The new Tory leader of Westminster City Council has been accused of U-turning on plans to legally challenge the Mayor of London in court over the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, after he announced a judicial review was “simply impossible at this late stage.”
In their recent local election manifesto, the Tories promised to “set-up a legal fight fund to challenge Sadiq Khan in the courts and force him to listen to local people.”
However, two weeks after taking up his new post, Cllr Swaddle has now confirmed that the council has been advised against a judicial review.
On Tuesday, he posted to X: “We worked through the weekend with legal counsel to explore all options. After months of Labour inaction, the advice is that a successful Judicial Review is simply impossible at this late stage.”
The new Conservative Council has said that it will continue to explore every possible legal option to fight for local people.
Westminster Conservative group Leader, Cllr Paul Swaddle, who now leads the council, has been vocal on his plans to legally challenge the Mayor over Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation.
Plans to make the busy London road vehicle-free were pushed through by Sadiq Khan via a Mayoral Development Corporation under the previously Labour-run Council.
The announcement has attracted harsh criticism from the opposing Westminster Labour group, who dubbed the news as “the first U-turn of the administration.”
Westminster Labour said that it has been clear from the outset that there was never a realistic prospect of stopping the Mayor from pushing through Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation.
Cllr Geoff Barraclough, Labour spokesperson for economic development, said: “The Conservatives misled voters with their spurious promise of a legal challenge. This was never a realistic prospect, and they knew it.
“The new leadership of Westminster City Council now needs to stop grandstanding and start working constructively with all parties. Oxford Street goes traffic-free this summer and all parts of the public sector should be focused on making it a success for residents, businesses and visitors – not fighting each other to score political points.”
For this reason, the Labour Group chose to work constructively with the GLA, TfL and the new Mayoral Development Corporation to secure the best possible outcome for residents, businesses and visitors, it added.
It said this has led to a reduction in the area covered by the MDC, a commitment to maintain free-flowing traffic at the eastern end of Oxford Street, and Westminster retaining its share of CIL and Section 106 funding from future development.
Westminster City Council Leader, Paul Swaddle, said: “Westminster Conservatives are the only party holding Sadiq Khan to account on Oxford Street.
“Labour had three months to mount a legal challenge. They didn’t. Conservative councillors in opposition proposed a fighting fund to take Sadiq Khan to court. Labour blocked it. We brought motion after motion. Labour voted us down. Their collusion and capitulation allowed the judicial review deadline to pass.
“Now Labour say they ‘chose to work with the Mayor.’ That is not a defence. It is an admission that a Labour Council, a Labour Mayor and a Labour Government were working hand in glove the whole time, and that they were never going to stand up to City Hall for Westminster residents.
“This Conservative administration was elected on 7 May to put that right. We have already commissioned formal advice from King’s Counsel and will continue to explore every legal option still available. We will fight Sadiq Khan’s ill-conceived scheme through the Traffic Management Order consultation, where Westminster is a statutory consultee. And I have written to Sadiq Khan inviting him to meet. He has not yet had the courtesy to reply.”
Previously, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor is moving ahead rapidly with the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street and hopes to see the first section going traffic free by the end of this summer.
“He looks forward to continuing to work closely with all stakeholders on these plans to create a beautiful pedestrian-friendly public space that restore the nation’s high street to its former glory, making Oxford Street a place for all.”
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