Oxford Street's middle stretch is now closed to traffic, and the squares are coming
Almost a kilometre of Oxford Street, from Orchard Street to Great Portland Street, has been cleared of traffic, with raised squares and trial dining to follow.
The middle of Oxford Street has stopped being a road. The stretch between Orchard Street, directly west of Selfridges, and Great Portland Street, just east of Oxford Circus, is now closed to traffic, the first step in a pedestrianisation that will not take its finished form until next year.
According to City AM, it is almost a kilometre of the street, closed to all traffic including buses and taxis. The timing is deliberate: it lands just ahead of the busiest Christmas shopping period.
What has happened so far
The first phase uses temporary, event-style safety measures, which City AM reports went in at 8pm on Sunday so that traffic could be diverted. OnLondon's Dave Hill describes the street as a mess for now, with engineers making last tweaks among barriers and temporary signage. North to south roads that cross Oxford Street are still open to motor vehicles, and he expects some short-term confusion.
Buses are the visible casualty. Hill reports that drivers on Orchard Street and Margaret Street were getting their first taste of convoluted new routes.
What comes next
City AM sets out the timetable:
- Construction of the more lasting safety measures runs to the end of November, then pauses to protect the Christmas Golden Quarter, and restarts in January.
- From April, the carriageway in front of Selfridges and John Lewis will be raised to create two new public squares, with more trees, seating and street furniture.
- A trial dining area beside the alleyway to St Christopher's Place will let people bring their lunch and watch the street.
- A transitional scheme is due to be in place by the end of spring 2027.
This first phase is deliberately temporary. The Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) wants real-time feedback from residents, accessibility groups, businesses and workers, and says traffic on surrounding roads will be closely monitored. What it learns will shape the permanent design.
Why it matters for shops, and for eating out
The OSDC's chief executive, Nabeel Khan, told City AM the aim is a street that is "much more walkable, much more accessible, much greener", and that "we know there's a direct correlation between dwell time and spend with retailers." He also pointed out that there are now more office workers than retail workers along the street, a shift he linked to the pandemic and the opening of the Elizabeth Line. The OSDC has three million square feet of commercial office space in its pipeline.
That is why the talk is of cafes and places to sit. City AM reports the ambition is to move Oxford Street from a mainly retail corridor towards a mixed use destination. A big new Harry Potter flagship, with a food counter inside, is due to open at the eastern end shortly, according to City AM.
Retailers are backing it publicly. A John Lewis spokesperson told City AM the store, which has traded on the street for over 160 years, continues to invest in its flagship, and City AM notes Selfridges is investing too.
The doubts
Not everyone is convinced. City AM notes that some local residents are unconvinced, and the obvious worry is where buses, taxis and bikes go once they are pushed onto surrounding roads.
Hill, writing in OnLondon, is hopeful but cautious. He points out that pedestrianised streets do not always draw extra customers, citing the Hayes Town Centre project in outer London, reversed in 2018 after ten years, and the pickpocket problem on Barcelona's Las Ramblas. Dee Corsi, chief executive of the New West End Company, which represents over 800 West End businesses, said "the focus must now be on getting the delivery right".
Mayor Sadiq Khan, whose mayoral development corporation took control of the street, framed it in economic terms, saying revitalising Oxford Street will help "super-charge regeneration". Retail veteran Peter Ruis told City AM it could take around 24 months for the benefits to be fully felt.
Know before you go
- Where: Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.
- Now: closed to traffic, with temporary barriers and signage still being adjusted.
- Crossing roads: north to south streets remain open to motor vehicles, so watch for traffic at junctions.
- Buses: routes around Orchard Street and Margaret Street have changed.
- Building work: to the end of November, paused over Christmas, restarting in January.
- Squares and trial dining area: from April.
