New project team to be appointed on Khan’s £150m Oxford Street plans

An entirely new project team will be appointed to carry out Sadiq Khan’s revived plans to pedestrianise part of London’s Oxford Street, according to City Hall.

Last week the London mayor announced he wanted to bring back a £150m plan to ban traffic on a 1.1km stretch of the world-famous shopping street between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

Khan’s previous attempt to transform the street into a pedestrianised public space were blocked by Westminster council in 2018 due to concerns over the need to reroute traffic into quieter surrounding streets.

He is now proposing the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) which will have greater planning powers.

This will require a statutory period of consultation and is expected to take around two years, after which “suitable contractors”, including an architect, will be appointed to draw up plans for the project, City Hall said. It is understood the mayor is not currently working with an architect on the scheme.

The proposals have received the backing of Angela Rayner, who said the plan would “drive growth by creating new jobs, generating economic activity, and giving a much-needed boost to London’s night-time economy.”

Meanwhile, urban design practice Publica is understood to be no longer working on an alternative £90m plan for the street which had been proposed by Westminster council.

The Labour-run council has said it was blindsided by Khan’s revival of the 2018 scheme, but has said it will “work constructively with the mayor and the government to ensure the best outcomes for local communities, businesses and London.”