Railing-free diagonal crossings set to make their mark on yet another central London landmark

A radical £14m overhaul of Piccadilly Circus is set to turn the clock back more than 50 years, says Westminster City Council. The one way system and oppressive guard railings which pen pedestrians in were introduced in 1963, and have made crossing the famous site a nightmare ever since.

In an effort to replicate the success of the nearby Oxford Circus diagonal crossing more space will be devoted to pedestrians, allowing the listed Eros statute, London's symbol of love for nearly 200 years, to become a focal point along with the famous neon signs in the background.

More than one kilometre of guard railings - enough to build 800 bicycles - will be ripped out creating more room for pedestrians.

The revamp will also open up the important gateway to St James's Park and Horse Guards Parade during the 2012 Olympics - the venue for beach volleyball during the games, and Pall Mall, which will be the finish line for the several events includes the marathon, triathlon and road cycling, will also be improved.

Cllr Colin Barrow, Westminster City Council's Leader, announcing the plans at a meeting of the full council, said: 'This is an iconic landmark and it deserves a setting all Londoners can be proud of and enjoy visiting.

'In 2012 our capital will capture the world's attention and our plans to transform Piccadilly Circus and the surrounding area will ensure visitors are as impressed by the city's streets and all they have to offer, as they are with the sporting talent many will have travelled so far to see.'

The council is currently waiting to hear whether Transport for London will fund £7m of the revamp as part of its Major Schemes project, and it is expected to make a final decision within the next few weeks.

If Westminster's bid to TfL is successful, the remaining £7m will be jointly funded by the City Council and The Crown Estate, with additional funding from Fortnum and Mason, who are support the scheme along with the St James’s Conservation Area Trust.

David Shaw, Head of Regent Street Portfolio at The Crown Estate said: 'We are delighted that Cllr Barrow has announced Westminster City Council’s financial support for the proposed streetscape and public realm improvements to Piccadilly and Piccadilly Circus, which we are happy to match fund. This innovative scheme will deliver major improvements for residents, visitors and business alike ahead of the Olympics and follows on from last year’s highly successful partnership between The Crown Estate, Westminster City Council and Transport for London to regenerate Oxford Circus.'

Fortnum and Mason Managing Director, Beverley Aspinall, said: 'Fortnum & Mason is delighted to be supporting this important development which will restore one of London’s most famous, important and historic streets to its former glory. We are especially pleased that the work will be completed in time for the international celebrations for the Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.'

As part of the improvements a central island will be built along Piccadilly and Pall Mall - giving shoppers more opportunities to cross. The pelican crossing in Pall Mall by St James’s Square will be replaced with a zebra crossing.

Re-introducing two way streets from Piccadilly Circus along Piccadilly, St James's Street and Pall Mall should free up Piccadilly Circus and reduce the traffic passing through the St James’s area .

The improvements will run from Green Park tube station along Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus and through St James's Street to St James's Palace all the way along Pall Mall up to Haymarket.

Westminster hopes the benefits of the new scheme through reduced congestion on both the roads and pavements will reap similar rewards for the area in the same way as Oxford Circus. A recent report showed that Oxford Circus is expected to generate £6.5million worth of benefits within its first year alone - more than recouping its costs.

Engineering consultancy Atkins, which designed the Oxford Circus Diagonals, has been commissioned to work on the new Piccadilly designs.