Oxford Street plans need a rethink says council

The new Conservative leader of Westminster Council has asked for London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to "sit down with him" to figure out "a plan that actually works" for Oxford Street.

The central London shopping street is set to be pedestrianised from Orchard Street to Great Portland Street after proposals were approved earlier this year.

Council leader Paul Swaddle has said the current plans do "not deliver on a lot of things that are really needed" such as access, safety or practicalities like bin collections.

A spokesperson for the mayor said his scheme would create a "beautiful pedestrian-friendly public space that restores the nation's high street to its former glory".

The spokesperson added: "The mayor is moving ahead rapidly with the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street and hopes to see the first section going traffic free by the end of this summer."

Oxford Street is already largely closed to private cars so the changes would only affect buses and taxis, as well as cycles, scooters and pedicabs.

Swaddle said one of his main concerns was access, as Oxford Circus Underground station is not step-free, and safety: "At the moment, if you go to Oxford Street at midnight, there are buses, there are people getting night buses - you would feel relatively safe.

"If you were crossing that on your own - if one of my kids was crossing it on their own in the evening, I'd be concerned."

His other major concern is how pedestrianisation would affect crime such as pickpocketing and phone-snatching.

Sir Sadiq approved the scheme following the creation of a mayoral development corporation (MDC), a statutory body set up to deliver regeneration projects.

The MDC was permitted by the current government and required new legislation to pass planning powers to the mayorthat were previously held by the local authority.

BBC London transport correspondent Tom Edwards said: "One of the potential legal routes to stop the pedestrianisation could be a judicial review but the council would have to weigh up whether it is worth the expense and how much it would cost local council taxpayers.

"Many thought the creation of the MDC was anti-democratic.

"It would be interesting to see if any challenges could undo the development corporation. This story has been running for decades and it doesn't look like it's ending just yet."

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