Westminster City Council will invest £150m in the area around Oxford Street, W1, as part of new proposals after blocking plans to pedestrianise the street.
The council scrapped plans for pedestrianisation in June after residents opposed the idea. In July, it set aside £727,000 to develop a new district-wide plan.
The alternative vision will retain two-way traffic – including 24-hour buses – along the length of Oxford Street. However, the council said it aimed to develop more areas for pedestrians.
It also said it would introduce a 20mph speed limit across the shopping district, and “work towards a future where all commercial vehicles that are not zero-emission are banned”.
Other plans include a public piazza at Oxford Circus, an improved “gateway to the West End” at Marble Arch and more space on higher floors along the street to enable “different and diverse uses”.
The council has identified 94 projects across 85 different streets in nine zones, including proposals for major improvements at Oxford Circus, Marble Arch and Cavendish Square.
It will put aside £50m a year for the next three years for the scheme.
Richard Beddoe, Westminster City Council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “No other major city in the world has sought to refresh and revitalise a whole district in such a comprehensive and ambitious fashion.
“In developing this strategy we have listened carefully to those who know best – those who live, work, visit and do business in the area that has helped shape our deep understanding of what makes the place so special and what we should do to enhance the area.”
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