In The News

Summary of Upcoming Night-time Road Closures Please note that these dates are subject to prevailing weather and traffic conditions.  For information on the impact to bus services, please refer to leaflets displayed in the bus shelters or visit tfl.gov.uk/bus/status/ . Night 4 Thursday 27th June - Gloucester Place will be closed southbound only between Marylebone Road and Crawford Street. Night 5 Monday 1st July - Gloucester Place will be closed southbound only between Crawford Street and Blandford Street.   Night 6 Tuesday 2nd July - Gloucester Place, Park Road and Baker Street, will be closed to all traffic between Rossmore Road and Marylebone Road. All traffic will be diverted via St John's Wood Road and Edgware Road.  Night 7 Wednesday 3rd July -  Melcombe Street (between Gloucester Place and Glentworth Street) and Melcombe Place / Dorset Square (between Marylebone Station and Gloucester Place) will be closed to all traffic.  Night 8 Thursday 4th July - Gloucester Place will be closed northbound only between Blandford Street and Crawford Street.   Night 9 Monday 8th July - Gloucester Place will be closed northbound only between Crawford Street and Marylebone Road Night 10 Monday 29th July - Baker Street will be closed southbound only between Blandford Street and Fitzhardinge Street.     Night 11 Tuesday 30th July - Baker Street / Portman Square will be closed southbound only between Fitzhardinge Street and Wigmore Street.     Night 12 Monday 5th August -  Portman Square will be closed northbound only between Wigmore Street and Fitzhardinge Street.   Night 13 Tuesday 6th August - Baker Street will be closed northbound only between Fitzhardinge Street and Blandford Street .   Night 14 Wednesday 7th August - Gloucester Place will be closed southbound only between George Street and Upper Berkeley Street.    Night 15 Thursday 8th August -  Portman Square / Portman Street will be closed southbound only between Upper Berkeley Street and Portman Mews South.    Night 16 Monday 12th August - Portman Street will be closed southbound only between Portman Mews South and Oxford Street.   Night 17 Tuesday 13th August - Portman Street will be closed northbound only between Oxford Street and Seymour Street.   Night 18 Wednesday 14th August - Portman Square / Gloucester Place will be closed northbound only between Seymour Street and George Street.  Night 19 Thursday 15th August - Orchard Street will be closed southbound only between Wigmore Street and Oxford Street.   Night 20 Monday 19th August - Orchard Street will be closed northbound only between Oxford Street and Wigmore Street.

Progress Update and Next Steps

WCC are pleased to confirm that the major construction works associated with the scheme have now been completed. You will notice a reduced presence of our contractor FM Conway on-site. 

Surface treatment works are now underway and are the only remaining activity left as part of Phase 4. A total of 17 night-time road closures (during the hours of 20:00 and 06:00) are scheduled to take place between now and Monday 19th August. A road closure summary is provided at the bottom of the page. 

Summer Works - Snagging and Lighting Columns

In July our maintenance team will be on-site dealing with defects and snagging issues that have been reported to us. 

If you would like to raise a defect for the maintenance team to address please do so via: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/report-it 

Alternatively, to report a problem with a traffic signal please using the following link: https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-streets-and-other-road-issues 

A number of lighting columns still require connecting to the electricity network. Consequently, UK Power Networks will be on-site in the coming weeks, working to address this in collaboration with our team. The works will involve some small-scale excavation of the footway to gain suitable access. Please be assured that footways will be properly reinstated.  

Autumn 2019 - December 2019

During October, traffic surveys will be undertaken as part of the Monitoring Strategy. The results will be analysed and compared with traffic data that was collated before the implementation of the scheme. The purpose of this exercise is to ascertain how the switch to two-way operation has affected traffic patterns. A report will be published in December detailing the outcomes and any mitigation that may be required. 

Project 6
Civil works on New Cavendish Street have been completed and planting took place the week of 29th April. 

Works to complete the zebra crossing on Marylebone High Street between Pret a Manger and the St Vincent Street junction, including the drop kerb, tactile paving and installation of Belisha Beacons, have begun this week are due to be completed by the 13th May. There have been some delays on these works due to the installation of a bespoke manhole cover at this location. 

Project 1
Civil works along Paddington Street have commenced this week. These works will include the installation of footway buildouts, the relocation of an existing zebra crossing, the installation of a new zebra crossing and the installation of rain gardens.
 
The works have commenced near the junction of Paddington Street and Ashland Place and will move west bound. These works will be taking place for a duration of at least 14 weeks. A deep drainage connection is required for these works, which will cause a full road closure on Paddington Street of at least 4 weeks towards the end of our programme.

Fashion Re-Told – a pop-up store by Harrods which will raise money for the NSPCC – is opening on Marylebone High Street for the month of May.

A store for the pop-up has been donated by The Howard de Walden Estate, and will be selling a mix of clothes from Harrods’ own collection together with ‘pre-loved’ high-end designer items.

Fashion Re-Told will offer designer womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and accessories from brands including Stella McCartney, Chloe, Fendi, RAG & BONE and Versace. The space will also host a series of public events, talks, and workshops.

A community area surrounding the pop-up at 51 Marylebone High Street will feature floral surroundings inspired by an English summer garden.

Andrew Hynard, Chief Executive of The Howard de Walden Estate, commented: “Throughout May, Fashion Re-Told will be a must-visit destination for style-conscious shoppers who will be able to buy beautiful clothes and thereby support initiatives that help children across London.

We’re very pleased to be collaborating with Harrods and the NSPCC on this wonderful initiative.”

Fashion Re-Told will open its doors from Thursday 2nd – 31st May, at 51 Marylebone High Street.

TfL caves in face of local opposition.  Ahead of our planned protest outside TfL’s offices later today and our 6,470 strong petition, TfL has announced today it is no longer pursuing the option of a coach station at Royal Oak. However, we will still be delivering our petition at 5.00 pm to TfL to enforce the local opposition to these moves and leave no room for doubt.

Councillor Emily Payne says ‘This is great news and testament to the relentless hours our local community has spent fighting these plans.’

Councillor Richard Elcho commented ‘This is a wonderful outcome. We are pleased to see TfL adopting a pragmatic approach that takes into account the views and health of Londoners.’

While TfL are no longer considering a coach station at Royal Oak they are considering a mixed use development at the site. As these plans progress councillors Richard Elcho and Emily Payne will continue to represent you and any concerns you have about the development.

Want a place to park your bicycle in Marylebone?

Westminster City Council for a traffic management scheme to introduce cycle hangars on both Homer Street and Upper Wimpole Street.

http://westminstertransportationservices.co.uk/cyclehangars.html https://www.cyclehoop.rentals/types/bikehangars

Please send any observations or comments you may wish to make on the proposals, in writing to Jack.Henry@wsp.com by 29th March 2019, quoting the "7460 - Cycle Hangars - Traffic Order Consultation" reference in any response.

The City Council will then decide whether to proceed with, modify, or abandon the proposals.

Find out more about how to rent a space.  https://www.cyclehoop.rentals/how-it-works/bikehangars-and-bikelockers

The switch to two-way has been completed. Gloucester Place is now numbered as the A4380 and Baker Street is numbered as the A41.

Therefore, WCC would like to remind drivers and cyclists to remain vigilant whilst using the new road layout. When crossing the road, pedestrians should remember to look both ways. 

WCC would like to thank the public for their ongoing patience and feedback whilst people get used to the new road layout. Below are answers to some of the key questions we are being asked:

(1) Safety Concerns

Following reports of an accident involving a pedestrian and a bus, Councillor Tim Mitchell, Cabinet Member for Environment and City Management, has provided the following statement: 

“The safety of all our residents and visitors is of course our primary concern. We are deeply concerned that someone should be hurt in this way and together with Transport for London we are looking urgently into how and why this happened. It is too early at this stage to say whether the switch to two-way traffic played a part. Since the switch, we have had street marshals on the roads who have been advising pedestrians to look both ways. As a precautionary measure we increased the number of marshals and are implementing other safety measures in and around Baker Street and Gloucester Place. We would continue to ask everyone using the area to take great care as everyone gets used to the new layout.”

Marshals will be on hand to help pedestrians between 07:00 and 20:00, at every junction along the scheme until Monday next week. Additionally we have installed new signage and road markings at pedestrian crossings to provide a visual warning to users. 

(2) York Street

WCC are aware of reports of traffic congestion along York Street. Please be assured that we are monitoring the situation and will implement appropriate mitigation measures if the problem persists. Members of the project team have been holding discussions with Transport for London about the possibility to provide additional green time to help alleviate the problem. 

The current issues largely stem from the fact that drivers are still getting used to the new road layout and are not aware of the restrictions on Baker Street for northbound traffic after the junction with York Street. 

Only Buses, Taxis and Cyclists are permitted to head northbound along Baker Street between York Street and Marylebone Road. These restrictions apply Monday to Friday 07:00 to 19:00. General traffic heading northbound is advised to use Gloucester Place instead of Baker Street.

It is expected that as drivers become familiar with the new layout, the current issue should ease. 

(3) Permitted Movements for Vehicles

Drivers can familiarise themselves with the permitted traffic movements at every junction along the scheme by visiting the following page on our website: http://www.bakerstreettwoway.co.uk/pdfs/Proposed-Turns_v18.pdf 

(4) Bus Routes

Information regarding changes to bus routes is available via:

• http://www.bakerstreettwoway.co.uk/pdfs/Baker-Street-A4-proposed.pdf 
• https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/buses/baker-street/
• https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey

Additionally, the diagram below shows where you can catch your bus.

What Happens Next 

Phase 4 - 24th February to end of June 2019

There will now be a period of 6 weeks, when construction activity will be paused to allow traffic, residents and businesses to get used to the new layout.  Please note our team will be on site during this period undertaking regular maintenance. 

Although the scheme is 90% complete, our team needs to finalise some areas that can only be completed with the roads operating as two-way. 

From early April to June, our team will return to site to complete the remaining works in the following areas:

Gloucester Place / Ivor Place 

• A temporary traffic island has been installed at Gloucester Place at the zebra crossing north of Ivor Place. There will be a road closure to remove the temporary island and install a permanent island.

Portman Mews South 

• There will be a road closure on Portman Mews South between Granville Place and Portman Street for approximately 6 weeks to reconstruct the carriageway and the loading area outside the pub with new paving, near the Portman Street junction.

Baker Street (between Dorset Street and Blandford Street) 

• There will be a partial closure on Baker Street between Blandford Street and Dorset Street to install the new central island and complete carriageway resurfacing outside 55 Baker Street.

Baker Street (outside Sherlock Holmes Museum)

• There will be a partial closure north of the Marylebone Road to install a central island south of the Park Road junction, outside the Sherlock Holmes Museum. 

Baker Street / Marylebone Road junction  

• A temporary traffic island has been installed on Baker Street just south of the Marylebone Road junction. There will be a partial closure between Marylebone Road and Bickenhall Street/Porter Street to replace the temporary island with a permanent island. 

Portman Street / Wigmore Street / Seymour Street

• There will be partial closures at Portman Street to complete footway paving on the eastern side of Portman Street (between Granville Street and Portman Mews South) and carriageway resurfacing from Oxford Street to Portman Square. There will also be road closures in Wigmore Street and Seymour Street to complete resurfacing on their approaches to Portman Square.  

High-friction material and signal loops

• Once all the above elements are completed, our team will apply buff-coloured anti-skid material at the junctions (as specified in our consultation drawings). This will be completed via road closures.
• Our Traffic Signals team will also install the final traffic detectors for signal loops in the approaches to the new signal controlled junctions.

Additional Trees for Baker Street 

• Since Christmas 2017, 17 trees have been removed and 26 planted. Planting has been unsuccessful in 8 locations due to the presence of shallow building basements. Our team is working on alternative locations for additional trees. If you have any question regarding tree planting locations, please contact us via our email address.

All of the road closures will be advertised locally before they take place.

The latest newsletter for the Moxon Street Car Park site, explains the upcoming utility diversion works, which will be undertaken later this month by UK Power Networks (UKPN) and Thames Water:

UKPN will undertake diversion works on Cramer Street and Aybrook Street between February 16th and February 23rd.

Thames Water will undertake a disconnection of the site’s water supply between February 18th and February 22nd, on St Vincent Street. They will also undertake the relocation of a fire hydrant near to the north of the site, the dates of which will be confirmed shortly.

Click here for the newsletter.

Heathrow airport has started the process of consulting on new flight paths. Four of the options could see Marylebone being blighted by aircraft noise. Worryingly, one of these does not even involve the 3rd Runway and could come into effect in under three years time with planes flying over our heads at 3,000ft, waking us as early 5am. These new flight paths will be narrower and more concentrated than they are today. If we do end up under a flight path our quality of life and local property values are likely to significantly impacted.

The World Health Organisation recommends that annual average night-time exposure should not exceed 40 decibels (dB). Heathrow claims that some of the aircraft noise will be over 65 decibels. Potentially, we could be looking at up to 47 flights per hour. If you don't like the sound of all this, then it time you made some noise about it.

Currently, Heathrow is consulting on the "design envelope" a geographical area within which it is technically possible to position one or more flight paths. Marylebone is within these envelopes, and therefore at risk of having a flight path designed over our community. We need to inform Heathrow and the CAA why our area should not be selected as suitable for flight paths.

Some of the arguments for flight paths to avoid our area include:

Our old Georgian properties have single glazing and poor sound insulation, our air quality is already bad enough.

The area already suffers from evening noise pollution and people in the West End tend to sleep in later compared to the suburbs.

We already have enough noise and disruption impacting our health and our daily quality of life without having aircraft noise as well.

We already suffer from prolonged helicopter noise policing demonstrations near the BBC and in other central areas.

Please take this opportunity to explain in your own words what it will mean to your quality of life if they put the flight path over our heads. Email: feedback@heathrowconsultation.com and cc airspacemodernisation@caa.co.uk or complete the online consultation here.

Following a series of events in Hyde Park, The Royal Parks are undertaking works to return the Parade Ground to its previous condition. These works have begun and, weather depending, will be completed before Easter. This work is funded by event organisers.

The reinstatement coincides with the installation of a gas pipe across the Parade Ground. This is essential statutory work, with the Parade Ground forming part of a series of extensive pipe works being installed across London. The work is being carried out by Cadent Gas.

During these works some of the grass areas, as highlighted on the map below, will be closed and access to sections of paths will be restricted – these closures will be clearly signposted.

It is proposed to close Enford Street to motor vehicles between 8.00 a.m. and 9.00 a.m. and between 2.45 p.m. and 3.45 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays, during school term time. The closure would be controlled through the installation of removable bollards at the junction of Enford Street and York Street. The traffic signs would not be visible during school holidays, and advanced warning signs would be placed to advise drivers of the closure.

It is also proposed to introduce double yellow line “at any time” waiting and loading restrictions at the junction of York Street with Enford Street and the south-western arm of Wyndham Place to prevent obstructive parking.

More details can be found here.