Oxford Street to be pedestrianised from October

Parts of Oxford Street will be pedestrianised from 26 October, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced.

Buses, taxis, bikes and other vehicles, will be banned from the stretch of the road spanning almost a kilometre from Orchard Street to Great Portland Street.

Lord Khan said: "Following strong support from Londoners and businesses, I'm excited to see my bold vision for Oxford Street really coming to life next month as we start going traffic-free, just in time for the busy Christmas shopping period."

Westminster Council said there was still a "long list of unanswered questions about how it will work" and raised concerns over traffic being pushed to small streets nearby.

Councillor Tim Barnes, deputy leader of Westminster City Council and cabinet member for growth and planning, said: "While we finally now have a timetable for the proposed pedestrianisation, Westminster City Council, residents and businesses on Oxford Street still have a long list of unanswered questions about how it will work.

"If this is going to be the 'greener, better and more prosperous' success that the Mayor has promised, then issues around access, air pollution, street cleaning and public safety, need answers urgently.

"Right now there's a danger that we will have all of the downsides and too little upside. Traffic will be pushed to the small streets nearby causing economic and environmental harm.

"We are writing to the Oxford Street Development Corporation with our serious concerns now it is obvious the Mayor is rushing preparations with little time left."

Lord Khan said: "I'm delighted that on 26 October the transformation of the nation's high street into a pedestrian plaza will begin in earnest – a world-class space where flagship retail will sit alongside next-generation workplaces, designed to host exciting retail and leisure experiences from sport to fashion and cultural events in the future."

Transport for London (TfL) will work with Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) to install new safety measures, the mayor's office said.

Changes to the area, such as new seating, were designed to be temporary so data and feedback can be collected on how people use the space, which will then shape the design of permanent changes, the office added.

Plans to make Oxford Street traffic-free have garnered much debate between Westminster Council and the mayor.

The council recently accused the mayor of "cheating the system" and circumventing the need for a full environmental impact assessment, while the mayor and the government maintained the plans did not require one.

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