Westminster pushes back on Oxford Street access plans

Westminster City Council says a judicial review against plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street is unlikely to succeed, but it is still examining other legal and procedural routes to influence how the scheme is handled.

The council said all councillors have maintained long-running concerns about the proposals, with accessibility and bus routes named as significant issues for residents, visitors and businesses. Council leader Paul Swaddle has written to the Mayor of London requesting a meeting so those concerns can be raised directly before the future layout of one of the capital’s busiest shopping streets is settled.

The statement narrows one possible route of opposition. Westminster said additional legal advice, sought under instruction from the new council leader, found that a judicial review would be unlikely to succeed. It also said a late claim for judicial review would probably be refused.

Access and bus routes remain central concerns

Oxford Street is not only a retail destination. It is also a route used by residents, workers, disabled visitors, bus passengers, delivery vehicles and businesses that depend on predictable access throughout the day.

Westminster’s statement points to two practical pressure points: how people would reach the street if traffic arrangements change, and what happens to bus routes that currently serve the area. For residents nearby, changes to through-traffic, taxi access, loading points and diverted buses can shift pressure onto surrounding streets rather than removing it altogether.

For visitors, the issue is likely to be felt most sharply by those who rely on step-free routes, short walking distances or direct bus connections. Pedestrianisation can improve the walking environment, but only if the supporting transport plan is clear enough for people who cannot simply switch to longer walks or multiple interchanges.

Businesses will also be watching how any final plan treats deliveries, servicing, staff access and customer movement. Oxford Street’s post-pandemic recovery has depended on footfall, transport links and confidence among retailers, landlords and shoppers.

Legal advice limits the judicial review route

A judicial review is a court process used to challenge the lawfulness of a public decision, rather than to re-argue the merits of the policy itself. In practice, a council would need grounds showing that the decision-making process was legally flawed, procedurally unfair or outside the decision-maker’s powers.

Westminster said the legal advice it received was that such a challenge would be unlikely to succeed. The council also said that submitting a late judicial review claim would result in refusal, making timing a further barrier.

That position does not mean the council has accepted the plans without objection. It means one formal route of challenge appears weak on the advice received. The council said it is still considering “all other legal and procedural options” as it seeks to shape the outcome.

Mayor meeting request sets up next stage

Paul Swaddle’s request for a meeting with the Mayor of London is now the main visible next step. The council says it wants to address concerns and secure better outcomes for residents and businesses.

The discussion is likely to focus less on whether Oxford Street should change at all, and more on how any pedestrianisation plan deals with access, transport displacement and the day-to-day needs of people living and working around the street.

Westminster’s leverage may come through consultation, planning and highways processes, technical transport discussions, equality and accessibility considerations, and continued political pressure. The council has said it will use all levers available to ensure local voices are heard.

Oxford Street’s wider role in central London

Oxford Street sits at the centre of London’s retail economy and has been a recurring focus of pedestrianisation debates for years. Supporters of major changes usually argue that reducing traffic would make the street safer, cleaner and more attractive to shoppers. Opponents and sceptics tend to focus on buses, taxis, disabled access, deliveries and the risk of pushing congestion into nearby residential streets.

Westminster’s latest statement frames the dispute around local impact rather than a simple for-or-against argument. The council said Oxford Street is “in the heart of our city” and described it as both home to residents and a street it fought to revive after the Covid lockdown.

The council’s next move will depend on what response it receives from the Mayor of London and what further legal or procedural options remain open.

Source: Westminster City Council