London mayor says visitors ban trial is begin of ‘fightback to rescue Oxford Avenue’ | London

[ad_1] The mayor of London has mentioned a one-day trial banning visitors from a part of Oxford Avenue marks “the day the fightback started to rescue this road”.

Sadiq Khan visited the road, the place autos have been prohibited from accessing a half-mile stretch of the highway from Oxford Circus to Orchard Avenue between midday and 8pm on Sunday for the occasion referred to as That is Oxford Avenue.

Chatting with the PA Media information company, the mayor mentioned Oxford Avenue had been “great” previously. “However the actuality is, it has been in decline for a while,” he mentioned.

“I’d name it managed decline. You’ve seen a state of affairs the place increasingly more persons are buying on-line or going to out-of-town centres, buying centres, high-profile retailers have left Oxford Avenue, and the pandemic was an actual physique blow to this road.

“Immediately is a glimpse to what the long run might be like, the place this can be a place the place folks can stroll. It will increase footfall. It will increase spend, [it will be a] good spot to buy, to do leisure, but additionally have out of doors occasions.

“[Today] will go down in historical past, in my opinion, because the day the fightback started to rescue this road.”

Khan desires to ban autos from a 0.7-mile stretch between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, with the potential for additional modifications in the direction of Tottenham Court docket Street.

Detailed proposals for visitors below the pedestrianisation plan will probably be consulted on later this yr.

The mayor mentioned he “totally understands” the “minority of residents” who raised issues over congestion and accessibility, and mentioned the authority had consulted residents.

“We’re going to hold on not simply working with residents and the council, however working with retailers, landowners and others to ensure we are able to return this road to its earlier glory,” Khan mentioned.

Requested if he had plans to pedestrianise extra thoroughfares within the capital, the mayor mentioned: “We’ve already labored with councils to pedestrianise elements of London, exterior Somerset Home. We’ve, this summer season, invested in alfresco eating throughout the summer season months.

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“So we're working with the federal government so we are able to have extra powers over licensing and so forth. I feel hospitality, retail are actually necessary sectors of our economic system, but additionally, [they are] one of many causes folks love to return to London.”

Oxford Avenue is without doubt one of the world’s busiest buying areas, with about half 1,000,000 guests every day.

A earlier try by Khan to pedestrianise a part of the road was blocked in 2018 by the then-Conservative-run Westminster metropolis council.

His newest proposals rely on acquiring permission from the federal government to ascertain a brand new mayoral growth company, which would offer planning powers. The purpose is for this to be created by the beginning of subsequent yr.