Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has announced that he is proceeding with the part-pedestrianisation of Oxford Street amid ‘overwhelming’ public support.
The current plan to close a roughly one mile between Orchard Street and Oxford Circus to all road traffic was first set out in February.
Following ‘extensive public consultations’ that received 6,642 responses, a new report was published which City Hall claims had two thirds of respondents in support of the pedestrianisation, a response that was echoed by a YouGov poll that took place in September 2024.
This support is not universal however with the BBC reporting that a previous consultation showed support for the scheme from local business owners (19%) and residents (34%) lagged behind visitors (62%).
This discrepancy did not stop the Mayor, in a rare and perhaps misguided attempt at levity, from referring to the support as ‘North Korean type results’ adding that ‘someone was going to rename him Kim soon'.
While Sir Khan has said that the project will now progress, there are as yet no detailed plans for the pedestrianisation, with highway proposals expected to be developed and consulted on ‘later this year’.
There is also further work to be done regarding the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) that will be dedicated to delivering this project; it is expected to be established by 1 January 2026, but this is also subject to consideration by the London Assembly.
Sir Khan said: ‘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.
‘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.’
Transport for London’s (TfL) chief customer and strategy officer, Alex Williams, added: ‘This consultation shows that there is a clear desire to improve access to the shops, businesses and attractions within the area.
‘We will now support the development of detailed traffic and highways plans to pedestrianise the section of road between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, which will be consulted on later this year.’
Image credit: Shutterstock @William Perugini
