The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has been given final approval by the Mayor of London, with plans to remove vehicle access to part of the street by September of this year.

Sir Sadiq Khan has instructed Transport for London (TfL) to implement the removal of traffic from Oxford Street between Great Portland Street and Orchard Street.

This approval comes after two consultations, with the second receiving responses from 2,700 people. While City Hall conceded that respondents were not  'asked explicitly for their views on general support or otherwise for pedestrianisation', it does highlight that the ‘most frequently raised comment' during the consultation was a general support for the proposal.

It also highlighted that the initial consultation showed that 63% of respondents were in favour of the proposal, but some local residents told the BBC that they did not support the change to the street due to concerns over accessibility and displaced traffic.

Currently, the plan is to remove vehicles from the section of ‘the nation's high street' by September 2026, with more works to follow to make the street safer and more enjoyable for those who visit.

With no changes made to the original proposal, this approval means that the section of Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street will see the following changes:

  • Closure to private motorised vehicles, buses, taxis and private-hire vehicles, cycles, scooters and pedicabs
  • Service and delivery vehicles to retain access to the traffic-free area from midnight to 07:00
  • General traffic to continue using alternative routes (general traffic is already banned between 07:00 and 19:00 Monday to Saturday)
  • Installation of new and wider pedestrian crossings
  • Buses that currently serve Oxford Street to be rerouted along Wigmore Street and Henrietta Place, with new bus stops and shelters to be installed. Increased journey times calculated to be ‘less than a minute'
  • Provision of other new bus stops, taxi ranks and drop-off locations as close to the pedestrianised area as possible
  • Possibility of increased blue-badge parking bays in the area
  • Creation of new cycle routes, as cycling would not be permitted in the new stretch

TfL said it would monitor the impact of the changes and would ‘consider whether any further revisions are appropriate'.

The mayor said: ‘I am delighted to be moving forward with my bold vision to transform Oxford Street into a world-leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events. We will outline more details in the coming days, as we continue building a better more prosperous London for everyone.'

Alex Williams, chief customer and strategy officer at TfL, said: ‘We will work closely with Westminster Council in the coming months to implement changes to the roads around Oxford Street, and the Mayor will provide more information on the next steps for this transformational scheme next week.'

Scott Parsons, chair of the newly created Oxford Street Development Corporation, added: ‘This is an exciting step towards creating a vibrant, new Oxford Street for Londoners, visitors and businesses alike. We're grateful to everyone who participated in TFL's consultation, which will help shape the future of one of the world's most iconic high streets.'

Leader of Westminster City Council, Adam Hug, told the BBC: ‘Westminster Council's view on Oxford Street pedestrianisation is a matter of longstanding public record.

‘Over the last 18 months, we have secured a number of key improvements from the mayor of London's original plans to ensure that the proposals for Oxford Street are more deliverable and better meet the needs of local residents, businesses, and wider London.

‘These include ensuring that Oxford Street East transformation will be delivered in line with Westminster's previous plans that retain bus access, and the council's retention of strategic development funding.'