'Oxford Street has suffered it needs a polish to get back on the map' - Sadiq's pedestrianisation chief

"Scott Parsons, a former executive at Westfield, also said the removal of traffic and increase in pavement space would be a good model to expand across the West End. Sir Sadiq hopes to remove traffic from the area between Selfridges and Ikea from late summer 2026 a move that he believes will continue the post-pandemic revival of the nation's most famous high street."

"Let's make this happen, Mr Parsons said. Regeneration of Oxford Street will have such far-reaching, knock-on effects to the communities around, to retailers, to London's economy. I think Oxford Street as a brand, it's suffered a little bit it needs a little bit of a polish to get back on the map as one of the best-loved high streets in the world, not just the UK."

"One of the things that attracted me to this role is that I mourn the decline and the challenges faced by the high street. I like the idea that perhaps I can play a small part in rejuvenating the nation's high street, not just for the economic benefits of London but for the psychological benefits for the UK as a whole. It's the bellwether for the UK high street."

Scott Parsons supports removing traffic and increasing pavement space as a model to expand across the West End. Sir Sadiq plans to remove traffic between Selfridges and Ikea from late summer 2026 to continue the post-pandemic revival of Oxford Street. The London Assembly confirmed Parsons' appointment despite objection from Andrew Boff, who called the plan a mayoral vanity project and cited insufficient information. Parsons called pedestrianisation "a no brainer" and prioritised delivering Sir Sadiq's changes within a £150m budget expected to include private sponsorship. Parsons framed regeneration as benefitting communities, retailers and London's economy.

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