The leader of Westminster council has issued a remarkable warning that Sadiq Khan’s plan to pedestrianise Oxford Street could worsen crime and make it a terrorist target.
Adam Hug, who on Wednesday night revealed he had fired off a furious letter to the mayor and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, also refused to rule out asking the High Court to block the proposals.
The council’s Labour leadership has been caught in a “red on red” battle after the Labour mayor of London revealed his intention on Tuesday to re-boot an abandoned plan to remove all traffic from the “nation’s most famous high street”, starting with the western section between Oxford Circus and Selfridges.
The council has spent two years working on its own £150m plan to regenerate Oxford Street, which seeks to improve the street scene while keeping it open to traffic – thereby avoiding the need to divert buses, taxis and delivery vehicles down residential streets in Marylebone, Mayfair, Soho and Fitzrovia.
The council plan would also allow cyclists to continue to ride the length of Oxford Street, but Mr Khan would ban them from riding in the pedestrianised area.
In his letter, Mr Hug set out “10 key areas of concern”, including a warning that a large pedestrianised area could be at risk from a “hostile vehicle” attack, as happened on Westminster Bridge and London Bridge in 2017.
He told the mayor and Ms Rayner: “A pedestrianised scheme poses a different set of challenges for hostile vehicle mitigation than one that retains traffic, in order to keep shoppers safe from terrorism.
“A fully pedestrianised space is substantially more challenging to secure and manage, particularly at night, than one that retains some level of traffic.
“We will need a clear commitment in terms of increased police presence… and other appropriate security measures to prevent new late-night disorder and tackle the scourge of shoplifting and robbery that pose a major challenge for shops and shoppers at present.”
He questioned how traffic congestion and worse air quality could be avoided in the “nearby, narrow residential streets”, and how any changes could be carried out without harming vital Christmas trade.
He questioned the proposal to establish a mayoral development corporation – which would allow Mr Khan to seize planning powers over the area – saying this would be a “clear barrier to pragmatic engagement between us” and would be “firmly resisted” by the council.
He said the council should be compensated for the millions it has already spent on its “shovel ready” plan – as well as local businesses, which have contributed £1.5m.
Mr Hug said: “The substantial practical challenges for delivering pedestrianisation are well known and will need to be thoroughly addressed to ensure any future transformation of the street works properly… in the interests of everyone who has a long-term stake in the West End, including local residents.”
At a full council meeting last night, Mr Hug faced calls from the Conservative opposition to resign, to enable him to be replaced with “someone who will stand up for residents”.
Asked whether he would seek a High Court judicial review to block Mr Khan, Mr Hug said the council would “look at what options are available” to ensure residents did not suffer from any changes to Oxford Street.
At a photo-shoot with Ms Rayner on the rooftop of the John Lewis department store on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Khan told BBC London that he had not given the council greater notice of his intentions because he did not want the story to “leak”. He said he was “embarrassed” at the state of Oxford Street and said he wanted to rescue it from “managed decline”.
A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: “Oxford Street was once the jewel in the crown of Britain’s retail sector but there is no doubt that it has suffered in recent years and urgent action is needed to give the iconic high street a new lease of life.
“This is why the mayor has announced bold new plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street, to increase visitor numbers and encourage people to stay longer, boosting growth in London and around the country.
“Plans for this exciting project will be developed in collaboration with businesses, residents and other stakeholders, to ensure the project can best serve all Londoners, and build a better, fairer and greener London for everyone.”
The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, which Ms Rayner heads, has been approached for comment.
