Westminster City Council has paused the planned pedestrianisation of Formosa Street in Little Venice, citing concerns about costs and the need to review options. The decision comes despite a petition signed by 365 people and a consultation that showed strong local support for the scheme.
Resident expresses disappointment over halt
John Gregson, a resident who petitioned two years ago to remove cars from Formosa Street, said he is “concerned and disappointed” by the update. He argued the scheme had widespread support and would benefit the wider area.
Mr Gregson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The results of my petition and the initial consultation confirm that there is strong local support for a full pedestrianisation scheme in Formosa Street that would create an attractive community asset: a ‘village square’, free from traffic at all times, where local residents and visitors could meet, shop, enjoy the restaurants and cafés, and simply spend time.”
Council cites costs and funding cuts
The pause follows a review of all major public realm projects funded by the council, initiated after the Conservative group regained control in the May elections. Cllr Tim Mitchell, Cabinet Member for City Management, said the authority understands residents are concerned about the project’s future, and that designs are being reviewed with the community to be consulted in due course.
In an email seen by the LDRS, Cllr Mitchell wrote that “not all of the options that could have been considered were put forward”. He also noted expected cuts to the council’s Government grants under the Fair Funding reforms, anticipated to be around £100 million.
“Therefore, because of the capital and revenue costs of the proposals, I have halted the scheme, as expenditure of circa £1m is simply not affordable at this time,” he wrote. “It makes a lot more sense to trial proposals in this location to see what might work without spending such large sums of money.”
Previous consultation and petition
The petition, launched in 2024, received 365 signatures and prompted a formal consultation by the then-Labour administration the following year. In February 2026, former Cabinet Member for Streets, Cllr Max Sullivan, approved moving ahead with a feasibility design, and the project was added to the Capital Programme in April with an initial budget of £900,000 allocated.
Mr Gregson said he had been chasing for updates on the plans and recently received correspondence from Cllr Mitchell informing him it had been paused. He told the LDRS he is “disappointed” by the update.
“The public consultation conducted last winter established overwhelming support for full pedestrianisation…and a permanent year-round solution that incorporated greenery and places to sit. These were the key design principles that should be carried through to the final solution,” he said.
Resident challenges council's reasoning
Mr Gregson added that the council blaming the reductions in Government funding is “disingenuous and misleading”, and that the suggestion of a trial is simply an attempt to kick the can down the road. He pointed to the temporary scheme implemented during Covid as a “proof of concept” for a permanent solution.
“Repeating essentially the same temporary arrangement in summer 2027 would simply delay the decision rather than address the underlying objective,” Mr Gregson said. “Three years after the original petition, residents are entitled to expect something more than a re-creation of a temporary scheme that was designed and implemented in very different circumstances.”
It is understood a permanent scheme is yet to be costed by the council, and that this would only happen at the end of the feasibility design stage. Cllr Mitchell said: “The scheme for the section of Formosa Street between Castellain Road and Warrington Crescent Avenue is currently under review, as are many public realm projects in Westminster directly funded by the council. A number of options are being considered, including a possible trial closure next summer.”
He added: “We understand that residents are concerned about the future of the project. At the moment, we are reviewing design options with local councillors and will be consulting members of the community around Formosa Street in due course.”
