Roads near Oxford Street to be pedestrianised

Plans are being made to pedestrianise streets near Oxford Street.

Westminster City Council voted in favour of starting design works to extend pavements, lighting, seating, and green spaces on Davies Street, James Street, and Grosvenor Square.

The plans are the third and final part of a wider £90 million Oxford Street revamp, which is expected to start next year.

The £16.3m scheme has received public backing, according to a council report.

Under the plans, cars will no longer be able to access the Davies Street entrance along Oxford Street, turning the important gateway to Mayfair into a pedestrianised zone fitted with seating and trees.

This is to create more space for the surge in visitors at Bond Street since the Elizabeth line opened, the council says.

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Along James Street, temporary footpaths introduced during COVID to allow for social distancing will be made permanent, and upgrades will be made to paths along Picton Place, Barrett Street, and Bird Street.

There will also be a north-south cycle link between James Street and Gilbert Street, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Plans for Grosvenor Square are the only ones yet to go out for public consultation, but the council has shown its support to widen pavements and boost cycle and e-scooter parking.

Landowner The Grosvenor Estates has also pledged to transform the square into a "high-quality" public space with "enhanced biodiversity," which is expected to drive up more visitors to the area, according to the same report.

In September, the new Labour administration approved a scaled-down version to revamp a 1.8-kilometre stretch of Oxford Street, saying the move was part of a manifesto commitment to make the borough "fairer."

This saw the project downsize from £150 million, covering the entire district of Oxford Street, to £90 million, focusing solely on the busy high street.

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