Sadiq Khan has proposed banning traffic from the busy shopping street to boost the area, promising a “world-class public place”.
To realise his vision, he wants new planning powers to take control of the street and some surrounding roads away from Westminster City Council and hand it to a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC).
Andrew Boff, chairman of the London Assembly planning and regeneration committee, said that while casual visitors to Oxford Street might think pedestrianisation would be welcome, locals are less keen.
“Everybody who doesn’t live in the area of central London thinks pedestrianisation is a really good idea because they don’t live there,” he claimed.
“But if you live in the area, you realise the practical challenges that there are. Residents are pretty much unanimously against the Mayor’s plans.”
Oxford Street is one of the world’s busiest shopping areas, but the Mayor says it has suffered in recent years as a result of the pandemic and the growth of online shopping.
He claims that pedestrianisation encourages consumer spending by creating a more welcoming destination for shoppers.
The stretch between Marble Arch and Orchard Street would be pedestrianised first, with restrictions further east towards Tottenham Court Road being introduced later.
Mr Boff said that local people were concerned about where traffic – and possibly cyclists – would be rerouted if Oxford Street was blocked off.
“If you stand on nearby Wigmore Street and imagine 35 bus routes going down there, it’s difficult to see how it is going to manage,” he explained.
“It’s also difficult to see whether or not there is an alternative route that is convenient for cyclists if they are banned.”
If the Mayor’s plans were to go ahead, it is likely that taxis would also have to pick up or drop off passengers in side streets.
“We want to see what plans there are for ensuring that disabled and elderly people are going to be able to access those stores on Oxford Street,” Mr Boff said.
The planning chair also questioned whether creating new planning powers to bring about changes to Oxford Street was “overkill”.
“Does the Mayor need to put in a Mayoral Development Corporation to achieve this?” Mr Boff added.
“Residents pointed to the fact that progress has taken place over the past few years working with the council and TfL – the pedestrian area has increased, and more social areas introduced.
“We want to see from the Mayor how he will liaise with residents in the future when an MDC is in. It’s very important that those voices are heard.”
Two-thirds of the 12 members of the MDC would be appointed by the Mayor, with Camden Council nominating one member, and Westminster City Council the remaining three.
Camden Council has backed the Mayor’s plans, and Westminster City Council has said it will “seek to work pragmatically” with Sadiq Khan to ensure a “bright future for the nation’s high street”.
The Mayor’s office has been approached for a response. A consultation on the initial Oxford Street pedestrianisation plans runs until Friday (May 2).
