Sir Sadiq Khan has visited Oxford Street, where a half-mile stretch of the road is being pedestrianised for most of Sunday (September 21)
London’s mayor has declared a one-day trial banning traffic from part of Oxford Street as “the day the fight back began to rescue this street”. Sir Sadiq Khan visited the famous shopping area, where vehicles are blocked from travelling between Oxford Circus and Orchard Street until 8pm on Sunday (September 21) for an event dubbed This Is Oxford Street.
Sir Sadiq reminisced about how “wonderful” Oxford Street was in its heyday but how it is in vital need of change to save it. “The reality is, [Oxford Street] has been in decline for some time,” he admitted. “I’d call it managed decline.
“You’ve seen a situation where more and more people are shopping online or going to out-of-town centres, shopping centres, high-profile shops have left Oxford Street, and the pandemic was a real body blow to this street. Today is a glimpse to what the future could be like, where this is a place where people can walk.
“It increases footfall. It increases spend, (it will be a) great place to shop, to do leisure, but also have outdoor events. (Today) will go down in history, in my view, as the day the fight back began to rescue this street.”
Sir Sadiq has plans to ban vehicles from a 0.7-mile stretch between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, with the potential for further changes towards Tottenham Court Road. Detailed proposals for traffic under the pedestrianisation plan will be consulted on later this year.
The mayor expressed that he “fully understands” the “minority of residents” who voiced concerns over congestion and accessibility, stating that the authority had consulted residents. “We’re going to carry on not just working with residents and the council, but working with retailers, landowners and others to make sure we can return this street to its previous glory,” Sir Sadiq declared.
When questioned about his plans to pedestrianise more thoroughfares in the capital, Sir Sadiq responded: “We’ve already worked with councils to pedestrianise parts of London, outside Somerset House. We’ve, this summer, invested in al fresco dining during the summer months.
“So we are working with the government so we can have more powers over licensing and so forth. I think hospitality, retail are really important sectors of our economy, but also, (they are) one of the reasons people love to come to London.”
Oxford Street is recognised as one of the world’s busiest shopping areas, attracting around half a million visitors each day. A previous attempt by Sir Sadiq to pedestrianise part of Oxford Street was thwarted by the then-Conservative-run Westminster City Council in 2018.
His latest proposals hinge on securing permission from the Government to establish a new Mayoral Development Corporation, which would provide planning powers. The goal is for this to be established by the start of next year.
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