Hanways and Rathbones traffic changes proposed

Westminster Council is proposing changes to traffic flows on four streets in the south east part of Fitzrovia as part of its hugely complicated Oxford Street Programme (OSP), and has opened a public consultation on the plans.

In future there will be timed motor vehicle restrictions along Oxford Street and Westminster Council wants to make a number of changes to nearby streets to allow for motor vehicle access across the street.

Under the OSP most of Oxford Street will be restricted to buses, cycles, and taxis from 7am to 7pm everyday.

To enable this to work properly and to allow motor vehicle access, Hanway Place, Rathbone Place and Rathbone Street will have the current one-way directional flow reversed.

Hanway Place would become one-way westbound, Rathbone Place one-way northbound, and Rathbone Street will change to one-way southbound only. The Oxford Street timed restriction would also be applied to the western section of Hanway Street.

The new scheme allows “cycling in both directions on Rathbone Place and Rathbone Street to maintain connectivity and permeability for cyclists”, states Westminster Council.

“Traffic changes to Rathbone Street, Rathbone Place, Hanway Street and Hanway Place will enable traffic and public realm improvements to Oxford Street without displacing traffic onto neighbouring streets,” claims Westminster Council.

However, the plans look likely to displace motor vehicles from Oxford Street into Percy Street and then Store Street, as identified by community groups in Fitzrovia along with Camden Council.

The London Borough of Camden raised concerns in a previous public consultation about motor traffic displacement into streets north and east of Rathbone Place, including Stephen Street, Gresse Street, Charlotte Street, and Percy Street and highlighted the potential risks of increased rat-running by drivers, according to the report on the public consultation for the main Oxford Street Programme.

However, the southern section of Charlotte Street — which runs along the boundary between Camden and Westminster — is currently one-way southbound for motor vehicles.

The Fitzrovia News understands that there are no plans to change this. If this is the case, then all drivers of motor vehicles coming from Oxford Street would have to turn into either Gresse Street or Percy Street and would not be able to travel north to Goodge Street along Charlotte Street. (The Fitzrovia News is seeking clarification from Camden and Westminster councils on this aspect.)

Rathbone Street and Hanway Place Consultation. Closes on 16 August 2024.