Public consultation begins today on Sir Sadiq Khan’s proposals for revitalising Oxford Street, which City Hall says will gather views about the “principle” of pedestrianisation and the potential for it happening
The Mayor announced last September his intention to transform the famous retail avenue, which has suffered a decline in recent years due largely to changing shopping habits, the impact of the pandemic and a slide in the quality of some outlets.
He had the backing of communities secretary Angela Rayner, whose consent he will require to create a mayoral development corporation (MDC) to deliver the project, provisionally embracing streets to the north and south of Oxford Street and territory at either end.
Almost all of the area an MDC would encompass is currently under the control of Westminster Council, which is the highway authority for Oxford Street itself, with a small part lying in Camden.
The MDC would supersede the two councils in policy areas yet to be fully determined but City Hall says they would include “specific planning powers” with the aim of delivering “a world-leading scheme that works for residents, visitors and businesses”.
The consultation, which will run until 2 May, has been welcomed by business groups and by Camden leader Richard Olszewski, but not by Westminster which is the highway authority for Oxford Street and would be superseded by the MDC. Transport for London, whose board Khan chairs, could become the new highway authority. This change, too, would need government approval.
Labour-run Westminster was unhappy with the Mayor’s intervention, which it was given little notice of and has scuppered its own regeneration programme for the street and its environs, which had already got underway when Khan’s September intervention was made.
It continues to believe that an MDC is not necessary for the street to be improved, a view also recently expressed by local MP Rachel Blake speaking at a King’s College event.
In a separate statement about the consultation, Westminster leader Adam Hug said that “subject to the outcome of the Mayor’s consultation, our role is to ensure that the Mayor’s proposed Oxford Street transformation delivers for local communities as well as for London”, adding that “numerous improvements” to the Mayor’s plans had already been secured.
Westminster, which is expected to have three seats on the future MDC’s board, says it has been agreed that “the GLA should develop plans to bring forward improvements to the area at the eastern end of Oxford Street” having recognised the particular difficulties of pedestrianising the area to the east of Oxford Circus.
It also says City Hall has committed to retaining some north-south access to Oxford Street for taxis under any pedestrianisation measures and to the MDC undertaking “freight consolidation” and to prioritise electric buses on routes that have to be altered under the scheme.
Local residents’ concerns about more heavy vehicles going down their streets have been a long-term factor in considerations about Oxford Street traffic management.
Improved security measures would be introduced, jointly managed by the council and City Hall, together with the police, according to Westminster,
The council adds that the MDC’s reach either side of Oxford Street has, subject to consultation, been “reduced to one block either side of Oxford Street”, which is narrower than an initial City Hall suggestion.
It further states that the Mayor has “in principle, agreed a mechanism” that will enable the council to “retain development funds collected in the area”, meaning contributions from developers in the form of money for “strategic infrastructure”, local employment, skills training and affordable housing agreed as the terms of planning consents would not be lost to Westminster, which will work to have these and any future “recognised in legally binding agreements”.
Transport for London’s consultation page for Oxford Street is here.
OnLondon.co.uk provides unique, no-advertising and no-paywall coverage of the capital’s politics, development and culture. Support the website and its writers for just £5 a month or £50 a year and get things that other people won’t. Details HERE. Follow Dave Hill on Bluesky. Image of possible Oxford Street changes from GLA.
Isn’t an MDC rather drastic for a pedestrianisation project. What will its superpowers be used for here? Department stores are already redeveloping or rebuilding. This is happening now with the usual architectural bland banality, so Mayor Khan has missed his chance to CPO and rebuild properly with the kind of striking iconic architecture that would really make this street ‘world class’.
The Olympics MDC demolished housing, moved ordinary London residents out. Will something similar happen along Oxford Street? TfL and councils have been busy for a while with freight consolidation and other measures to tame deliveries traffic. Will the government be providing funding for the 24/7 policing that currently does not happen because police resources are low? If so, aren’t there other areas that need the extra policing more?
Hi. It’s certainly a novel use of an MDC. Perhaps the view from City Hall was that the “transformation” is only partly about pedestrianisation, which looks set to take place only in instalments and might well only ever be partial.
The housing on what became the Olympic Park site was partly student accommodation and the organisation that ran the residential was heavily criticised. It’s long-term prospects did not look great. More sub-market rate housing is coming forward on the park all the time.