Sir Sadiq Khan has approved plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street in a move that will ban vehicle traffic in one of the busiest parts of the capital.
The London Mayor has backed plans to shut roads for motor vehicles on Oxford Street in a bid to improve air quality and boost business in the area.
Following a consultation, Sir Sadiq Khan has given the green light to pedestrianise Europe’s busiest shopping street.
More than 2,700 people responded to the consultation, with the majority of respondents being in favour of the proposals.
Commenting on the new rules, Sir Khan said: “I am delighted to be moving forward with my bold vision to transform Oxford Street into a world-leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events.
“Following TfL’s detailed consultation, I’ve today made the decision to move ahead with these exciting changes to the nation’s high street.
“We will outline more details in the coming days, as we continue building a better, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Once the measures are in place, vehicles will be prevented from travelling on Oxford Street between Great Portland Street and Orchard Street.
Trials have taken place to test how the pedestrianisation could work, with 83 per cent of Oxford Street stores saying they would consider taking part in similar events in the future.
Several popular brands, including John Lewis, The Body Shop, Schuh, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB), held pop-ups on the road during the trial.
Almost 70 per cent of stores along Oxford Street reported similar or higher sales compared to a typical Sunday.
Alex Williams, chief customer and strategy officer at TfL, said it was “great to hear” that Sir Khan had approved the pedestrianisation plans.
“We will work closely with Westminster Council in the coming months to implement changes to the roads around Oxford Street, and the mayor will provide more information on the next steps for this transformational scheme next week,” Mr Williams said.
Once the traffic calming measures are in place, Oxford Street will be closed to private motorised vehicles, buses, taxis and private hire vehicles, cycles, scooters and pedicabs.
However, special provisions will be made for emergency services to access the street at any time, while service vehicles can use the road between midnight and 7am to support businesses.
Modelling suggests that most local bus routes will operate similar journey times, with an overall change of less than one minute.
The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street is expected to begin in the second half of the year, with an initial focus on bus diversions.
Transport for London and the Greater London Authority will begin work to make the shopping district a “more attractive location for pedestrians”.
Data from YouGov suggests that 63 per cent of Londoners support the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, with 23 per cent against.
Despite the support, only 37 per cent of all Londoners said they would want to see more streets made pedestrian-only, with half of survey respondents against this plan.
