Chelsea’s main shopping avenue, Sloane Street, is set to be transformed into a greener and more luxurious retail destination by the end of 2024. 

The project, which was first revealed in 2019 but delayed due to the Covid pandemic, will be the most significant streetscape improvement to the neighbourhood since it was originally commissioned by the 1st Earl Cadogan in the 18th century. Funded by the Cadogan estate, and delivered in partnership with Kensington and Chelsea Council, the aim is to create a more appealing shopping experience while also making sustainability improvements for the future. 

The £46 million investment includes creating a green boulevard spanning from Knightsbridge to Sloane Square, significant widening of street pavements, and enhanced lighting which will incorporate additional security measures to provide a more welcoming environment for pedestrians.

London architect John McAslan + Partners — whose recent work includes the transformation of King’s Cross Station — is leading on the public masterplan, with planting overseen by serial Chelsea Flower Show winner, Andy Sturgeon, who will follow a royal-inspired colour palette of rich maroons, reds, purples and blues deployed across climate-resilient flowers, shrubs and over 100 new trees.

With the project’s partners committed to a more sustainable future, the Sloane Street scheme is designed to have an ultra-low carbon impact. In addition to the significant planting on the street, a newly cultivated ‘pocket forest’ — created in collaboration with Louis Vuitton — will feature beehives and ponds in Cadogan Place Gardens and new waste collection bikes to support the improvement of local air quality.

The project will also see the street’s luxury retail experience enhanced. Many fashion boutiques — including the new Emilia Wickstead, Diptyque and Anya Hindmarch flagships — opened on Sloane Street recently, with significant upsizes from Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta and Valentino expected within a year. Elsewhere, culinary highlights include the restoration of the historic Belmond Cadogan Hotel and the opening of Cantinetta Antinori — the first UK restaurant from the famed Italian winemaking Antinori family.

Hugh Seaborn, CEO of Cadogan, says: “These works will strengthen Sloane Street’s position as a global destination for luxury retail and create an even more desirable environment for local residents and businesses [with] a more beautiful, inspiring, greener, cleaner and better-connected environment. As the majority, long-term landowner on Sloane Street, we have a dedicated objective and responsibility to protect the area’s historical significance but also ensure it is one of the world’s most elegant and desirable luxury shopping destinations.”

Visit sloanestreetfuture.co.uk

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