At its meeting in May 2015 the City’s Court of Common Council approved the Cheapside and Guildhall Area Enhancement Strategy. This builds upon the earlier Cheapside Strategy (2008) and the Guildhall Strategy (2011). It identifies further public realm improvements to the wider area associated with Cheapside and Guildhall, with a particular focus on the north-south cultural spine linking the Museum of London and the Cultural Hub to St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern to the south of the River. The Guildhall Strategy (2011) continues as a supporting strategy that focuses specifically on the Guildhall complex and the Guildhall Yard in particular.
The key objectives for the Cheapside and Guildhall Area Enhancement Strategy are:
- To enhance the pedestrian experience and create walking routes that are comfortable, accessible and easy to navigate and which can accommodate future growth in pedestrian numbers.
- To improve road safety for all modes of transport and reduce traffic dominance, particularly through replacing one-way traffic flows with two-way traffic where possible, improving the function of the street environment for all users, mitigating conflict and balancing demand between the different modes of transport.
- To better connect transport nodes and attractions such as St Paul’s Cathedral, the Museum of London, Guildhall and the Barbican Centre and support the aims of the emerging cultural hub in the City while further developing Cheapside’s retail environment.
- To enhance the local environment and improve air quality, particularly through new green spaces and tree planting and by supporting the objectives of the City’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy as well as pollution reduction initiatives.