It may be just for one day, but Sir Sadiq Khan is about to see his dream of pedestrianising Oxford Street become reality.
The London mayor has announced that the nation’s most famous high street will become traffic-free on Sunday September 21 for a landmark event.
The “This is Oxford Street” event will aim to showcase the street and the benefits of pedestrianisation – something the mayor hopes to introduce on a permanent basis by 2027.
One-day closures of Regent Street were trialled by Ken Livingstone in his time as mayor between 2000 and 2008.
But the September 21 event is being described by City Hall as a “landmark” in Sir Sadiq achieving a long-held ambition.
The street will go traffic-free from Orchard Street to Oxford Circus – about half a mile between Selfridges and the junction with Regent Street - between midday and 8pm and “offer a glimpse of what Oxford Street could look like in the future”.
Sir Sadiq said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to see Oxford Street in a whole new light, traffic-free, full of music, great food, pop-ups and entertainment for everyone.
“As mayor, I’m determined to unlock Oxford Street’s true potential and deliver a world-class, accessible, clean, avenue.
“So add the date to your diary, it’s going to be a fantastic day out as we reimagine the West End for everyone. This Is Oxford Street – vibrant, thriving and back on the map.”
On the day of the event, a number of Oxford Street stores will be offering special deals.
Themed outdoor areas will be established, spanning fashion, sport, music, food and heritage.
These include areas branded as “This is Style”, promoting fashion, “This is Play” promoting sport, “This is Flavour” featuring dining, and “This is Me”, which – in a nod to the mayor’s own love of a photo opportunity - will include interactive “selfie spots”.
Holland & Barrett will curate a “wellness zone” and a pop-up “This is Love” installation will be hosted by the charity Choose Love, which helps refugees and displaced people.
But many bus routes will be diverted or part-axed from 9pm on Saturday September 20 until early on Monday morning.
Oxford Street continues to enjoy a post-pandemic resurgence, helped by flagship openings such as Ikea and the return of the HMV music store to the street.
Dee Corsi, chief executive of the New West End Company, a business improvement district, said: “It is exciting to see Oxford Street animated in this way, giving Londoners and visitors the chance to experience the street differently.”
Sir Sadiq is hoping the Government will pass legislation to create a mayoral development corporation by January 1 next year, which would grant him planning and revenue-raising powers over the area.
Detailed plans for the changes to the road – and what they would mean for the 16 bus routes and for taxis – are due to go out to consultation later this year.
In June, the mayor confirmed he would press ahead with the £150m part-pedestrianisation of Oxford Street after joking that he had secured “North Korean” levels of support from Londoners.
The changes will involve more of the road being closed to traffic than first thought - the eastern section between Oxford Circus and Great Portland Street, in front of the new Ikea store, in addition to the western section between Oxford Circus and the western edge of Selfridges.
But the Oxford Circus junction itself will not be pedestrianised as buses will continue to run north-south on Regent Street.
The street will effectively be pedestrianised in blocks, with some traffic allowed to cross north-south.
