You told us that the strengths of the Harley Street BID area are:
- Attractive, with valuable green spaces and tidy streets.
- A vibrant mix of retail, food and drink and other activities, especially on Marylebone High Street and Marylebone Lane.
- A world-class medical destination, that could be celebrated better.
- Welcoming, with 76% saying they feel welcome and feel like they belong in the Harley Street area.
- Perceived generally to be safe, with 90% reporting feeling safe during the day and 74% reporting feeling safe after dark.
You also told us the challenges of the area are:
- Traffic levels can be too high.
- The need for additional planting, with street trees and pocket parks being the most supported opportunities.
- A lack of seating, with 69% responding this was an issue.
- A lack of inclusivity in the area with most respondents suggesting there are not enough spaces catering for play (40%), families (30%), or people of different incomes (49%).
- A need to improve accessibility with improved crossings and wider pavements highlighted as priorities.
- Improved wayfinding from entry points to the area.
- Opinions around cycling were divided with 41% for and 43% against improving cycle infrastructure.
How your feedback has helped shape the proposals:
- 88% support the BID’s ambitions to provide greener spaces with a focus on health, wellbeing and accessibility while improving the area’s neighbourhood qualities and the setting for its many heritage assets.
- 56% in favour of rebalancing streets away from vehicles and parking to provide more planting and better walking and cycling routes.
- Feedback allowed clear priorities to be established for the masterplan with more benches and seating, more trees and greenery and improved footways and crossings receiving the most support for improvements.
- Ensure interventions are place-specific. For example, the need for enhanced placemaking on Harley Street, a requirement for additional seating on Harley Street and Marylebone High Street, and a focus for accessibility improvements on Harley Street and New Cavendish Street.