Sadiq Khan is to ban cars on London’s Oxford Street in a bid to “rejuvenate” the area despite opposition from Westminster City Council, which accused the Mayor of overreach. The Times has more.
Sir Sadiq Khan will proceed with a controversial plan to pedestrianise a significant chunk of Oxford Street in a bid to “rejuvenate” the area.
The plans will involve the banning of traffic from Great Portland Street, just to the east of the new Ikea store near Oxford Circus underground station, to Orchard Street, to the west of Selfridges.
The Mayor’s office says the plans will open up the street for “exciting events and activities” and a create a “well-designed, high-quality space” that attracts shoppers from across the world.
The Labour Mayor will drive through the plans using a vehicle known as a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), the same tactic used by his predecessors to regenerate Stratford and the Olympic Park.
The body reports to the Mayor and its planning decisions have primacy over objections from local authorities.
Khan had put the plans out to consultation, and the Mayor’s office said last night that almost two thirds of respondents supported the plans, rising to “more like three quarters (72%) among those who had specifically visited the area within 12 months”.
Plans for the transformation of Oxford Street are not new — Ken Livingstone proposed a tram, while Johnson rerouted some of the numerous bus routes on the street. However, numerous previous schemes have been stymied by a combination of local politics and concerns that the bus services that use the street would be pushed on to smaller roads unfit for such heavy traffic.
Westminster City Council, in whose area Oxford Street lies, has been particularly vociferous in its opposition, and told the consultation that Khan was guilty of overreach by setting up an MDC.
“Oxford Street is entirely in Westminster and we remain clear in our view that Westminster is the appropriate authority to handle the transformation of Oxford Street,” the council’s response read.
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