Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street following the results of a formal consultation.
The proposals involve preventing vehicles from driving on the 0.7 mile stretch of road between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, banning traffic from the busy shopping area.
Based on the results of the consultation, which saw two thirds of over 6,600 individuals, groups and businesses express support for the development plans, the Mayor has announced that the project will ‘be moving ahead as quickly as possible’.
The regeneration of the street is expected 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’, says the Mayor.
However, critics have expressed concerns about the impact on bus and taxi routes, as well as the expected increase in congestion in surrounding areas.
The Government has said it will approve a Mayoral Development Corporation to ensure planning powers are transferred from Westminster City Council, who previously opposed the scheme in 2018.
Cllr Adam Hug, leader of Westminster City Council, said: ‘While the Mayor’s formal decision today was not the City Council’s preferred outcome, it is far from unexpected, and it is now important for Oxford Street’s future to move forward together.’
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