Oxford Street plans need a rethink says council

The new Conservative leader of Westminster Council asked London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to meet to develop a plan for Oxford Street. Council leader Paul Swaddle said current proposals do not meet needs around access, safety, and practical matters such as bin collections. The mayor’s spokesperson said the plan would create a pedestrian-friendly public space and restore the high street, aiming for the first section to be traffic free by the end of summer. Oxford Street is already largely closed to private cars, so changes would affect buses, taxis, cycles, scooters, and pedicabs. Swaddle raised concerns about step-free access at Oxford Circus station, safety at night, and potential impacts on pickpocketing and phone-snatching. The mayor approved the scheme after creating a mayoral development corporation with planning powers enabled by new legislation.

"The new Conservative leader of Westminster Council has asked for London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to "sit down with him" to figure out "a plan that actually works" for Oxford Street. Council leader Paul Swaddle, has said the current plans do "not deliver on a lot of things that are really needed" such as access, safety or practicalities such as bin collections."

"A spokesperson for the mayor said his scheme would create a "beautiful pedestrian-friendly public space that restores the nation's high street to its former glory". The spokesperson added: "The mayor is moving ahead rapidly with the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street and hopes to see the first section going traffic free by the end of this summer.""

"Swaddle said one of his main concerns was access, as Oxford Circus Underground station is not step-free, and safety: "At the moment, if you go to Oxford Street at midnight, there are buses, there are people getting night buses - you would feel relatively safe. "If you were crossing that on your own - if one of my kids was crossing it on their own in the evening, I'd be concerned.""

"His other major concern is how pedestrianisation would affect crime such as pickpocketing and phone-snatching. Sir Sadiq approved the scheme following the creation of a mayoral development corporation (MDC), a statutory body set up to deliver regeneration projects. The MDC was permitted by the current government and required new legislation to pass planning powers to the mayor that were previously held by the local authority."

Read at www.bbc.com