Shoppers and tourists will soon be able to enjoy two new pedestrian piazzas at Oxford Circus, as part of sweeping new plans which authorities hope will make the West End’s retail hub rival New York’s Times Square.
The two adjacent public spaces will slice down the middle of Oxford Street at the junction with Regent Street, designed to make the area more pedestrian friendly and less polluted.
That means the usually teeming crossroads could soon be rid of motor vehicles on two sides between Oxford Circus and Great Portland Street to the east, and as far as John Princes Street to the West. Traffic will continue down Regent Street.
Around 200m people visited the Oxford Street district a year before Covid-19, and the upcoming Crossrail Tube line is projected to add another 60m to that figure. As a result, the proposals also include adding new entrances to the Oxford Circus Tube station.
The plans, revealed today (16 June) by Westminster council and landlord The Crown Estate, mark the first significant rethink of Oxford Street in decades, and will also involve planting trees and introducing seating areas throughout the squares.
They come as part of the council’s £150m scheme to turn around Oxford Street and the surrounding areas in the wake of the pandemic.
Westminster council leader Rachael Robathan said the two piazzas would “instil much-needed confidence in the West End and support local businesses severely affected by the pandemic. We want to bring the excitement and buzz back to these famous streets, and make Oxford Circus London’s front door.
“There is an urgent need to tackle issues with pedestrian congestion and safety, poor air quality and noise. The serious congestion of Oxford Circus, of people and of traffic, is unsustainable and demands action.
“In the aftermath of the pandemic, and with the arrival of the Elizabeth Line, there is an overwhelming need and a compelling opportunity to build back better; a business-as-usual approach will no longer work.”
The Royal Institute of British Architects will hold an international competition to design the area later this summer. The first road closures are planned for November.
Dan Labbad, chief executive at The Crown Estate, which owns much of the surrounding area, added: “It is essential, as we rebuild our capital, that we create places that better serve all those who use them – improving air quality, reducing congestion, prioritising safety and delivering a world class visitor experience.”
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