Soho Heritage Study
The Soho neighbourhood Forum is launching a heritage study with consultants @publica_studio http://publica.co.uk/ and urban design specialist and Soho resident, Bahar Durmaz-Drinkwater.
Interactive digital map of visual heritage features
The study, which started in September 2024, aims to record street furniture, architecture, street signage, ghost signs and more - across Soho to create a permanent digital map of Soho’s history. The map and data will be held on the Neighbourhood Forum’s website www.planforsoho.org.
What we have? What would you miss?
The study was commissioned following concern at the amount of heritage assets disappearing as Soho’s visual landscaped has changed including the Twentieth Century Fox sign in Soho Square.
Community Engagement
Over the next months residents, visitors and businesses will be interviewed and surveys launched to capture views on what people consider Soho’s heritage. Keep an eye on the Neighbourhood Forum’s social media feeds and website for an update.
Historic street surfaces, bollards, railings, lighting, statues, architectural iron work, signage of merit, the noses, murals, loos, parish boundary markers , street signs, reliefs, drinking troughs, phone boxes, clocks, blue and other plaques, memorial benches, especially dated hoppers and pipes, manhole covers
If you have any images of heritage assets you think should be included- email images with a short description to SohoHeritageAudit@publica.co.uk or DM Plan for Soho via X, Facebook and Instagram. You can also submit directly to the study by completing this online form.
“Caught short in Soho?”There’s nowhere to go!
Soho Neighbourhood Forum, commissions research into public toilet facilities in the area and their impact on local businesses and residents’ quality of life.
Soho Neighbourhood Forum
Bringing together those who live, work or study in Soho
What does the Soho Neighbourhood Forum do?
The Forum Steering Group (FSG) which leads the forum, is made up of 8 business representatives and 8 residents.
Following the voting in of the Neighbourhood Plan at referendum in September 2021, the FSG’s responsibility is to monitor the effectiveness of the policies within the plan and where necessary put forward revised or new policies to address planning issues that affect the neighbourhood area. The other main responsibility is to consider and support applications for CIL projects.
The FSG meets quarterly to consider CIL applications, based on eight priorities identified in the plan through community consultation.
The eight priorities, for Soho CIL infrastructure projects, are shown below:-
Priorities
Through community consultation, we have identified eight core themes for Soho
To preserve, enhance, and promote the heritage and culture of Soho to keep is underlying spirit
2. To support and enhance the range and diversity of businesses in Soho particularly the creative industries and other business clusters by ensuring that there continues to be a continuing supply of flexibly sized accommodation.
3. To support investment which respects the nature of the Soho Conservation Area, generally retaining its character and human scale.
4. To support the continued local provision of live music venues, which minimises any adverse impacts on residents and other users, and ensures good management in all forms of entertainment, leisure and cultural activity.
5. To recognize the demand for, and to support, growth in the residential community by seeking to ensure that the affordable and other housing required by WCC, is located within Soho wherever possible with an appropriately sized mix of units and to enhance the attractiveness of the neighbourhood area for residents by reducing nuisance, noise, crime and anti-social behaviour.
6. To promote sustainable development, improve air quality, increase green infrastructure and improve the public realm.
7. To support a modal shift towards walking and cycling, promote car free living, freight consolidation and non fossil fuel delivery methods, to help reduce traffic and congestion.
8. To reduce the amounts of waste left on the street by encouraging better facilities for recycling and waste management within premises and supporting the increased provision of dedicated food waste recycling.
Live/Work or Study in Soho? Tell us your priorities for Soho
Interested in joining the Soho Forum or want to know more about CIL Funding?
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