Westminster City Council made a last-ditch attempt to delay Sadiq Khan’s plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street, but the Government has rejected the intervention, clearing the way for the scheme to proceed next month.
The council wrote to ministers last week urging them to require Transport for London (TfL) to carry out a full environmental impact assessment before the £150 million project goes ahead. TfL had sought permission to proceed without the full assessment, but Westminster argued that removing traffic from Oxford Street could simply shift congestion, noise and pollution onto surrounding streets.
Councillor Tim Barnes, Westminster City Council Deputy Leader, said:
“We’re extremely disappointed that Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government have ignored legitimate concerns about the impact this scheme will have on central London.
“Rushing pedestrianisation to meet the Mayor’s arbitrary deadline will be a disaster for local people, businesses and visitors. The Mayor’s own submission to MHCLG showed air pollution and noise rising. We need to know how much, and how far, those problems will spread.
“Important questions – on managing traffic, noise and impact on air quality all sit unanswered.
“We’ve consistently said that if pedestrianisation must happen we’ll help to make it work. London deserves a world class shopping district but I’m worried we’re heading for an unmanaged mess.
“The council will review the details of this decision and consider our next steps.”
The first phase is expected to see around one kilometre of Oxford Street, between Orchard Street near Selfridges and Great Portland Street, closed to general traffic. Buses will also be diverted, while emergency services will retain access. The scheme is intended to create a much more pedestrian-focused public space and is part of Khan’s wider ambition to transform Oxford Street.
The decision represents another setback for Westminster Conservatives, who have strongly opposed the Mayor’s approach and warned that traffic and pollution could be displaced into neighbouring areas including Mayfair, Marylebone and Soho.
The latest row is another chapter in a long-running political battle between Westminster and the Mayor over Oxford Street. Previous attempts at pedestrianisation collapsed amid local opposition, but Khan has since acquired greater powers to push the project through.
With the Government now refusing Westminster’s final attempt to delay the scheme, attention is likely to turn to whether the promised benefits materialise and whether concerns about displaced traffic, congestion and pollution prove justified.
(Picture: Mayor of London)
