Plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street risk becoming an "unmanaged mess" due to the speed and scale of the changes, Westminster City Council has warned, as roadworks affecting Oxford Street, Regent Street, Bond Street and Great Portland Street are set to begin on 2 September, the Times is reporting.
The council wrote to Transport for London and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Friday, arguing the scheme risks harming air quality, increasing noise, and displacing traffic onto surrounding roads unless a full environmental impact assessment is carried out first. Cllr Tim Barnes, Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, said: "Our position on pedestrianisation is simple, if you must do it, get it right. A needlessly rushed scheme will be a disaster for residents and worse for business." Transport for London disputes the council's characterisation of the process. The Mayor of London said he is moving ahead with the scheme "following strong support from Londoners and businesses," with the first section expected to go traffic-free as soon as October.
Plan to ban traffic from Oxford Street at risk of becoming a 'mess'
Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has been accused of pushing ahead with proposals and not addressing concerns about waste, traffic, air quality and noise
Tim Barnes, deputy leader of Westminster city council, said
“Our position on pedestrianisation is simple — if you must to do it, get it right. A needlessly rushed scheme will be a disaster for residents and worse for business."
“This scheme will have an impact way beyond Oxford Street, affecting bus routes and traffic flow right across the capital.
“The Mayor has important questions to answer about managing traffic, noise, impact on air quality or how to clean the roads.
"The consequences of getting this wrong are potentially terrible for central London.”
You can read Ellie McDonald's article in The Times in full on their website.
