Following concerns raised by our members about lighting levels in Connaught Place, we’re delighted to announce that a new lighting improvement scheme was completed in March 2022.

Situated between Stanhope Place and Edgware Road, Connaught Place is a small cul de sac, home to 20 BID members on the north side, with a mix of residential properties and office accommodation on the south side. The street lies within the Bayswater Conservation Area and numbers 1-12 (excluding number 8) are Grade II listed buildings. The terrace of town houses is thought to date back to c.1828-30. Number 5 was rebuilt in facsimile following war damage. One of the most striking features of the terrace is their stucco Doric porticoes, which project over the pavement.

The BID raised concerns about low lighting levels in Connaught Place with Westminster City Council late in 2020 and lobbied for the inclusion of a lighting improvement scheme in the Council’s annual programme of planned preventative maintenance.

The scheme was accepted by the City Council following a lighting survey, and a design completed in January 2021. Funding of just over £20,000 was approved by the Cabinet Member for City Management, Cllr Melvyn Caplan, in March 2021, followed by a period of public consultation.

The three existing lighting columns in Connaught Place received upgraded luminaires, in line with the more energy-efficient LED roll-out, and the wall-mounted lantern at the entrance was replaced with an appropriate specification. Two additional Oxford columns were installed, with Sugg Grosvenor luminaires, ensuring that all columns and lanterns in Connaught Place remained in keeping with the Victorian heritage styling.

With thanks to Westminster City Council for keeping our streets safe.