Sir Sadiq Khan has announced plans to ban traffic from part of Oxford Street will be implemented "as quickly as possible" due to support from "the vast majority of Londoners".
According to Khan’s office, 66 per cent of respondents to a consultation supported the pedestrianisation plan. A separate YouGov survey conducted in September 2024 indicated that 63% of Londoners are in favour of the project.
Oxford Street is one of the world’s busiest shopping areas, with around half a million visitors each day.
Detailed proposals for traffic will be consulted on later this year.
A previous attempt by Sir Sadiq to pedestrianise that part of Oxford Street was blocked by then-Conservative run Westminster City Council in 2018.
His latest proposals depend on him obtaining permission from Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner in her role as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to establish a new Mayoral Development Corporation, which would provide planning powers.
The aim is for this to be created by the start of next year.
Sir Sadiq said: “Oxford Street has suffered over many years, so urgent action is needed to give our nation’s high street a new lease of life.
“It’s clear that the vast majority of Londoners and major businesses back our exciting plans, so I’m pleased to confirm that we will now be moving ahead as quickly as possible.
“We want to rejuvenate Oxford Street; establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events with a world-class, accessible, pedestrianised avenue.
“This will help to attract more international visitors and act as a magnet for new investment and job creation, driving growth and economic prosperity for decades to come.”
Ms Rayner said: “We want to see Oxford Street become the thriving place to be for tourists and Londoners alike, and that’s why we welcome the Mayor of London’s bold proposals to achieve that.
“We will support the mayor in delivering this ambitious vision, which will help to breathe new life into Oxford Street – driving investment, creating new jobs for local people and providing a boost to economic growth in the capital.”
Adam Hug, leader of Labour-controlled Westminster City Council, said: “While the mayor’s formal decision today was not the City Council’s preferred outcome, it is far from unexpected, and it is now important for Oxford Street’s future to move forward together.
“Since the mayor’s new approach was made public last autumn, Westminster has worked pragmatically and productively with the Greater London Authority (GLA) to ensure that the plan for Oxford Street more closely meets the needs of businesses, visitors, and residents.
“Since 2022, Oxford Street has roared back to life after the pandemic. Such is the level of retail confidence that existing brands have spent £118 million refitting their stores in the last 12 months alone, according to Savills.
“Westminster City Council will work constructively with the mayor’s team to ensure the nation’s high street is re-imagined in a way that works for visitors, shoppers, and our residents.”
Sir Sadiq Khan to pedestrianise Oxford Street ‘as quickly as possible’
Patients who record NHS care for TikTok or Instagram ‘put themselves at risk’
Cathedral has listing status upgraded to recognise ‘architectural brilliance’
UK’s first ever dedicated Marie Antoinette exhibition to open at London museum
How deleting your old emails could help England avoid major water shortages
Martin Lewis shares how to keep mobile bills down – and would-be thieves at bay
