Residents of west London are fiercely opposing plans to reintroduce a lightwell feature at a Victorian pub, arguing it may enable invasive activities like upskirting. The design proposal, submitted by Wentworth Andersen, has drawn criticism for potentially compromising the privacy of pedestrians. Previous conflicts between locals and Wentworth Andersen have arisen regarding signage and operational hours, raising concerns about noise and safety. Despite legal protections against such invasions of privacy, residents feel reinstating this feature contradicts recent efforts to ensure public space safety.
One resident said: 'Installing a 2000mm x 700mm open pavement grille with 35mm gaps is, in 2025, extraordinary—and not in the flattering sense. Given that upskirting has been a criminal offence since the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019, one might assume the days of designing public spaces that actively enable it were behind us.'
Local residents expressed that reinstating the lightwell feature would amount to designing our streets like the set of a Victorian peep show, which they vehemently opposed.
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