The Mayor’s grand plans for Oxford Street in the West End are expanding beyond just the street itself, as shown in a recent proposed boundary map. While the image quality is not the best and its source is a bit unclear, it is evident that the red line on the map outlines City Hall’s initial ideas for the boundary of Sadiq Khan’s control over Oxford Street and the surrounding areas for his pedestrianisation proposal.
This map, which has been circulating among various interested parties since just before the Mayor’s announcement in September, is believed to have originated from City Hall. Despite its somewhat makeshift appearance, it seems to have been created quickly and draws on previous economic analyses of the Oxford Street area. In fact, it bears a striking resemblance to a section of a map from a study of the West End as a whole conducted by Westminster Council and the Greater London Authority in 2018 during Boris Johnson’s time as Mayor.
One notable difference is that the red line on the new map, which outlines the area to be overseen by a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) under Khan’s jurisdiction, extends beyond the western boundary of the pink area on the 2018 map to include Marble Arch. Plans for significant improvements in that area have been in place since 2019 with the backing of various stakeholders.
Although the new map does not encompass all of Soho within its boundaries, it does include Soho Square to the south of Oxford Street and extends along Sutton Row to the east through Soho Place to its intersection with Charing Cross Road. According to the press release regarding the pedestrianisation plan, City Hall envisions the MDC covering part of Camden and a portion of Westminster, encompassing St Giles Circus, Tottenham Court Road, and some smaller streets in Fitzrovia.
MDCs are already operational in the Olympic Park and the surrounding areas, as well as the Old Oak and Park Royal industrial zone in the outer northwest of London, which is also home to an HS2 station.
This development signals an exciting new chapter for the iconic Oxford Street and its surrounding areas, with the potential for significant improvements and enhancements to benefit both residents and visitors alike. Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving story.
