London Mayor launches public consultation for Oxford Street pedestrianisation
A view of London's commercial Oxford Street Credits: Unsplash. Mayor of London, Saqid Khan, has launched a public consultation for his proposal to pedestrianise Oxford Street. The project aims to help turnaround performance of the iconic street, which has suffered in the face of the pandemic and the growth of online shopping. Next to turning the street into a “pedestrian-friendly public space”, Khan is also proposing to make the area “more resilient to the impact of climate change”, creating a “high-quality space that showcases the best of London’s talent” and bringing events to the site to “test the potential of a new and more inviting public realm”. In a release, Khan recognised the struggles Oxford Street has experienced in recent years, before adding: “My proposals are designed to unlock the true potential of Oxford Street and deliver a world-class, accessible, clean, avenue. These proposals would help to restore this famous part of the capital and support good businesses, while creating new jobs and boosting growth.” The proposals are being backed by industry bodies and landlords operating in the area, including the New West End Company, the CEO of which, Dee Corsi, said the launch of a public consultation “marks a significant milestone in the journey of the nation’s high street”. Corsi continued: “It is an important step towards unlocking the full potential of Oxford Street and the wider West End. We are ready to work with the Mayor, the government, Westminster City Council, and the local community to bring this vision to life and drive long-term benefits for London and the UK as a whole.” The consultation is open until May 2, 2025, during which time the goal is to gather locals’ views on the proposals to create a new Mayoral Development Corporation, which a press release stated “would have the necessary powers to support the transformation of the area”.
Mayor of London, Saqid Khan, has launched a public consultation for his proposal to pedestrianise Oxford Street. The project aims to help turnaround performance of the iconic street, which has suffered in the face of the pandemic and the growth of online shopping.
Next to turning the street into a “pedestrian-friendly public space”, Khan is also proposing to make the area “more resilient to the impact of climate change”, creating a “high-quality space that showcases the best of London’s talent” and bringing events to the site to “test the potential of a new and more inviting public realm”.
In a release, Khan recognised the struggles Oxford Street has experienced in recent years, before adding: “My proposals are designed to unlock the true potential of Oxford Street and deliver a world-class, accessible, clean, avenue. These proposals would help to restore this famous part of the capital and support good businesses, while creating new jobs and boosting growth.”
The proposals are being backed by industry bodies and landlords operating in the area, including the New West End Company, the CEO of which, Dee Corsi, said the launch of a public consultation “marks a significant milestone in the journey of the nation’s high street”.
Corsi continued: “It is an important step towards unlocking the full potential of Oxford Street and the wider West End. We are ready to work with the Mayor, the government, Westminster City Council, and the local community to bring this vision to life and drive long-term benefits for London and the UK as a whole.”
The consultation is open until May 2, 2025, during which time the goal is to gather locals’ views on the proposals to create a new Mayoral Development Corporation, which a press release stated “would have the necessary powers to support the transformation of the area”.
