Oxford Street in central London to get £120m revamp but Oxford Circus traffic proposal scrapped

Oxford Street is set to get a £120 million makeover but key areas will not be pedestrianised under new plans.

Westminster City Council hopes to give Oxford Street a facelift, complete with new green spaces and seating by spring 2026.

But the council’s Labour party has scrapped plans to stop traffic driving east to west through the centre of the street near Oxford Circus Station.

A report into the new ideas for Oxford Street said: “Previous proposals for Oxford Circus looked at pedestrianisation, piazzas and no east to west traffic movement through the Circus.

“However, the Oxford Street Programme will allow designated traffic to move east to west through the Circus and north to south up and down Regent Street. Proposals are in early stages of development and will be subject to engagement and stakeholder discussions.”

The council previously said it will spend around £60m over the next three years making Oxford Street more exciting at a budget meeting.

In 2019 the then-Tory council developed plans to spend £150 million redeveloping Oxford Street and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The plans included the Marble Arch Mound and temporary pedestrian piazzas on either side of Oxford Circus station.

But when it was revealed that the Marble Arch Mound cost £6 million - three times its original budget - plans for the wider Oxford Street area were put on hold.

The Mound was supposed to draw entice shoppers back to the West End but it had to be made free to visit after plants started to wilt and die from its opening day.

Visitors were charged between £4.50 and £8 to climb up the wood and scaffold mound complete with grass, shrubs and trees, and it closed after just two days.

In total, £34 million was spent trying to implement the old plans for the Oxford Street area. This included a new photography quarter being set up in Soho.

But the council, which was run by the Conservatives for 58 years, was turned on its head when Labour took control for the first time in May 2022.

Once elected the council reviewed its plans for the Oxford Street district and now it has streamlined the scheme to coveronly Oxford Street, from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road, and selected side streets, rather than the surrounding area.

Its new plan for the street includes pedestrianised areas, improved lighting, green spaces and extra seating areas. Improvements are proposed for James Street, Davies Street and Grosvenor Square.

The council spoke to 200 people at an event looking at how it could improve Oxford Street. According to a report, most respondents said they liked the shopping experience on Oxford Street and thought it had good traffic links.

But respondents complained about overcrowding, how hard it can be to move around and the amount of litter. They also asked for more seating and plants.

Announcing the new plans at a Westminster council scrutiny meeting last week, councillor Geoff Barraclough said: “There are risks remaining. I don’t want to underestimate that. One of them is private sector contribution. If we are going to make this work traders and landowners on Oxford Street who benefit will need to pay their share…

“There is a risk of inflation with building materials and there is a risk when you go digging in Oxford Circus when you are so close to wires and other infrastructure.”

He added: “I am confident we have the finances under control so we won’t be exposed to the same magnitude as previously.”