Plans to pedestrianise parts of Oxford Street will move forward “as quickly as possible”, the Mayor of London has said.
Sir Sadiq Khan claims two thirds of people support the principle of banning traffic on one of the world’s busiest streets, with the Mayor adding that “urgent action is needed to give our nation’s high street a new lease of life”.
Vehicles would be banned from a 0.7-mile (1.1km) stretch between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, with further potential changes towards Tottenham Court Road, according to the BBC.
Adam Hug, Westminster City Council’s Labour leader, said the plan “was not the council’s preferred outcome” but “it is now important for Oxford Street’s future to move forward together”.
Detailed proposals for traffic on Oxford Street, which sees an average of half a million visitors each day, will be consulted on later this year.
The Mayor’s latest proposals depend on him obtaining permission from Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner in her role as secretary of state for housing, communities and local government to establish a new mayoral development corporation, which would provide planning powers.
Ms Rayner posted on X: “Proud to support the mayor of London in delivering this bold and ambitious vision to breathe new life into Oxford Street. We want to see it thrive – for tourists and Londoners alike.”
Tim Lord, chair of the Soho Society, said key questions remained unanswered, including about “traffic diversion and the impact of moving 16 bus routes into narrow, congested one-way streets in Marylebone and Fitzrovia”.
He said: “No convincing plan has ever been presented; London is already a very slow city and will get worse.
“The elephant in the room is that Oxford Street’s problems are to do with the quality and attractiveness of the retail offering, which is diminished by rents which are too high and which only ever increase.”
He added that there were questions about bicycles and “equality of access for bus and taxi users” and “people with kids and heavy shopping or with mobility restrictions”.
The Mayor said he was “impatient for progress” over his “ambitious” plans and that residents were “fed up with a managed decline”.
“We want to rejuvenate Oxford Street; establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events with a world-class, accessible, pedestrianised avenue, This will help to attract more international visitors and act as a magnet for new investment and job creation, driving growth and economic prosperity for decades to come.”
(Pic: Mayor of London)
