Kensington & Chelsea council has shelved proposals to replace the 1930s roundabout at Sloane Square with cross roads, after relenting to public pressure.
Initial results from a public consultation showed more than 65% of respondents were opposed to the £5.5M scheme. The first two consultations indicated public support for the idea, but the council commissioned a third in March, following pressure from Save Sloane Square, a local campaign group which devised an alternative scheme to renovate the existing layout (Surveyor, 18 January 2007).
Cllr Merrick Cockell, leader of the council, said: ‘The third consultation was certainly not a referendum. At the same time, the views of our residents and visitors matter to us. ‘My own view is that the crossroads scheme is an exciting one which would have improved the square by greatly increasing both the amount and accessibility of usable pedestrian space, but it is clear that currently, this does not carry widespread local support.’ He said the consultation threw up a ‘mass of detailed concerns’, mainly about traffic, which the council would reflect on. In addition, the Exhibition Road scheme would continue as planned.
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