Tuesday 11th March saw the official launch of The Cut following its recent refurbishment. Representatives from key partners involved, including Cross River Partnership, TfL, Lambeth and Southwark Council; were joined by Kevin Spacey, Artistic Director at the Old Vic Theatre, and David Lan, Artistic Director at the Young Vic Theatre to talk through the improvements and the benefits that they have made to the area as a whole.

The project, which cost £3m, aimed to improve the pedestrian environment of the street, widening pavements, installing new lighting and new trees and introducing new street furniture and cycle racks. It is hoped that the project will create a new link between Waterloo and Bankside, giving a boost to the businesses on the street and in the area.

 

WQBA has sat on the project steering group from the beginning of the scheme and lobbied for various improvements at the request of its members, including seating to encourage shoppers to linger and designated licensable areas for outdoor tables and chairs. As featured in our newsletter in January, the scheme also introduces a new refuse collection system aimed at reducing the number of unsightly rubbish bins left on the street and preventing the pile up of business waste on the pavement throughout the day. The new system involves placing bagged rubbish on a designated spot at two timed collection windows during the day.