The designations enable local residents to have a greater say over planning within the areas, including the ability to develop a neighbourhood plan which will become part of the planning framework for the area.
The areas in Mayfair, St James's and Soho were designated as business areas. The Council said in its Cabinet member report (26-page / 2.19MB PDF) that land use statistics within those areas had shown that they were "wholly or predominantly business in nature" in accordance with the Localism Act.
The proposed Mayfair neighbourhood area had taken in both sides of Regent Street and overlapped with the proposed Soho area, which took in the eastern side of Regent Street. The Council designated the Mayfair area as applied for and designated a revised area for Soho which does not include the eastern side of Regent Street.
The Cabinet report said that this ensured that a "consistent neighbourhood area approach" was given to both sides of Regent Street in line with the Regent Street Conservation Area boundaries as well as the western boundary of the Soho Conservation Area.
The Council said that it has received applications for 21 neighbourhood areas. It is currently consulting on applications for a further five neighbourhood areas in Chelsea Barracks, Hyde Park and Paddington, Marylebone, Queen’s Park, and South East Bayswater.
