New Oxford Street Proposals

Westminster City Council has announced new plans for Oxford Street. These are Labour’s new plans, following the failed pedestrianisation project several years ago and alternative plans put forward more recently by the Conservatives.

Whilst there are some good aspects of the proposals, such as wider pavements, lots more greening and improvements to traffic restrictions, in other areas the proposals feel underwhelming or even regressive. For example, it is proposed that goods vehicles will now be allowed until 11am every day, and an extra 60 taxi spaces will be created. Whilst the latter has the admirable aim of reducing the number of circulating taxis, we are concerned that providing such a large number of taxi spaces will simply induce demand and result in more taxis filling the area. On Tottenham Court Road, Camden have enabled taxi access to the street without allowing it to be a cut-through. Could that work for Oxford Street?

Our friends at London Cycling Campaign are concerned that the proposals will be to the detriment of people cycling on the street (for what currently has a very high volume of cyclists). Read more on their website.

See more details and have your say on the Council’s consultation website. Consultation closes 31st August 2023.