CARS will be banned from Oxford street under a plan to return it to its "former glory". The busy route has been described as "the jewel in the crown of Britain’s retail sector" but has suffered several high-profile closures in recent years. Retail experts have been warning of the death of the UK high street for years, with the pandemic only serving to accelerate moves towards online shopping.
And perhaps the most famous high street in the nation is about to undergo some radical changes. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that a large chunk of Oxford Street will be pedestrianised as part of a £150 million redevelopment plan. Mr Khan said that "urgent action" was required to restore the street back to its "former glory" as the hub of British shopping.
The road boasts a string of vast superstores from top brands including Primark, John Lewis, M&S and Microsoft, as well as a host of luxury and designer outlets . However, it has also seen a number of significant store closures over the past few years as businesses struggle with top-dollar rents and rising costs. Franchises like Debenhams, Topshop and Miss Selfridge has all either relocated or disappeared entirely.
The Mayor now hopes to revitalise the area, finally managing to push through a plan first outlined in 2017 with the backing of the new deputy PM Angela Rayner. Under the scheme, around 0.7 miles of the route would be fully pedestrianised with no traffic allowed at all.
The restrictions are understood to include the hundreds of buses and black cabs that use the road every day, which are set to be redirected. Mr Khan has insisted that the plans will increase footfall and revive the street going into the next decade. He said: " Oxford Street was once the jewel in the crown of Britain’s retail sector but there’s no doubt that it has suffered hugely over the last decade.
"Urgent action is needed to give the nation’s most famous high street a new lease of life. "I am excited to be working with the new government, and local retailers and businesses, on these plans that will help to restore this famous part of the capital to its former glory." A full timeline has not yet been confirmed but it is believed that the pedestrianisation would be enforced by 2027, with no confirmation on whether other sections would follow.
But the proposals have been met with stiff opposition from the local council, which initially rejected them several years ago amid a backlash from residents. Officials say they have their own regeneration plan which is "shovel ready" and will cost just £90 million. These would not include total pedestrianisation, partially in response to local's concerns about access to public transport.
Westminster City Council chief executive Stuart Love said: "These plans are shovel-ready, have had the support of retailers and the local community and were intended to deliver significant economic growth." It comes after drivers were warned over a cunning parking scam at a major stadium which could see them tricked into illegal bays..
