Arts quarter planned for West End as part of pandemic recovery

A central London business group hopes to create a new arts quarter behind the National Gallery as part of a bid to help the West End recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The Heart of London Business Alliance, which has more than 600 members across central London, said the scheme had the potential to bring forward about £1bn in investment via new development opportunities. Plans will be based around improving the public realm in the network of small streets behind the National Gallery, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. It comes as part of HoLBA’s newly announced five-year business plan, which comprises more than 40 potential projects, including a revamp of Green Park and plans to turn Charing Cross Road into a “tree-lined boulevard” to accommodate increased footfall from Crossrail. HoLBA chief executive Ros Morgan said the organisation’s plans involved “bringing culture on to the streets and integrating art into the built environment”. “[This] is based on the idea that it will be more important than ever to have spaces in the West End that people want to come back to, particularly as footfall from workers and tourists picks up.” The business plan is subject to a ballot among HoLBA’s members. The results will be announced on 4 March 2022.   To send feedback, e-mail alex.daniel@eg.co.uk or tweet @alexmdaniel or @EGPropertyNews Image © courtesy of FTI Consulting