Mayor must provide details on Oxford Street pedestrianisation plans

The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee has called on the Mayor of London to provide more detail on his plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street and set up a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) in the area.

In a letter responding to the Mayor’s consultation on his proposals, the Committee notes that there are “currently no detailed plans for the MDC or pedestrianisation”.

Once established, MDCs are controlled by the Mayor and can have a range of powers – including becoming the planning authority for their area. With a two-thirds majority vote, the Assembly has the power to veto the designation of a Mayoral Development Area (MDA) – a necessary step for the Mayor to take before an MDC is established.

Recommendations in the letter include:

• Ahead of the Assembly being asked to consider proposals for a MDA, the Mayor should set out more detailed plans which include: Estimates of MDC income and expenditure; A statement of how the MDC will use the planning powers sought by the Mayor; A proposed end date for the MDC.
• The Mayor should also provide the Assembly with: An assessment of the potential displacement of traffic from Oxford Street to surrounding streets, A plan for where buses, taxes and other displaced traffic would be routed; A timed and costed plan for the initial phase of pedestrianisation; Plans and infrastructure to ensure people with mobility issues can still access Oxford Street; Details of how the pedestrianised area will be policed.

Chair of the London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee, Andrew Boff AM, said:

“While Committee Members have a range of views on the overall question of whether to pedestrianise Oxford Street and create a Mayoral Development Corporation, the Committee is united on the need for the Mayor to set out clear and transparent plans.

“The Committee heard from the Mayor’s Office and Transport for London how detailed plans for pedestrianisation and the MDC are still to be made. It heard from groups representing cyclists, residents, businesses, and disabled people that they are not clear how issues affecting them will be managed.

“The success of any Oxford Street transformation will hinge in part on the trust that communities have in the process, and in how stakeholders are brought together.

“Without greater transparency about the Mayor’s plans, it will not be possible to secure the confidence and support of residents, businesses, and visitors alike.”

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