Chancery Lane to be closed off to cars for 18 months as Square Mile experiments with pedestrian only route

Chancery Lane will be closed off to cars for the next 18 months as the City of London experiments with a scheme to support pedestrians more.

Sandwiched between Holborn and Fleet Street, the Square Mile’s historic road will have no access for cars after 20 February. 

For 18 months, traffic restrictions will apply from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except for resident and business owners, as well as black cabs. 

The initiative is part of the City of London Corporation’s Pedestrian Priority Streets scheme, and comes after similar measures were introduced during lockdown.

Last week, the Corporation announced cars would be banned from a major and dangerous junction at Bank Station.

The Square Mile’s Corporation is asking for local residents and business owners’ views before deciding if it becomes a permanent fixture. 

It is “aimed at providing more space for pedestrians so they can feel safe and comfortable as they walk around the City”, said City of London Corporation streets and walkways sub committee Chairman Graham Packham.

“We want to make Chancery Lane a more attractive place for people who work in the area, residents and visitors to enjoy spending time in.

“We will be carefully monitoring traffic levels in the area to ensure the scheme doesn’t have an adverse impact on nearby streets, and take feedback from residents, businesses and other street users before making a decision on whether these restrictions remain in place permanently.”

During the experiment, the one-way northbound restriction in Chancery Lane will stay in place, with cars able to use Fetter Lane to travel between Fleet Street and High Holborn.