London's Mayor Steamrolls Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, Ignoring Local Concerns and Expert Warnings

Strategic Insights -

Sir Sadiq Khan's ambitious plan to pedestrianise a mile-long section of Oxford Street has sparked vocal opposition from local residents and experts, who argue that it will exacerbate congestion and disrupt the city's retail hub. Despite the backlash, Khan has pressed ahead with the project, using the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) to bypass local decision-makers and fast-track his plans. The MDC was originally designed to facilitate post-war housing development, but its use in this case has raised concerns about Khan's willingness to ignore local input and concentrate power in his office.

Key Takeaways:

  • The planned pedestrianisation of Oxford Street would see 16 bus routes diverted into narrower, congested streets in Marylebone and Fitzrovia, causing significant disruptions to local residents and businesses.
  • The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has used the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) to bypass local decision-makers and fast-track his plans, despite vocal opposition from the Labour leader of Westminster city council and the chair of the Soho Society.
  • Expert warnings from think tanks, academics, and local officials have highlighted the potential risks of Khan's plan, including increased congestion, disruption to local businesses, and the concentration of power in his office.
  • Soho, the area that could be successfully pedestrianised, has been left untouched, while the once-thriving shopping street, Oxford Street, is set to become a traffic-free zone, with little consideration given to the impact on local retailers and residents.
  • The Mayor's use of the MDC has been likened to a "magic lever" that allows him to ignore local input and concentrate power in his office, raising concerns about the erosion of democratic decision-making processes.

Statistics:

  • 16 bus routes are set to be diverted into narrower, more congested streets in Marylebone and Fitzrovia.
  • Since the 1970s, normal traffic has been banned on Oxford Street during daylight hours and Saturdays.
  • The planned pedestrianisation of Oxford Street will see a mile-long section of the street closed to vehicles, with walkers and cyclists taking priority.
  • Sophie Stowers, of think tank More in Common, has described the reforms to local authorities over the decades as "piecemeal [and] incoherent".
  • George Jones, emeritus professor of government at the LSE, has argued that the concentration of power in a single person, as seen with regional mayors, is "unlikely to represent the diverse complexities of a large urban, metropolitan or county region better than collective leadership".

Sources:

  • [Sadiq Khan's office, "Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street", no date]
  • [Tim Lord, chair of the Soho Society, quoted in "Sadiq Khan's Oxford Street plan sparks opposition", The Telegraph, 2023]
  • [Sophie Stowers, More in Common, quoted in "The erosion of local decision-making", The Guardian, 2022]
  • [George Jones, LSE, quoted in "The risks of presidential-style politics", The Spectator, 2022]
  • [Letter from George Jones to The Spectator, 2022]