Now Soho wants in on Khan’s pedestrianisation dream – but council is outraged

A group representing more than 150 Soho businesses has called for the renowned shopping and nightlife district to be pedestrianised alongside Oxford Street in a move branded ‘totally outrageous’ by the local council.

The Soho Business Alliance (SBA) has written to Sadiq Khan and the Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, advocating for its inclusion in the proposed Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC).

Mr Khan announced in September he intends to implement an MDC in a bid to realise his long-touted ambition to pedestrianise Oxford Street. It would also see him given additional planning powers and the ability to override the local authority, Westminster City council.

The Mayor is reliant on Angela Rayner as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to make an order establishing the MDC, following consultation and consideration by the London Assembly. But it won’t happen without a fight. The revelation appeared to take the council’s Labour administration by surprise, which said it had only been informed of the plan days before Mr Khan’s announcement.

Cllr Adam Hug, the council Leader, wrote to Ms Rayner and the Mayor in an open letter outlining 10 ‘key concerns’ with Mr Khan’s proposal. These included questioning its necessity, especially considering the council’s efforts in implementing its own £92m designs for the area.

In the SBA’s letter, the group’s chairman Rupert Power said that the area has ‘suffered’ in recent years in a similar way to Oxford Street. He wrote: “We would like to strongly advocate for Soho’s inclusion into the area covered by the MDC so that the future prosperity of the nation’s shopping street can also be supported with a food and leisure destination that makes this part of the West End the complete package.

“As well as the obvious benefits for our businesses, we are concerned that if Soho is excluded from the MDC area, there may be an adverse impact on pedestrian permeability, cycle routes and traffic flows. Soho needs to form part of the area being transformed under the MDC to ensure that Oxford Street does not have a negative impact on Soho’s streets.”

Mr Power wrote that Soho suffers from issues ranging from poor lighting to there being little space to rest, or for activities such as al fresco dining. He added that by including Soho in the MDC it would enable it to rival the centres of cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Bordeaux, which have amenities including low-traffic shopping streets and mixed-use neighbourhoods.

“We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further and contribute our local expertise and energy to the development of the MDC which focusses on returning Oxford Street and Soho to some of the most vibrant and economically prosperous parts of London, if not the UK.”

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management and air quality at Westminster City council, said: “The proposal from Soho businesses that the Mayor should take over Soho is totally outrageous and would create a nightmare for many residents. The council will fight this proposal very strongly.

“We do not believe the majority of local businesses support the Soho Business Alliance proposal. Some major Soho businesses were not even asked for their views before the letter was sent to the Mayor.”

A spokesman for the Mayor said: “Plans for a consultation on the MDC are still being established, and this includes defining the scope. We expect to bring forward this consultation in early 2025.”

Westminster City council has been approached for comment.

Pictured top: Oxford Street’s envisaged pedestrianisation (Picture: GLA)