How pedestrianisation could be the saviour of Soho

G-A-Y, a nightclub in Soho, London, is one of the most famous gay clubs in the UK situated in one of the most notable LGBTQ+ friendly areas in the world. However, in February it was put up for sale with owner Jeremy Joseph stating the area has “lost its vibrancy”. In an interview with the BBC, he criticised Westminster City Council and the Metropolitan Police as well as local residents’ groups for being too resistant to measures, such as late licences, which he said would benefit the nightlife industry. With recent progress on plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street could a similar scheme in Soho bring back the magic?

What are the issues holding Soho back?

One of the biggest issues facing businesses in Soho is opposition from residents and Westminster City Council. As a result of resident concerns and concerns around appropriate policing, it has become very difficult to get a late licence, which cuts down on the hours in which pubs and bars in particular can trade and make money. For example, famous jazz club Blue Note was denied a late night license to open a 350-cover venue near Covent Garden after the Met Police objected saying vulnerable club goers could be victims of crime late at night.

According to John James, non-executive director of Soho Estates, Westminster Council has become too caught up with the grievances of residents at the expense of businesses. “If you listen to the residents’ complaints and your initiative tells you that that’s where your sympathies lie then we’ve been swayed a little to the minority view. There are plenty of other places that would be jealous of what we have in Soho and yet they’re trying to give us what I call restrictive practices,” he says.

However, there does seem to be change on the horizon in regards to this. The government is set to give London Mayor Sadiq Khan the ability to overrule local authorities on licensing decisions. This could be a major game-changer for Soho.

How can pedestrianisation help businesses?

While late night issues are a cause for concern in Soho the area also needs some help in the daytime. For James, parked cars are a huge issue, especially as many of them are resident’s cars, meaning they do not move much and take up space which could otherwise be used by businesses.

This is where pedestrianisation could help to revitalise the area. He believes that Soho should not be aiming for full pedestrianisation but a compromise with carriageways, meaning that cars could still move down the street, but there would be no parked cars. In their place businesses would be able to have platforms allowing them to have more outdoor space meaning more customers.

“I was looking at Chinatown and walked down Compton Street and what we’ve got is like six parked cars down one side, six people parked in six cars. I think that could easily be an extended carriageway, and that could be rather fun and give the street a bit of vitality,” he states.

Vanina Principi, founder and culinary director of VP7 Smart Hospitality, believes that a scheme like this could allow London’s nightlife to compete with the likes of Amsterdam or Barcelona. “Allowing people to move freely without traffic could transform the area. More outdoor dining would give hospitality businesses a chance to expand seating and increase revenue, while cleaner air and lower noise levels would make Soho a more enjoyable place to live and visit,” she says.

Pedestrianisation could also unlock what James sees as one of Soho’s best kept secrets, its squares. If you go to any European city, there will often be a number of plazas or big town squares with a number of hospitality businesses utilising the space. In Soho there are two main squares, Golden Square and Soho Square, which James believes are hugely underutilised, again held back by parked cars, not only taking up space and taking it away from potential business use, but making the area less desirable for people to actually spend time in.

“If you look at Soho Square, it is a nice green bit. Now there’s a bit of sunshine, so there’s people out there, but there’s parked cars all the way right around there, and they’re all, they’re all residents parking, that means they don’t move a lot. So it’s just a car park barrier right now. The residents would say, well we’ve got the right to park our cars. We’re residents, and that’s the case, but I think the aged idea that you could park your car outside your house is long gone,” he explains.

How do we protect people?

While unlocking Soho’s potential and allowing its business to thrive is important, it must also be a priority to protect people, whether that be the staff who would work in the venues or the people who visit them. According to Principi, policies like pedestrianisation or anything else which can help businesses can often overlook the people who keep the industry running. If Soho were to commit to allowing more late night life there would have to be appropriate measures taken to make sure that the people working in the venue had sufficient ability to get home.

“There’s a disconnect between hospitality operators, policymakers, and transport authorities, and without a proper late-night transport plan, workers finishing shifts at 2 or 3am could be left stranded. Public transport would need to adjust, with taxis, night buses, and the Tube’s Night Service adapting to pedestrian-only areas. Without that, workers and late-night visitors could find themselves walking long distances just to get a cab, facing higher fares, or being put at risk due to a lack of safe transport options,” she says.

It is not only getting home though, staff need to feel safe at work as do the customers in the venue and leaving the venue. While the Met Police’s opposition to the late night jazz club has been used as an example of where Soho is going wrong, there are legitimate concerns around safety in Soho. In recent months, nightclub Heaven was forced to close temporarily after a woman was raped near the club by a security guard. Furthermore, the famous private members club The Groucho Club, was also temporarily shut following claims a “recent serious criminal offence” had taken place at the premises.

James believes that the police need to get serious about preventing crime in the area and that crime cannot be used as an excuse to stop late night business. He also believes that pedestrianisation can help this because it will mean that businesses will have more of a presence in the street and they will have more jurisdiction over their spaces. When we had pedestrianisation through Covid the council gave businesses licences and they actually policed their space very well because it’s their responsibility to police their space very well,” he says.

He believes that another potential way to improve the safety of Soho is by giving doorstaff more power. As he sees it, they are all licensed and accredited and there are hundreds of them in the area as most late night places are required to have them. He also believes the stereotype that doorstaff are rough is an old-fashioned one. In his view, giving them the ability to step off their door and deal with issues in the street could help make the area safer for visitors.

All in all, pedestrianisation offers a number of benefits which could help revitalise an area with great potential. But as Principi explains it has to be done right. “Soho’s hospitality sector is what keeps the area alive, and any pedestrianisation plan has to work for the people who power it—not just the visitors who pass through. If the infrastructure isn’t in place to support the workforce, pedestrianisation could end up doing more harm than good,” she says.