Oxford Street is iconic and internationally renowned for its wide array of retail stores and a popular destination for dining and entertainment. But this historic street is about to see some big changes.

With Oxford Street’s revitalisation currently being consulted upon by London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, one consideration is the potential for a new Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which could give the Mayor additional powers to support the area’s transformation.

The MDC would take on responsibility for plan-making and the determination of planning applications, in a similar way to the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation and (previously) London Legacy Development Corporation functions.

A map of the proposed Mayoral Development Area is outlined below.

The Mayoral Development Area (MDA) would need to be proposed and designed before the Secretary of State formally lays the necessary orders in Parliament to establish the MDC. The current consultation is the start of that process.

With the introduction of the Mayoral Development Area, likely to take place in early 2026, the Mayor will then step up proposals for creating a compelling case for phased partial pedestrianisation across the Oxford Street area. One of the main aims would be to improve the quality and use of the public realm, whilst also outlining how the proposal would work in practice given existing delivery and servicing arrangements, and traffic limitations.

Pedestrianisation was first proposed by the Mayor in his 2016 manifesto, but these plans were halted when Westminster City Council withdrew its support in 2018. It appears that the case for pedestrianisation (at least in part) has strengthened since the completion of the Elizabeth Line with new step-free underground station access at Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road.

Iceni Projects is working with a number of retailers along Oxford Street and along many of the arterial roads that feed into the wider Oxford Street area. These include IKEA and Nike, who like many international businesses in the area, have a keen interest in the proposals and want to understand what it means for them moving forward. It is important to note that these proposals are still at an early stage and whilst it may be difficult to understand how they could be delivered right now and who they may affect in a positive or negative way, the proposals in a broad sense are likely to be contentious.

If you would like to chat more about what this all means and how we can help you navigate the transformation, get in touch by emailing: info@iceniprojects.com

You can find further information of Sadiq’s plans to make Oxford Street and the surrounding area a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) in the link below. Please have a conversation with us if you would like to take part in the consultation which closes on 2nd May 2025 – https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/oxford-street