading bays on Embankment Place (as proposed previously)
- Use a 20-metre taxi rank (on Embankment Place) for loading purposes between 12 noon and 3pm.
See the TMO website for full details, and to have your say. Send your feedback by 22 November 2023 to tmo.westminster@wsp.com
or write to:
WSP Traffic Order Team
3rd Floor, WSP House
70 Chancery Lane
London, WC2A 1AF
Public Realm Works ongoing
You can subscribe for email-updates by clicking here.
Public Realm Works to start on 9th May 2022
The TMO consultation is now closed (23rd Feb 2022). Responses are currently being reviewed. However, works to the public realm elements of the scheme will commence on 9th May 2022. See our construction section for more information.
The TMO results will be published on this website soon, and until that is completed, no works will commence on site that will impact on existing traffic orders. You can subscribe for email-updates by clicking here.
Consultation
The TMO consultation will be live from 2nd February until 23rd February. Click here to find out more and to provide feedback.
On 03/08/2021 the Cabinet Member Report was published with a decision for Approval, subject to several recommendations. These recommendations and full details can be read by downloading the Cabinet Member Report below.
Download Cabinet Member Report 11th August 2021
The Villiers Street Consultation has now ended. You can subscribe for email-updates by clicking here
If you have any questions that aren’t answered in our FAQs, you can email us at VilliersStreet@wsp.com (please do not submit Traffic Order queries to this email address).
Frequently Asked Questions
VILLIERS STREET FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When will the works begin?
Works started on 9th May 2022 for 23 months, and will take place in phases to keep disruption to a minimum.
Which roads will be affected by the project?
There are works proposed on Villiers Street, Strand, John Adam Street, Embankment Place, Craven Passage, Craven Street, Victoria Embankment and Whitehall Place. Upon returning to site in September 2023, the initial phase of works will involve works on Villiers Street southern end outside Embankment Station. There will be site welfare and material storage provisions on Robert Street, Buckingham Street, John Adam Street and Embankment Place during this phase of work. Further updates will be shared on this website as the project progresses.
What will be the standard working days and hours?
Standard working hours are 08:00am to 18:00pm Monday to Friday, 08:00am to 13:00pm on Saturday. Noise will be minimised where possible. Occasionally out of hours and Sunday working may be required. However, this is only in exceptional circumstances.
Will there be any footway closures?
There may be footway diversions, but pedestrian access to all businesses and buildings will always be maintained.
How will the scheme impact on car parking?
Some parking spaces will be suspended during the construction works. More details can be found by signing up for updates here.
How will the scheme impact on vehicle access - Will there be any road closures?
There will be a road closure in place throughout the construction phase with a suitable diversion put in place. Access will be maintained to Villiers Street at all times and assistance will be provided to allow loading and servicing to properties throughout the construction works. The permanent scheme will come into force in Spring 2024.
We will update residents and businesses via email (if you have subscribed here) and by using street signage.
How will the scheme impact emergency vehicle access?
We work closely with the emergency services to ensure they are not affected. Pedestrian access to all properties will always be maintained.
How will this scheme affect my property?
If your property has a vault / basement that extends beneath the footway and possibly the carriageway, the works being undertaken may cause water ingress or dampness to appear when the ground is disturbed if the vault/basement has not been properly protected by tanking or other damp proofing.
Neither the council nor the contractor will be responsible for any such damage resulting from these works. It will be the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that the vault/basement is suitably protected against such damage. If you are the occupier, but not the owner of the property, you should make the owner aware of this notice.
Who is managing and running this project?
The Villiers Street improvements are being delivered by Westminster City Council’s contractors FM Conway and WSP.
How can I keep updated with the scheme?
Please subscribe to our fortnightly email updates. Subscribe here. If you have further questions, please email us at VilliersStreet@wsp.com.
How can I report an issue to the council?
If you notice something that you would like to report, that isn’t related to the Villiers Street works (for example you have an issue with waste collection), please use the council’s Report It Tool - www.westminster.gov.uk/report-it.
Will there be a Public Liaison Officer?
Yes, if you have any concerns while works are taking place, please firstly contact the Site Supervisor on-site, or the Public Liaison Officer, Bob Burton. Bob may not always be on-site, but can be contacted on his mobile: 07760 962103.
Street Trader Pitches
Please be advised that a number of existing street trader pitches will be impacted during the construction works. We will notify each street trader in advance to discuss the proposed works phasing and agree a temporary location for their stall with WCC Licencing Team.
Rubbish
The Cleansing & Waste team at Westminster City Council have confirmed that the works won’t impact the ability to collect the rubbish or recycling. If you do experience any difficulties, please report it here.
Noise, dust and disruption
Our Programming and Construction Team work hard to minimise noise, dust and disruption as much as possible, and we thank you for your patience.
Will taxis be affected?
The Taxi Rank on Embankment Place will require suspension during the Phase 12 works in order to provide sufficient safe space for pedestrians and to provide access to the construction site. This will be fully reopened at the end of Phase 12.
Further details on the exact impact will be provided in due course.
Will trees be impacted?
No trees will be directly impacted by the proposed scheme. There are a number of large mature trees by Victoria Embankment Gardens. Tree Protection measures will be put in place prior to commencing works at this location to minimise the risk of any impact on existing trees.
Sharing this information with others
Please share this email with your friends and colleagues - they can subscribe themselves by clicking here.
Accessibility
We are committed to ensuring everyone can access information on this website.
We are working towards making changes that mean this website is as easy and convenient to use as possible.
Web and accessibility standards
We make every effort to ensure that all pages on this site are valid to Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML5) and use valid Cascading Style Sheets (CSS3).
Queries
We are continuously seeking to improve the accessibility of the website. If you have any difficulties using this site that you believe we could address, please let us know at bakerstreet2w@wsp.com
It would be helpful if your e-mail contained the following:
- What device you are accessing the site with, for example, a phone, a laptop or a tablet
- Which browser you are using, for example, Chrome, Internet Explorer etc
- A description of the issue
QUESTIONNAIRE
Please take the time to fill in our questionnaire. To access the questionnaire, please follow the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TQWFFFY
Privacy
Effective date: May 1st, 2018
This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use this website and the choices you have associated with that data.
We use your data to provide and improve this site. By using this website, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
Information Collection And Use
We collect several different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Service to you.
Types of Data Collected
Personal Data
While using our website, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you ("Personal Data"). Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:
- Email address
- First name and last name
- Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City
- Usage Data
Usage Data
We may also collect information how the website is accessed and used ("Usage Data"). This Usage Data may include information such as your computer's Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our website that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.
Tracking & Cookies Data
We use do not use cookies on this website.
When someone visits http://bakerstreettwoway.co.uk we use a third party service, Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website.
Use of Data
Baker Street Two Way Project uses the collected data for various purposes:
- To provide and maintain the website
- To notify you about changes to our website
- To allow you to participate in interactive features of our Service when you choose to do so
- To provide customer care and support
- To provide analysis or valuable information so that we can improve the Service
- To monitor the usage of the Service
- To detect, prevent and address technical issues
Transfer Of Data
Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from your jurisdiction.
If you are located outside United Kingdom and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to United Kingdom and process it there.
Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.
My Company LLC will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information.
Disclosure Of Data
Legal Requirements
My Company LLC may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
- To comply with a legal obligation
- To protect and defend the rights or property of My Company LLC
- To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
- To protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public
- To protect against legal liability
Security Of Data
The security of your data is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Service Providers
We may employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate our website ("Service Providers"), to provide the website on our behalf, to perform website-related services or to assist us in analyzing how our website is used.
These third parties have access to your Personal Data only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.
Links To Other Sites
Our website may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit.
We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.
Children's Privacy
Our website does not address anyone under the age of 18 ("Children").
We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your Children has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Data from children without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.
Changes To This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.
We will let you know via email and/or a prominent notice on our website, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "effective date" at the top of this Privacy Policy.
You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
- By email: BSTW@westminster.gov.uk
Contact us
You can subscribe for email-updates by clicking here.
If the FAQs on www.VilliersStreetLondon.co.uk don't answer your query, or you have any concerns while works are taking place on-site, please contact the Site Supervisor on-site or the Public Liaison Officer, Bob Burton. Bob may not always be on-site, but can be contacted on his mobile.
To contact Bob for specific queries or issues; Please call: 07760 962103
Construction
The Villiers Street project will make the area more pedestrian friendly and improve the safety of the street. The scheme will improve the look and feel of what is already a heavily used pedestrian space.
Works are being carried out along the full length of Villiers Street, on John Adam Street between Buckingham Street and Villiers Street and Embankment Place. The works started on 9th May for a 23 month duration until April 2024.
Standard working hours are 08:00am to 18:00pm Monday to Friday, 08:00am to 13:00pm on Saturday. Please note that whilst we will endeavour to minimise the impact of noise on local and nearby businesses, some of our works will be noisy. Occasionally out of hours and Sunday working may be required. However, this is only in exceptional circumstances.
In order to undertake the works safely a road closure has been put in place on Villiers Street while the works are being carried out. Diversion routes for vehicles have been signed on street for the duration of the works and access is being maintained for loading and servicing. There may be footway diversions, but pedestrian access to all businesses and buildings will always be maintained.
If your property has a vault / basement that extends beneath the footway and possibly the carriageway, the works being undertaken may cause water ingress or dampness to appear when the ground is disturbed if the vault/basement has not been properly protected by tanking or other damp proofing.
Neither the council nor the contractor will be responsible for any such damage resulting from these works. It will be the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that the vault/basement is suitably protected against such damage. If you are the occupier, but not the owner of the property, you should make the owner aware of this notice.
We do apologise in advance for any inconvenience that these works may cause. Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to email VilliersStreet@wsp.com or visit the website (www.villiersstreetlondon.co.uk) for further information regarding the scheme, construction programme and phasing and FAQs.
Subscribe to receive regular email updates here.
Phase 10A-C
Upon returning to site in September 2023, the next phase of works (Phase 10A-C) has started on Villiers Street directly outside Embankment Station for approximately 6 weeks.
During the first two weeks the gangs will be working in Phase 10C (see phase plan below). This work will consist of excavating the existing footway and installing the new yorkstone paving. We will also be temporarily relocating the Blues & Royal Coffee Stall to allow this work to take place and to carry out electrical upgrade works in this location. Following completion of this Phase, we will move to Phase 10B then 10A. Access to all properties will be maintained at all times. Works outside the Embankment Station entrance will be phased to help minimise disruption whilst maintaining unrestricted access to the station/
Road closures (For Phases 10A, B & C, 7 Con A & 7 Con C, 9B & 12):
- Villiers Street will be closed at the junction with Embankment Place to outside 34 Villiers Street (Wasabi / directly south of the PwC slip road). Access/egress from Villiers Street will be via John Adam Street with Villiers Street (and John Adam Street between Villiers Street and Buckingham Street) made temporarily two-way to accommodate this. Signage will be provided on site, and traffic marshals will be available in the daytime to assist with loading. Our PLO Bob Burton will also be available to provide advice and assistance (07760 962103).
Parking suspensions:
- Material storage - two pay by phone bays outside 27-29 John Adam Street to be suspended for the duration of the works to provide material storage. Relevant permits have been obtained from WCC. The site will be inspected and cleaned on a regular basis.
- Site compound – this will continue to be located on Robert Street to provide storage for materials along with a location on John Adam Street east of Buckingham Street.
- Site welfare – this will be located on Embankment Place within the existing taxi rank.
- The taxi rank on Embankment Place will require a series of suspensions as the works progress at the southern end of Villiers Street.
Road closures (Phase 2):
- John Adam Street will be closed from the junction with Villiers Street to Buckingham Street in 2024. Access/egress from Villiers Street will be via Embankment Place with Villiers Street made temporarily two-way to accommodate this. Signage will be provided on site, and marshals will be available in the daytime to assist with loading. Our PLO Bob Burton will also be available to provide advice and assistance (07760 962103).
Completed Phases:
- Phase 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D & 1HVM
- Phase 3
- Phase 4A & 4B
- Phase 5A & 5B
- Phase 6
- Phase 8
- Phase 9A
- Phase 11