The major central London square that is getting a multimillion-pound transformation

Cavendish Square Gardens, near Oxford Circus, could soon change dramatically. Built in 1717, the little green haven in London’s West End has been offering respite to harried office workers, shoppers and tourists since it opened to the public in the 1970s. 

Now there is a proposal to completely redesign the popular square, and plans are one step closer to becoming reality after Westminster City Council ‘appropriated’ the land for the developers. 

Reef Group, the developers behind the project, have promised to spend £3 million improving the gardens. The company wants to almost double the amount of pedestrian footways and install a new ‘moat-like’ water feature, alongside fresh planting and building new entrances to the park along the southwest. There would also be a new major pedestrian crossing linking the square to Holles Street and Oxford Street and a two-metre-high railing to be installed around the gardens as well as 50 additional cycle parking spaces.

An underground car park currently resides beneath the square, but Reef wants to turn this into a subterranean health facility. This was approved in 2022 and Q Park, which runs the car park, has agreed to surrender a lease that would otherwise run until 2036.

The council is currently the freeholder for the majority of the site and has proposed selling the underground space to Reef while retaining the garden, which could raise £42 million for the council. 

According to a council report, in order for construction to begin the land needs to be given permission to have a different use, and there must be time for the public to make objections. After approving these measures in October, the council will meet again this month (December) to discuss the public feedback with Reef Group. 

Did you see that Eurostar is bringing back trains from London to the Alps? 

Plus: the beloved south London community event that has been axed for 2026. 

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