Westminster City Council’s Cabinet met on 25 October and gave the go-ahead to take detailed proposals for the Oxford Street District (OSD) to a public consultation that will run from 6th November to 16th December. Cllr Richard Beddoe, Cabinet Member for Place Shaping and Planning, said, “In developing our plans for the Oxford Street District, we’ve been listening carefully to those who know best about what could be improved — something we’ll continue to do.”
For the project to benefit residents, visitors and workers, it has been expanded to encompass all districts rather than Oxford Street alone. What happens on Oxford Street affects our surrounding neighbourhoods.
The Council has listened to respondents to the initial consultation and made some key changes: presenting a new district-wide plan with more than 90 different projects proposed across 85 separate locations; increasing walking space while retaining two-way traffic along the rest of Oxford Street; major improvements at iconic locations such as Cavendish Square; and a reinvigorated gateway to the West End at Marble Arch.
During the same meeting on 25th October, Westminster City Council's Cabinet formally approved a major shake-up of the planning system in our City. Cllr Nickie Aiken, Leader of Westminster City Council said, “This decision shows we are listening to the concerns of local people who have told us that they did not feel as involved under the current system. The shake-up will ensure that all stakeholders in Westminster - residents, businesses, amenity societies and Councillors - will have an earlier and bigger say on planning applications if they wish to do so”.
You can read the Oxford Street Development strategy by clicking here, where you will also see details published about the forthcoming consultation and how to get involved. If you have any comments or questions, then please contact us.
We are all well-aware of the challenges the district faces, and we intend to deploy all available public and private resources to tackle them head on. Future-proofing the district’s ongoing success is vital for Westminster and London. We look forward to hearing your feedback during the formal consultation period which will run from 6th November to 16th December, with a final decision expected in early 2019.
“We are firmly putting the needs of the local community at the centre of the planning process” Cllr Nickie Aiken, Leader of Westminster City Council
