Berkeley Square Creating Places for People Introduction Some Examples of Recently Completed Public Realm Improvements The following boards represent the first stage in a process of developing a public realm vision for one of the most important public spaces in Mayfair. Our aim is to revive the spirit of this beautiful square whilst strengthening its distinct identity and sense of grandeur and building upon its relationship to the rest of Mayfair.
Our design objectives for Berkeley Square include: ‘SILENCE’ FOUNTAIN, MOUNT STREET, Mayfair MOUNT STREET, Mayfair • Achieving a better balance between the needs of pedestrians and other modes of movement • Improving the pedestrian and cycle network • Improving the organisation of vehicle and cycle parking • Improving the organisation of servicing and deliveries • Increasing the appeal of the area through enhancements to the public realm and its relationship to adjacent buildings and the North audley Street, Mayfair Brown Hart gardens Mayfair garden. • Improving the visual environment through ‘decluttering’ • Enhancing the Square’s identity through the use of public art and high quality materials • The proposals will also look to ensure that any implemented works are consistent with aspirations for a more comprehensive enhancement of Berkeley Square at some point in the future
Elizabeth Street, Belgravia NIGHTTIME, Elizabeth Street, Belgravia
The Team BDP: Landscape Architects, Urban Designers & Lighting Consultants
Gardiner & Theobald: Cost & Project Management Consultants
Urban Flow: Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering Consultants
Westminster City Council: Delivery partners and construction implementation Setting the scene Introducing the Berkeley Square Project
Grosvenor Street Davies Street Davies
New Bond Street Carlos Place Carlos
Grosvenor Hill Mount Row Gagosian Gallery Bourdon Street Phillips Gallery Mount Street Bruton Place
Bruton Street
Berkeley Square
Bruton Lane Hill Street
Charles Street berkeley square is located to the south of grosvenor’s mayfair estate, at the heart of mayfair
vei w along the north west corner of berkeley square towards mount street (left) davies street (centre) and burton place (right) Setting the scene K ey Issues. Opportunities and Vision Bruton Street Bruton Place
3
Berkeley Square 3 3 2 Berkeley Street 2 2
1 3
Bourdon Street 1 3 1
Davies Street
3 3 2 2 2 3 Berkeley Square 3 Fitzmaurice Street 3 1 ill Street H
Mount Street Charles Street
Note: Analysis drawings consider Berkerley Square as a whole Illustrative Masterplan of Berkeley Square
Key Features of Existing Site: 1 Narrow footway widths with poor quality surfacing 2 Space is dominated by broad carriageways cluttered with traffic divisions. 3 Poor pedestrian connections. N
Not to Scale
Key Issues K ey Opportunities • Traffic speeds, traffic dominance, carriageway widths, street • To reduce carriageway widths and improve pedestrian crossing parking (both cars and motorcycles), infrastructure and signing opportunities across Davies Street and Berkeley Square detract from pedestrian movement, visual quality and the • To increase footway widths and improve spatial proportions enjoyment of the Square and its surrounding buildings • To improve the alignment of pedestrian crossing points with • Physical connectivity is poor with lack of safe and convenient desire lines and destinations crossing points, especially into the garden • To reduce vehicle speeds, and manage merging vehicles more • Visual connections between Mount Street and the north end effectively of Berkeley Square and Grosvenor Hill are insufficiently direct • To manage motorcycle and cycle parking in a way that minimises and obvious visual clutter • Footways around Berkeley Square and its central gardens are • To manage on-street car parking supply consistent with the aims narrow and often cluttered with control cabinets and traffic of the overall public realm scheme infrastructure • To create a distinctive place with high quality materials and • Pedestrian areas are surfaced in low quality materials that fail features that add visual amenity and assist with intuitive to reflect the quality of the surrounding buildings wayfinding • Motorcycles are positioned in particularly prominent positions, • To reinforce the distinctive oblong form of the central gardens undermining the visual quality of the square whilst creating spaces for people • To strengthen the relationship between public space and its surrounding buildings Vision Berkeley Square will once again become the most fashionable Square in the West End. It will be known for its taste, hospitality and luxury. It will be a spectacular green space characterised by its distinctive oblong garden, its mature trees and its fine building facades. Setting the scene Historic Context The Development of Berkeley Square
Berkeley House & Grounds 1746, ROCQUE MAP: THE BERKELEY ESTATE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, 1705, HOMANN MAP: BERKELEY HOUSE APPEARS ON PICCADILLY, THE NORTH, EAST AND WEST SIDES ARE CONSTRUCTED WHILE THE erected a mansion to the north of Piccadilly from WITH ITS GARDENS AND PASTURE GROUNDS TO THE NORTH SOUTH REMAINS OPENED TO THE VIEW FROM DEVONSHIRE HOUSE 1665 to 1673 and subsequently took possession of land to the north of his property. The house was sold in 1697 to William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Devonshire, on condition that the northward view from the building would be protected and no construction carried out within the width of the gardens. This is a condition that has protected the open space of Berkeley Square up to the present day.
The Square Begins to Take Shape The first houses to define the square were built around 1738 on the east side by Edward © 2000 MOTCO Enterprises Limited © 2000 MOTCO Enterprises Limited Cock and Francis Hillyard. The west side was completed in 1745 and described as being part of 1799, HORWOOD MAP: THE SQUARE IS REPRESENTED IN ITS CURRENT 1830, GREENWOOD MAP: BERKELEY SQUARE APPEARS IN ITS OBLONG SHAPE, DESIGNED AS PART OF THE 1767 ADORNMENT CURRENT LAYOUT. THE FRONT GARDEN OF LANSDOWNE HOUSE a “new intended square” called Berkeley Square. completed FORMS THE SOUTH FRONTAGE OF THE SQUARE The construction of the north side of the square has a different timescale from the south. Despite an earlier occupation, it did not offer the intended ‘respectable frontage’ to the square until the 1820s when redevelopment was completed.
A Garden Supported by its Residents The gardens to Berkeley Square appear to have been laid out gradually over a period of fifty years during the eighteenth century. The enhancement of the square was carried out thanks to the contribution of residents, who were “willing and keen to raise money sufficient for better paving, © 2000 MOTCO Enterprises Limited © 2000 MOTCO Enterprises Limited lighting, supporting, and maintenance for the future through an adequate contribution among BERKELEY SQUARE, 1813, LOOKING TOWARDS LANSDOWNE HOUSE ALONG THE WEST OF THE SQUARE. THE ENGRAVING SHOWS A LANSDOWNE AMAZON SCULPTURE: ONCE PART OF THE LANSDOWNE themselves”. Subsequently, in about 1767, the LARGE CLEARED AREA FOR CIRCULATION WITH CARRIAGEWAY AND HOUSE FINE ART COLLECTION, TODAY AT THE METROPOLITAN PAVEMENTS APPEARING AS A FLUSH SURFACE MUSEUM, NEW YORK Square took on its oblong form when its corners were rounded.
A Highly Fashionable Location During the Regency Period, Berkeley Square was considered, along with Grosvenor Square, to be the most fashionable location in the West End. Its neighbourhood “was constantly spoken of as the very type of London wealth, taste, hospitality, and luxury”.
Credit Georgian London Addresses and Locations Credit Metropolitan Museum of Art (Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1932) Setting the scene Site Context
Cavendish Square Cavendish Square
Wigmore Street Wigmore Street
Oxford Street Oxford Street Duke Street Duke Street
North Audley Street anover anover H North Audley Street H New Bond Street New Bond Street Square Square
Davies Street Davies Street
Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square
South Audley Street Berkeley Square
South Audley Street Berkeley Square
Mount Street Mount Street
Hyde Park Park Lane Hyde Park Park Lane
Green Park Green Park
BERKELEY SQUARE IS ONE OF THE WEST END PARTNERSHIPS STRATEGIC SQUARES. THIS PROJECT THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED AT THE HEART OF ‘LONDON’S LUXURY QUARTER’ AND OFFERS THE PRESENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN LINKS BETWEEN GROSVENOR SQUARE AND BERKELEY OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN LINKS BETWEEN MOUNT STREET AND NEW BOND STREET SQUARE
Cavendish Square Cavendish Square
Oxford St Underground
Wigmore Street Wigmore Street
Bond St Bond Street Underground Crossrail East
Oxford Street Oxford Street
Duke Street Duke Street
North Audley Street Hanover North Audley Street Hanover
New Bond Street Square New Bond Street Square
Bond Street Crossrail West Davies Street Davies Street
Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square
Gagosian Gallery
Berkeley Square
South Audley Street Berkeley Square South Audley Street Phillips Gallery
Mount Street Mount Street
Hyde Park Park Lane Hyde Park Park Lane
Aspirational Connection
Green Park Underground
Green Park Green Park
THE SITE FRONTS PHILLIPS GALLERY AND IS CENTRAL TO AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF IMPORTANT THE SITE IS LOCATED AT A PIVOTAL LOCATION ON THE ROUTE BETWEEN BOND STREET(WEST) GALLERIES CROSSRAIL AND GREEN PARK UNDERGROUND STATION Setting the scene The Public Realm Today Whilst Mayfair continues to be seen as a high quality place, it has not been immune to the adverse effects of vehicular traffic. The cumulative impact of traffic has become ingrained in the street fabric of the area and is particularly evident within the public realm environment of Berkeley Square.
Mayfair was designed and laid out long before the advent of the motor vehicle. It was built at a time when there was a better balance between a street’s social context and its role as a place for vehicles. It was also built at a time when vehicles were much slower, less polluting, fewer in number and did not require the quantity of signage and controlling infrastructure that is found today.
Whilst Mayfair is synonymous with high quality streets and spaces, this perception is not reflected in the quality of surfacing, furniture and other materials within the public realm. The result is that the outstanding quality of Mayfair’s buildings and architectural compositions are not complemented by a corresponding quality in the public realm.
A photographic analysis of the northern end of Berkeley Square highlights the existing complex traffic movement that creates an inhospitable pedestrian and cycling environment. The pedestrian connectivity is poor, restricted by a lack of controlled crossing facilities and excessive car, motorcycles and cycle parking. The following photographs highlight a number of these short comings.
VIEW 01 VIEW 07 VIEW 05 VIEW 02 VIEW 06 VIEW 04
VIEW 03
VIEW LOCATIONS VIEW 01 - LOOKING WEST ALONG MOUNT STREET
VIEW 02 - LOOKING EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN END OF BERKELEY VIEW 03 - LOOKING NORTH TOWARDS THE JUNCTION OF MOUNT STREET AND DAVIES STREET SQUARE
VIEW 04 - LOOKING WEST ACROSS THE NORTH OF BERKELEY SQUARE VIEW 05 - EXISTING PARKING BETWEEN JONES STREET AND BRUTON PLACE
VIEW 06 - MOTORCYCLE PARKING IN A TRAFFIC ISLAND TO THE VIEW 07 - CYCLE PARKING IN A TRAFFIC ISLAND TO THE NORTH EAST OF BERKELEY SQUARE NORTH WEST OF BERKELEY SQUARE Setting the scene Analysis Vehicle and Pedestrian Circulation
Existing Vehicular Access Davies Street Berkeley Square currently operates as a large gyratory, distributing traffic northbound from Piccadilly and St James’s Bourdon Street Bruton Place Park towards Oxford Street and south bound traffic from Mayfair towards Piccadilly. Davies Street is the principal northbound connection from Berkeley Square, albeit currently closed north of its junction with Brook Street to facilitate the Mount Street Bruton Street construction of Crossrail.
There is extensive car and motorcycle parking within the
Berkeley study area with motorcycles particularly prominent due to their Square positioning within incongruous traffic islands.
Hill Street
Berkeley Street
Study boundary
Fitzmaurice Street Key vehicular routes Car parking bays Charles Street Motorcycle parking
Existing Pedestrian Access Davies Street Surfacing within Berkeley Square is dominated by expansive areas of asphalt occupied by fast moving traffic in ill-defined Bourdon Street Bruton Place lanes. Pedestrian connectivity across the square is particularly poor with a lack of safe crossing points and pedestrians often pushed to the perimeter of Berkeley Square. Particularly difficult routes for pedestrians include the crossing from the Mount Street Bruton Street southern side of Mount Street to the northern side of Berkeley Square and accessing the central gardens from the streets that surround Berkeley Square.
Berkeley Square
Hill Street
Berkeley Street
Study boundary
Fitzmaurice Street Key pedestrian routes Particularly broad carriageway Charles Street Cycle parking Setting the scene Improvement Opportunities Highlighting Opportunities for the Enhancement of the Public Realm
The public realm design proposals for Berkeley Square seek to maximise opportunities to improve the overall public realm environment and pedestrian connectivity whilst improving traffic management.
The proposals for the northern section of Berkeley Square are considered within the context of the Square as a whole to ensure that a phased approach can be adopted when opportunities to develop the scheme come forward.
Davies Street
Bourdon Street Bruton Place
Bruton Street Mount Street
Berkeley Square
Hill Street
Berkeley Street
Fitzmaurice Street
Charles Street
Boundary to proposed public realm improvements Important sight lines The introduction of a new junction arrangement to Enhance visual and physical connection between improve driver behaviour and pedestrian environment Grosvenor Hill and Berkeley Square
The creation of a new public realm with integrated Opportunity for visual features to animate parking public realm and assist intuitive wayfinding The introduction of pedestrian crossing facilities aligned with pedestrian desire lines N
Not to Scale Proposals for feedback The Masterplan Illustrative Masterplan for Berkeley Square Berkeley Square (dating from 1740), alongside Bourdon Street Hanover Square (1717), Cavendish Square 1 Davies Street 3 (1717) and Grosvenor Square (1725), is one of four squares within the area represented by the West End Partnership that have been identified as being in need of improvement. It 1 4 is an important contributor to the character of 2 Mayfair and, being planted in 1789, contains 3 some of the oldest London Plane trees in Bruton Place central London. 2 1 The overall vision for Berkeley Square is to create a vibrant and coherent place for people. Our proposals seek to enhance legibility, strengthen connections through Mayfair and 2 reunite Berkeley Square’s central gardens with the pavements and buildings that enclose this 1 Hill Street spectacular green space. 2 Bruton Street
The gardens and their distinctive oblong Berkeley Square 1 form are seen as pivotal to the character of Berkeley Square and are to be respected when considering the way in which carriageways 1 1 and materials are configured. The broadly rectangular shape of the square’s built form and the varied positioning of streets 5 2 and movement patterns will help to inform 2 differentials in character to each side and corner of Berkeley Square without undermining
the cohesion of the square as a whole. Berkeley Square
The northern elevation of Berkeley Square was developed at a contrasting angle to the square’s other sides. This characteristic and 2 the additional space it creates, together with its elevated topography and the way in which Davies Street and Mount Street meet, creates 3 3 an opportunity to treat this corner of Berkeley 1
Square in a slightly different way to the 1 Charles Street Square’s other three corners. Fitzmaurice Street
2 Berkeley Street 1 3 3 N 1 1
Key English Pennine stone Granite setts to Granite setts to Asphalt Existing Proposed trees surfacing selected pedestrian selected carriageway carriageway mature trees crossovers and parking bays
3 The introduction of high quality pedestrian surfacing materials, street furniture, 1 Footway widths increased in association with the introduction of convenient lighting and planting. pedestrian crossings. 4 The introduction of an artistic or architectural feature at the pivotal point and 2 Reducing the visual impact of carriageway surfacing through a narrowing of visually prominent north west corner of Berkeley Square. carriageways, the introduction of pockets for parking and the enhancement of pavement materials. 5 Retention of a bus stop on the western side of Berkeley Square. Proposals for feedback Design Proposals Illustrative Plan for Berkeley Square North
Mount Street Davies Street
1 1 Bourdon Place
8
2
1
7
4 3 2 2 6 5
8 Bruton Place 3 8
7 7
8
Hill Street Bruton Street
N Key English Pennine stone Granite setts to Granite setts to Asphalt Mature existing Proposed trees surfacing selected pedestrian selected carriageway carriageway trees crossovers and parking bays Not to Scale
1 The creation of convenient crossing points within a high quality pedestrian 5 The provision of a convenient and obvious crossing point to the central garden environment
2 The potential introduction of small scale tree planting within widened pavements 6 Potential to introduce underground cycle storage within widened pavements
3 The creation of a widened footways through a reconfiguration of carriageway and 7 The introduction of high quality Pennine stone surfacing the integration of both servicing and parking (car and motorcycle) 8 The introduction of a granite sett carriageway surface and parking bays 4 The potential introduction of public art or an architectural feature in collaboration with the Phillips Gallery Proposals for feedback Materials Paving Proposals Proposals for surfacing materials combine a simple palette that reflects and integrates with the material palette used across Mayfair. Surfacing materials and street furniture will help to unify the public realm, whilst ensuring that surfacing within Berkeley Square is robust, has longevity, is attractive with associated warmth and richness and is easy to maintain.
All kerbs: 300 mm wide granite Pavements: English Pennine stone, 600 mm wide, random lengths
Car park bays and sett carriageways: Flush Loading Bays and sett cross overs: grey mix of 250 x 150 mm granite setts Buff mix of 250 x 150 mm granite setts
Hot Rolled Asphalt Carriageway
A REQUIREMENT FOR HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE PERCEIVED WIDTH OF EXTENSIVE AREAS OF ASPHALT HAVE BEEN REMOVED IN NEARBY CARLOS PLACE WITH NO LOSS OF CARRIAGEWAYS THROUGH THE ENHANCEMENT OF HIGH QUALITY FUNCTIONALITY MATERIALS UTILISED WITHIN VEHICULAR AREAS Proposals for feedback V isualisations Sketch Aerial View
aeriale vi w illustrating the north end of Berkeley Square with its extensive carriageways, narrow pavements and clear separation of the central garden from surrounding buildings
aerial View illustrating how public realm enhancements can respond to the distinctive form of the central gardens, reinforcing its presence and connections to it. The view also shows how a dramatic new public space can be created in front of the south facing northern elevation to berkeley square Proposals for feedback Art and Animation A vision for public art will be developed in collaboration with the adjacent Phillips Gallery. The vision will offer opportunities to engage with artists and create a landmark feature to the north of Berkeley Square. The provision of a landmark feature in this location will significantly contribute to placemaking and will enhance legibility and movement through Mayfair.
VIEW LOOKING SOUTH FROM DAVIES STREET / BOURDON STREET TOWARDS BERKELEY SQUARE. THE PROVISION OF ART AT THIS PIVOTAL POINT COULD ASSIST WAYFINDING WHILST REINFORCING THIS IMPORTANT SPACE
VIEW LOOKING NORTH EAST TOWARDS MOUNT STREET (LEFT), DAVIES STREET (CENTRE) AND BRUTON PLACE (RIGHT) WITH LOUISE BOURGEOIS’S ‘MAMAN’ STEEL AND MARBLE SCULPTURE ILLUSTRATED AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF ART THAT COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THIS STRATEGIC SPACE Proposals for feedback Art and Animation
VIEW TO BERKELEY SQUARE FROM BRUTON PLACE WITH TREES AND A POTENTIAL ECO CYCLE DOCKING STATION TO THE RIGHT OF BRUTON PLACE. ARTIST JEFF KOONS’S SWAN SCULPTURE IS ILLUSTRATED AT THE DAVIES STREET ENTRANCE TO BERKELEY SQUARE
VIEW TO THE NORTH EAST CORNER OF BERKELEY SQUARE WITH TREES AND A POTENTIAL ECO CYCLE DOCKING STATION CLOSE TO THE ENTRANCE TO BRUTON PLACE. THE CARRIAGEWAY AND PARKING ARE REARRANGED TO REINTRODUCE THE DISTINCTIVE OBLONG FORM OF THE CENTRAL GARDENS AND BROADENED PAVEMENTS ARE ALLOWED TO ENGAGE MORE STRONGLY WITH THE ADJACENT BUILDINGS Proposals for feedback Potential Cycle Facility Consideration is being given to the feasibility of incorporating an automated cycle facility within our proposals for Berkeley Square. A system under consideration is illustrated here.
ECO cycle is an innovative solution for the mass storage of bicycles underground and could offer considerable benefits to the provision of cycle parking in Berkeley Square by releasing the space typically used for cycle stands.
It is a fully automated system that has the capacity to store 204 cycles with an average retrieval time of 13 seconds. It is a modular system that can be customised depending on how many cycles are required to be stored. 204 cycles would require a depth of 11.6m.
The system is accessed and controlled via a registered key card system which, along with the structure/mechanisms, is monitored remotely twenty four hours a day. The docking station (ECO cycle pod) itself can be customised and has the potential to be integrated into another structure such as a cafe, flower stall, or kiosk.
THE DOCKING STATION BELOW WHICH THE CYCLES ARE STORED AN ILLUSTRATION SHOWING THE BELOW GROUND STOARGE ‘CYLINDER’
Bike Drop-Off
Push the bike onto the gully, up to the door & When the front wheel has been clamped, The entrance door opens automatically, The cradle that carries the bike is The bike is gently pushed onto the rack, passing the sensor. Push the bike forward & step away from the entrance zone, and and once the bike is taken inside the door simultaneously lowered and rotated to an and when released the cradle returns to its into the gap in the door. then press the Start Button. swiftly closes. empty rack. start position.
Bike Retrieval
Swipe your ECO Cycle Card where indicated. Keep away from the entrance zone The system automatically locates the bike The cradle brings the bike to the entrance The entrance doors open and the bike is and wait an average of 13 seconds for and sends the cradle to collect it from the level. pushed out, held in position until you step delivery. rack. forward and retrieve it.
ECO CYCLE OPERATION
ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF ECO CYCLE LTD Proposals for feedback V ehicular and Pedestrian Movement
Summary Berkeley Square operates as a large gyratory distributing traffic moving north from Piccadilly / St James’ towards Oxford Street and beyond. Davies Street is the main northbound connection leading from the Square, which is currently closed north of Brook Street for Crossrail construction works.
The northern end of the square is characterised by large expanses of tarmac leading to fast moving traffic in ill-defined lanes. Pedestrian connectivity is particularly poor with a lack of any dedicated, controlled crossing facilities.
A large volume of motorcycle parking is present, located on central islands and kerb- side. There is strong evidence of high demand for motorcycle and bicycle parking in and around the square.
MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
Movement Objectives Key access and movement design objectives include: • Improving pedestrian crossing opportunities across Davies Street and Berkeley Square • Increasing footway widths and reduce carriageway space • Aligning pedestrian crossing points with desire lines and ‘Gateways’ to Grosvenor Hill • Reducing vehicle speeds, and managing merging vehicles more effectively MERGING VEHICLES IN BERKELEY SQUARE POOR/NON-EXISTENT CROSSING FACILITIES • Managing motorcycle parking in a way that minimises visual clutter • Managing on-street car parking supply consistent with the aims of the overall public realm scheme • Future-proofing the design to accommodate two-way traffic flow on Davies Street
MERGING VEHICLES IN BERKELEY SQUARE MERGING VEHICLES IN BERKELEY SQUARE
Wider Changes to Movement in Mayfair The design of the northern end of Berkeley Square assumes that Davies Street will be changed to two-way operation. The Phase 1 design for implementation in early 2016 retains the current one-way northbound Davies Street flow but has been ‘future-proofed’ so that subsequent phases can be delivered with two-way working without substantial abortive works.
Westminster City Council are currently undertaking a traffic modelling study of the eastern part of Mayfair which is focussing on the planned Bond Street improvement scheme. The modelling study covers an area including Davies Street and the Mount Street junction which will ensure that the combined impact of different schemes are tested and understood.
The Mayfair Transport Study that is being developed by the West End Partnership (WEP) is investigating the feasibility of making changes to the wider Mayfair highway network, including converting existing one-way streets to two-way operation. Potential changes are shown in the figure to the right; it should be noted that these changes are aspirational at present. The implementation of any of these changes Existing one-way Existing two-way Potential two-way is subject to more detailed investigation and would follow a statutory consultation working streets working streets working streets process led by Westminster City Council (WCC). ONE-WAY/ TWO-WAY STREETS IN MAYFAIR Proposals for feedback Parking Parking Supply Pressures to achieve high quality design and improve the public realm run into conflict with the current level of supply (and demand) for car and motorcycle parking within the area. At present the layout of the highway provides a substantial lengths of kerb along which parking and servicing can take place.
Evidence Base Recent parking utilisation data has been made available by WCC for spaces in Berkeley Square and the surrounding area. This data is based on new sensors that have been installed in the carriageway in each parking space. This has been supplemented by parking surveys of resident permit bays that were undertaken for the Grosvenor Hill public realm scheme.
EXISTING ON-STREET PARKING SUPPLY Parking Utilisation In the wider area surrounding Berkeley Square the maximum pay-by-phone parking utilisation is 88% on weekdays (peak at 1pm) and 90% on Saturdays (peak at 8pm). This is consistent with site observations and reflects the current situation whereby finding an empty space at peak times can be difficult. There are similar levels of parking utilisation for residents parking with nearby Mount Street and Davies Street spaces being typically 85-90% full at peak times.
Motorcycle Parking A unique feature of this public realm project, compared to previous Grosvenor public realm schemes, is the presence of high numbers of motorcycle parking, in and around the scheme area. The proposed scheme reprovides all motorcycle parking provision along the inside of the Berkeley Square circulating carriageway, adjacent to the garden railings.
PARKING SUPPLY CHANGE STUDY Bicycle Parking Cycle parking is well used in the two islands in the NW and NE corners of Berkeley Square. Cycle use has increased greatly in recent years and planned improvements to cycle infrastructure, cycle routes and promoting cycling is likely to be lead to increasing requirements for on-street cycle parking provision.
Summary In designing the scheme, achieving a net neutral parking solution has been a key objective. To achieve the desired design objectives, some loss of parking from within the scheme area will be necessary. This parking supply will be relocated within the immediate (Berkeley Square) and wider area, subject to further discussion with Westminster City Council. This approach has been successfully achieved on previous public realm schemes, including Grosvenor Hill immediately to the north.
Nearby off-street car parks, notably the NCP car park on Grosvenor Hill, typically have lower utilisation levels than on street. Making more use of these under used off-street parking assets could play a useful role in reducing on-street parking demand and enabling consequent reductions in supply in specific locations.
PROPOSED ON-STREET PARKING SUMMARY Proposals for feedback Construction Phasing
Scheme phasing has been considered in the development of a preferred design. Works would commence with the area of pavement surrounding No30 Berkeley Square (Phillips) with the completion of this area anticipated in April 2016. Works would then continue in both an easterly and westerly direction with the commencement of works to the carriageway of Davies Street starting once Transport for London and Westminster City Council have undertaken work associated with the introduction of 2-way working on Davies Street north of its junction with Mount Street.
A key consideration in the development of phasing has been to prioritise public realm improvements and to minimise temporary works. It will be necessary to maintain two northbound lanes on Davies Street prior to Davies Street becoming a two way street.
The adjacent diagram illustrates:
• A first phase in front of No 30 Berkeley Square (Phillips)
• Phase 2A extending the improvements associated with phase 1 across the north of Berkeley Square and around the eastern side of Berkeley Square as far as Bruton Street.
• Phase 2B completing improvements to the north west corner of Berkeley Square Phase 2B and improving the western elevation to the square as far as Hill Street
Phase 2A Phase 1 Phase 1 Phase 2A Phase 2B
The adjacent diagram illustrates:
• A first phase focused on making improvements to the eastern side of Davies Street.
• The retention of the kerb line on the western side of Davies Street with some temporary works ensuring the management of traffic.
• That Davies Street remains one way northbound north of its junction with Mount Street with 2 lanes leaving Berkeley Square and one taking traffic south from Mount Street.
Proposed extent of works (all phases) Proposed kerb line Existing kerb line Extent of first phase of works