Exclusive: The shelved plan to ban cars from Central London

In late September 2023, officials from Transport for London held a Teams call with leaders from the New West End Company, a powerful organisation of central London businesses. It had been convened to discuss something bracingly specific: getting rid of cars from central London. It was a bold plan, more radical than anything that had been attempted at the time by competitor cities in Europe.

The subject of the email setting up the meeting stated things clearly enough: “Zero Emission Zone”. And in preparation for the meeting, a PowerPoint presentation had been shared between the parties, describing itself as an “action plan”. 

The presentation — which we obtained from TfL via a Freedom of Information Request — was created by a London-based consulting firm called Norman Rourke Pryme, commissioned by the New West End Company (NWEC). Because it represents around 600 firms who collectively employ around 175,000 people, the NWEC has a major voice in London policymaking, working closely with local councils and City Hall.

TfL wasn’t involved with the development of the action plan, even though it was later invited to consult on the proposals it contained. But why had the NWEC spent lots of its money commissioning it? The answer, it seems, was that it was following City Hall’s lead.

What’s in the plan?