The Seven Dials Trust made a formal response based on the following principles:

1) To protect the unique historic streetscape and layout of Seven Dials including footways of equal width except where engineering requirements necessitate minor variations;

2) To follow the recommendations laid out in the new Seven Dials / Covent Garden Study in respect of materials;

3) That widening of footways must be for the benefit of pedestrians;

4) That kerbs should be retained and all proposals should have granite kerbs;

5) That there should be no annexation of public space for commercial usage;

6) That any al fresco dining should be clearly attached to specific, food-led and ground floor premises who will have the responsibility to ensure there is no obstruction and to manage noise and any anti-social behaviour;

7) That planters are inappropriate in the context of Seven Dials’ hard urban streetscape and are another form of street clutter. Greening should follow the tradition of window boxes, and as agreed, tree clusters and should not have the potential to obscure the view of the Sundial Pillar;

8) That the particular characteristics of high-density, mixed-use streets inform all proposals so that the needs of upper floor users, whether residents or other users are taken into account.

You can read the Trust’s full response here (PDF).