City Hall Liberal Democrats have called for the full pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.
During Mayor's Question Time, Caroline Pidgeon highlighted that Sadiq Khan had previously committed to the pedestrianisation of London’s flagship shopping street in his 2016 manifesto. London Liberal Democrats have supported pedestrianising London’s flagship high street since 2004.
The Mayor stated Oxford Street is “not what it used to be” and indicated that he agreed with Caroline that the street should move towards full pedestrianisation.
Caroline also called on the Mayor to introduce a fund to assist councils with pedestrianisation of local high streets in his next budget, something which he refused to commit to.
Commenting, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“The way we shop and access services has changed dramatically over the last decade. We are now faced with a choice, to allow our high streets to adapt to changing societal patterns, or allow large swathes of public space to continue to decline.
“If our high streets are to survive then going shopping needs to be about more than just the stores and about being a pleasant leisure activity. We’ve seen just what a positive experience pedestrianisation of high streets can bring in Carnaby Street and the Strand and in major cities in Europe.
“While I welcome the Mayor supporting calls for the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, I would love to see him go further with a fund to support councils with pedestrianising High Streets across London helping to boost local economies and contribute to greener, safer and more community-focused environments.”
Read more in the Evening Standard.