Sadiq Khan tries to convince Westminster Council to pedestrianise Oxford Street

18/10/23

Photo of Oxford Street by Krists Luhaers on Unsplash

Pedestrianisation remains an important part of Mayor Sadiq Khans’ plans to regenerate “struggling” High Streets in London despite opposition from Westminster Council.

At Mayor’s Question Time Khan agreed pedestrianising Oxford Street would help regenerate consumerism in the area.

Khan said: “Westminster council are not in favour of the full street being pedestrianised, I have tried to persuade them it is the right thing to do."

Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the London Assembly, Caroline Pidgeon, said: "Westminster Council's new plans include 12 additional controlled pedestrian crossings and improving 45 existing crossings. That is 57 crossing points, surely, we should go the whole way and pedestrianise it.

“When Carnaby Street was pedestrianised back in 1973 they saw a 30 percent increase in pedestrians entering the area. We know high streets need to change to become more attractive to visitors.”

Khan credited Westminster Council for their strategy to attract “good new businesses” but said he will persuade them to go “further”.

Khan said post Corona pandemic “challenges” makes it “less simple” to fund newer problems such as pedestrianising streets.

Khan added he has spent time “examining what other cities are doing” since the pandemic and says the problem expands to a change in consumerism.

He said: “There are three things people did reasonably well in the pandemic from home and that is working, shopping and leisure. If we are going to make those three things as successful as pre-pandemic, then we must improve the experience of shopping."

AUTHOR

SAMUEL GENTLES