The London Assembly Planning and Regeneration
Committee has called on the Mayor of London to provide
more detail on his plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street and set
up a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) in the area.
In a letter responding to the Mayor's consultation on his
proposals, the Committee notes that there are “currently no
detailed plans for the MDC or pedestrianisation”.
Once established, MDCs are controlled by the Mayor and can have a
range of powers – including becoming the planning authority for
their area. With a two-thirds majority vote, the Assembly has the
power to veto the designation of a Mayoral Development Area (MDA)
– a necessary step for the Mayor to take before an MDC is
established.
Recommendations in the letter include:
- Ahead of the Assembly being asked to consider proposals for a
MDA, the Mayor should set out more detailed plans which include:
Estimates of MDC income and expenditure; A statement of how the
MDC will use the planning powers sought by the Mayor; A proposed
end date for the MDC.
- The Mayor should also provide the
Assembly with: An assessment of the potential displacement of
traffic from Oxford Street to surrounding streets, A plan for
where buses, taxes and other displaced traffic would be routed; A
timed and costed plan for the initial phase of pedestrianisation;
Plans and infrastructure to ensure people with mobility issues
can still access Oxford Street; Details of how the pedestrianised
area will be policed.
Chair of the London Assembly Planning and Regeneration
Committee, AM, said:
“While Committee Members have a range of views on the overall
question of whether to pedestrianise Oxford Street and create a
Mayoral Development Corporation, the Committee is united on the
need for the Mayor to set out clear and transparent plans.
“The Committee heard from the Mayor's Office and Transport for
London how detailed plans for pedestrianisation and the MDC are
still to be made. It heard from groups representing cyclists,
residents, businesses, and disabled people that they are not
clear how issues affecting them will be managed.
“The success of any Oxford Street transformation will hinge in
part on the trust that communities have in the process, and in
how stakeholders are brought together.
“Without greater transparency about the Mayor's plans, it will
not be possible to secure the confidence and support of
residents, businesses, and visitors alike.”
Notes to editors:
- Read the Committee's letter to the Mayor: Response to the Oxford
Street Transformation Consultation Letter | London City
Hall
