The Labour Mayor wants to reboot plans that would make one of Europe’s most famous shopping streets traffic free, potentially starting with the stretch between Oxford Circus and Selfridges.
His vision is for a “traffic-free pedestrianised avenue” that is able to compete with Times Square in New York, the Champs-Elysees in Paris and Las Ramblas in Barcelona. He wants Oxford Street to “once again become the leading retail destination in the world”.
A £43 million scheme had to be abandoned in 2018 after the then Tory-led council withdrew support due to opposition from residents, who feared that surrounding streets would become gridlocked with diverted buses, taxis and delivery vehicles.
Labour took control of the council in 2022 but remains opposed to pedestrianising Oxford Street. The council, which currently has responsibility for the street, only learned of the Mayor’s plans five days ago. Some cabinet members were “apoplectic”, the Standard was told. Nickie Aiken, the former Tory MP for the Cities of London and Westminster, today accused the Mayor and Government of seeking to remove local democracy and “railroad” a scheme without local support. “I hope [Westminster council] will stand up to this bullying and bring a judicial review,” she tweeted.
The council already has “shovel ready” plans for a £150 million transformation of the wider area — including spending £89 million on the street itself and a further £25 million at Oxford Circus. Crucially, its scheme involves “maintaining vehicular access on the street”.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Kylie Minogue loves the bar at Louie, startling Beefeaters and snooping in The Conran Shop
Currently it’s largely suitcase-based as I’ve been doing so much travel for work, but Melbourne, Australia, is home.
Are Spurs willing to invest what it takes to win trophies?
Criticism of the manager for the club's struggles misses the point-whatever he says, he's not been given a squad ready to push for the biggest honours
Crowning glory awaits Britain's golden girl
Odds-on favourite to win BBC Sports Personality, Keely Hodgkinson never doubted she was ready to conquer the world
Residents at war over £10 billion 'Shanghai-style' Earl's Court plan
Controversial proposals are causing a huge furore in west London
The secrets of selling the capital's £40m homes
Armed security, NDAs, a gold temple...inside the world of ultra high-end property deals
Jenny Packham on Amsterdam why is truly magical at Christmas time
The designer gets lost in the cobbled streets and is entranced by the city’s twinkling lights and unique spirit
Alfies Antique Market
Here is a place to blindly lose oneself in a labyrinth of staircases and thresholds.
Decline and fall: what comes after peak wellness?
The social elite are obsessed with devices that track their health but the backlash is building
The newest AI can arrange your holiday- but will it be a strictly woke one?
A lightning-quick artificial megabrain with an appetite for social justice? WILLIAM HOSIE has a chat with Claude Al
'Fame just isn't healthy
Mercury Prize-winning band English Teacher on the pressure of success, trying not to burn out and the challenges black women face in indie music