Central London is the innermost part ofLondon, inEngland, spanning theCity of London and severalboroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics,urban planning and local government. Its characteristics are understood to include a high-density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally, nationally and internationally significant organisations and facilities.
Road distances to London are traditionally measured from a central point atCharing Cross (in theCity of Westminster), which is marked by thestatue of King Charles I at the junction of theStrand,Whitehall andCockspur Street, just south ofTrafalgar Square.[1]
The central area is distinguished, according to theRoyal Commission, by the inclusion within its boundaries ofParliament and the Royal Palaces, the headquarters of Government, theLaw Courts, the head offices of a very large number of commercial and industrial firms, as well as institutions of great influence in the intellectual life of the nation such as theBritish Museum, theNational Gallery, theTate Gallery, theUniversity of London, the headquarters of the national ballet and opera, together with the headquarters of many national associations, the great professions, the trade unions, the trade associations and social service societies, as well as theLiberal Democrat Headquarters,Labour Party Headquarters andConservative Campaign Headquarters, shopping centres and centres of entertainment which attract people from the whole ofGreater London and farther afield.
In many other respects the central area differs from areas farther out in London. Therateable value of the central area is exceptionally high. Its day population is very much larger than its night population. Its traffic problems reach an intensity not encountered anywhere else in the Metropolis or in any provincial city, and the enormous office developments which have taken place recently constitute a totally new phenomenon.[2]
Starting in 2004, theLondon Plan defined a 'Central Activities Zone' policy area, which as of 2008 comprised the City of London, most ofWestminster and the inner parts of Camden, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Kensington & Chelsea and Wandsworth.[3] It is described as "a unique cluster of vitally important activities including central government offices, headquarters and embassies, the largest concentration of London's financial and business services sector and the offices of trade, professional bodies, institutions, associations, communications, publishing, advertising and the media".[4]
For strategic planning, since 2011 there has been a Central Londonsub-region comprising the boroughs ofCamden,Islington,Kensington and Chelsea,Lambeth,Southwark,Westminster and theCity of London.[5] From 2004 to 2008, the London Plan included a sub-region called Central London comprising Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Southwark,Wandsworth and Westminster.[6] It had a 2001 population of 1,525,000. The sub-region was replaced in 2008 with a new structure which amalgamated inner and outer boroughs together. This was altered in 2011 when a new Central London sub-region was created, now including theCity of London and excluding Wandsworth.
The 1901 Census defined Central London as theCity of London and themetropolitan boroughs (subdivisions that existed from 1900 to 1965) ofBermondsey,Bethnal Green,Finsbury,Holborn,Shoreditch,Southwark,Stepney,St Marylebone andWestminster.[7]
During theHerbert Commission and the subsequent passage of theLondon Government Bill, three unsuccessful attempts were made to define an area that would form a centralLondon borough. The first two were detailed in the 1959 Memorandum of Evidence of theGreater London Group of theLondon School of Economics.
"Scheme A" envisaged a central London borough, one of 25, consisting of the City of London, Westminster, Holborn, Finsbury and the inner parts of St Marylebone, St Pancras, Chelsea, Southwark and Lambeth. The boundary deviated from existing lines to include allcentral London railway stations, theTower of London and the museums, such that it included small parts of Kensington, Shoreditch, Stepney and Bermondsey. It had an estimated population of 350,000 and occupied 7,000 acres (28 km2).[8]
"Scheme B" delineated central London, as one of 7 boroughs, including most of the City of London, the whole of Finsbury and Holborn, most of Westminster and Southwark, parts of St Pancras, St Marylebone, Paddington and a small part of Kensington. The area had an estimated population of 400,000 and occupied 8,000 acres (32 km2).[8]
During the passage of the London Government Bill an amendment was put forward to create a central borough corresponding to the definition used at the 1961 census. It consisted of the City of London, all of Westminster, Holborn and Finsbury; and the inner parts of Shoreditch, Stepney, Bermondsey, Southwark, Lambeth, Chelsea, Kensington, Paddington, St Marylebone and St Pancras. The population was estimated to be 270,000.[9]
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51°30′27″N0°07′39″W / 51.5075°N 0.1275°W /51.5075; -0.1275
