Latest news with #PeterJekelby
Metro
11 hours ago
- Business
- Metro
When will London Oxford Street be pedestrianised?
Banning cars on Oxford Street has been in the pipeline for years – but what is happening with the plan now, and how popular is it? London Oxford Street, which attracts around half a million shoppers each day, will be turned into a European-style promenade without traffic. The £150,000,000 pedestrianisation project is being pushed by the London Mayor Sadiq Khan and local business leaders to restore the famous shopping spot to its 'former glory.' Oxford Street has been blighted by US-style sweet shops in recent years, which sell candy and souvenirs, mainly catering to tourists. Police seized £80,000 worth of fake goods from one candy store, including sweets with banned ingredients. People told Metro previously that they were not fully convinced the pedestrianisation plan will ever happen or whether they would back it. But a new consultation reveals that a majority of Londoners support the pedestrianisation and revamp of Oxford Street. The consultation, carried out by the Greater London Authority between February and May of 6,642 people, shows that two-thirds of Londoners support the pedestrianisation idea, the City Hall says. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Meanwhile, seven out of ten Londoners support the wider regeneration of Oxford Street. Selfridges, John Lewis and IKEA have reportedly welcomed the plans, which will transform the street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. More detailed proposals on what the new road will look like are expected within the next couple of months, Metro understands. The pedestrianised zone would also host cultural events and activities as a public space. The mayor said: 'Oxford Street has suffered over many years so urgent action is needed to give our nation's high street a new lease of life. 'It's clear that the vast majority of Londoners and major businesses back our exciting plans, so I'm pleased to confirm that we will now be moving ahead as quickly as possible. 'We want to rejuvenate Oxford Street; establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events with a world-class, accessible, pedestrianised avenue. 67% of Londoners support the pedestrianisation, the poll shows. The IKEA CEO Peter Jekelby has thrown his support behind the plan, describing it as a 'positive step,' which will create 'a more welcoming and accessible space.' Selfridges' executive director, Meave Wall, said the pedestrianisation plan will shape 'a brighter future for this iconic shopping and entertainment hub.' 'Selfridges has thrived on Oxford Street for well over 100 years and we're hugely energised by the renewed commitment to make this area more enticing and attractive for locals and visitors from around the world,' she said. John Lewis's managing director, Peter Ruis, said: 'We continue to invest significantly in our Oxford Street store – including a new beauty hall, a Waterstones bookshop and the new Jamie Oliver Cookery School – and believe pedestrianisation will create a vibrant, thriving shopping environment enhancing the area's appeal as a top retail destination.' New West End Company, which represents more than 600 businesses in the West End, said Oxford Street alone generates 5% of London's annual economic activity. The group's CEO Dee Corsi said: 'A comprehensive and considered transformation of Oxford Street – delivered in partnership with local businesses and communities – will enhance the area, bringing significant economic benefits to Londoners and the wider UK economy.' 'This will help to attract more international visitors, and act as a magnet for new investment and job creation, driving growth and economic prosperity for decades to come. 'Our plans are not only about creating a beautiful public space where people can shop, eat and connect – but transforming Oxford Street into a place Londoners and the whole of the country can be proud of, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.' More Trending Angela Rayner, the deputy Prime Minister, said the government supports the plan to 'help breathe new life into Oxford Street.' 'We want to see Oxford Street become the thriving place to be for tourists and Londoners alike, and that's why we welcome the Mayor of London's bold proposals to achieve that,' she said. However, traffic will not be banned overnight as the proposal still has to jump through red tape and legal hoops. This includes establishing a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which will be tasked with the revamp. The corporation is set to be up and running by January. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'People will miss flights from Stansted' after overturned lorry shuts down M11 MORE: Could flight prices go up after Air India crash and Middle East escalation? MORE: Map shows how hot it has to get before it is officially a heatwave in the UK
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Yes, of course Oxford Street should be pedestrianised. But let's not stop there
Calls to pedestrianise one of Britain's most famous roads have won an influential new ally. Hot on the heels of opening Ikea's first Oxford Street branch, Peter Jekelby, its UK boss, threw his support behind pedestrianisation, saying he thought banning cars would be 'good for the street'. London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been trying to pedestrianise the iconic West End shopping district since he first ran to be London mayor in 2016. Now he's trying again, this time asking the government to give him extra powers to push through the plans. This decade-long power tussle over banning cars from less than a mile of one road isn't unique to London. Across the UK, and around the world, pedestrianisation projects face similar challenges, but invariably follow a similar trajectory. First there's frothing opposition, then angry media coverage. Then, finally, after years of wrangling, when the pedestrianisation is eventually realised, it is hailed as a big success. The pedestrianisation of George Street in Sydney's central business district was a success, boosting commercial property values. The banning of vehicles from the historic centre of Pontevedra in northern Spain was a success, eliminating road deaths. Making Brussels' Boulevard Anspach car-free was a success, yielding more visitors and independent businesses. Even converting a six-lane Seoul motorway, which previously carried 160,000 cars a day, into an 11km riverside park was a success, reducing air pollution by 35%. The perks of pedestrianisation are manifold, but knotty local politics must be overcome before the shoppers of Oxford Street can benefit. Labour has controlled the historically Tory Westminster council since 2022, but with the party losing ground nationally the constituency is vulnerable to small groups of constituents threatening to deliver the borough back to the Tories if Labour won't bow to their concerns around traffic. 'Locals have long been anxious about rat runs,' a council press officer told me, explaining that constituents fear restricting traffic on Oxford Street could 'push more cars into sidestreets'. But similar arguments have been made before – and debunked. Many claimed that the introduction of low-traffic neighbourhoods would increase congestion along boundary roads, but research across 174 sites by University of Westminster showed there was barely any boundary traffic increase and decreases within 46 zones. Ultimately, the more roads are pedestrianised or closed to vehicles, the fewer people choose to make unnecessary car journeys. Paul Lecroart, senior urban planner for the Paris metropolitan region, argues that research from 60 cities shows that removing lanes from inner city highways reduces vehicle use by 14% without 'deterioration in traffic conditions'. Moreover, though the majority of households in Westminster don't own a car, a quarter of all land in the borough is used for roads – more than is reserved for green space and double the amount used for housing. Even with the closure of Oxford Street, any claim that drivers in the West End would be underserved is preposterous. The political gridlock has been exacerbated by the capital's topsy-turvy hierarchy. Unlike in comparable cities, the mayor of London – accountable to millions –generally has less power to steer major projects than local councils. Ward councillors should obviously have a voice in initiatives that will affect their communities, but Oxford Street is not a local high street. It's a significant regional hub of city-wide – maybe even nationwide – importance. About 43,000 people cast votes in the borough's most recent elections – a fraction of the half a million who visit Oxford Street every day. A handful of wealthy drivers lucky enough to live in a central London swing seat shouldn't be able to abuse their privilege to stymie projects that could benefit tens of millions. It is not just in London where cars enjoy outsize dominance over pedestrians. In Birmingham, illegal pavement parking is so rife that the city resorted to installing a phalanx of 60 bollards three rows deep to stop motorists driving into pedestrian space. So many of Britain's handsome market squares, which in Europe would be centrepieces of civic life, are relegated to car parks – Chipping Norton, King's Lynn, Bury St Edmunds to name a few. Time after time pedestrianisation has proved itself to be a transformative ingredient in the revitalisation of cities, yet no amount of evidence, research or glowing case studies seems enough to win over the sceptics. Two decades after the north side of Trafalgar Square was pedestrianised and car parking was removed from the central courtyard of Somerset House – both urban design triumphs in Westminster itself – the message still hasn't got through. Thankfully, times may finally be changing. In Leeds, a new neighbourhood of 516 homes built by property developers Citu has given pedestrians priority. 'It takes boldness to break from decades of car-first thinking,' managing director Jonathan Wilson tells me. 'We prioritise pedestrians – people – because it makes social, environmental and, when done right, commercial sense.' By embracing pedestrianisation, Wilson says they've managed to promote community cohesion and build more homes than a conventional car-dominated development could have achieved. For now, the best time to go shopping on Oxford Street is during a protest. When Extinction Rebellion blockaded Oxford Circus with their infamous pink boat in 2019, crowds of liberated shoppers filled the full width of the road creating a festival-like atmosphere for five days as the occupation held cars at bay. If Khan is finally empowered to deliver the promise he made to Londoners in 2016, it will no longer take mass protests to improve the experience of shopping on Europe's busiest shopping street. Phineas Harper is a writer and curator
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
UK Ikea boss backs calls to pedestrianise Oxford Street as flagship store opens
The UK boss of Ikea has backed calls to pedestrianise Oxford Street as the world's largest furniture retailer finally opens its delayed store in London's prime shopping destination. The Swedish company's three-floor shop in the building that used to be Topshop's former flagship store, with a mix of meatballs, lampshades and kitchen design assistance, opens on Thursday, 18 months later than planned. Sitting in one of the mini-room sets designed to show off Ikea's range of furnishings at the new store, Peter Jekelby, the chief executive of Ikea's UK business, said he thought a plan to pedestrianise Oxford Street, backed by London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, would be 'good for the street' and 'make it easier to move around'. Khan said the Ikea store was 'a huge vote of confidence in London, in our economy and in our plans to rejuvenate Oxford Street' and that attracting new companies would help 'create new jobs and increase footfall'. He said the 'bold proposals' to pedestrianise Oxford Street were subject to consultation that closes on 2 May 'so I encourage everyone to have their say'. Jekelby added that Ikea, which will employ more than 100 people in its new London store, was committed to opening more outlets in the UK, with plans for a major new site in Brighton this summer and smaller outlets in Norwich, Chester and Harlow in Essex. 'After that we will take stock,' he said. 'There are still places and space that we could be present in.' He said Ikea was 'about affordability' and so could thrive even in a time of 'thinner wallets'. He called on the UK government to foster stability in the UK market and not to overwhelm retailers with additional costs – after an increase in employer national insurance charges. Jekelby said that business rates needed a rethink so they were 'more fit for purpose' and did not 'penalise certain ways of shopping' – as currently those who operate stores face higher costs from the property-based tax than rivals who operate solely online. The bright and colourful – and largely underground – Oxford Street outlet includes a 130-seat Swedish deli, a live events space and one-to-one design services for kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms. The space is also brightened by huge animated displays of woodland scenes, buzzing bees and a wide variety of Londoners who talk about their home design choices – some of which are recreated in the store. It will display about 6,000 Ikea products, ranging from 'Billy' bookcases to drinking glasses, and about 3,500 of those items will be available to take away on the spot, while the rest can be delivered to homes. The store's opening is regarded by some as key to hopes for a revival of Oxford Street, which has gradually been rejuvenated after a slump in visitor numbers during the Covid pandemic, after which a number of sites sat vacant while a plethora of cheap American candy shops moved in. In the past two years, the number of vacancies and candy shops have dropped and the street has been boosted by new openings, including HMV, which returned to the site of its original store in November 2023, and the sportswear brand Under Armour. The seven-storey former Topshop building is also home to Nike Town, which is taking more space in some of the upper floors, an outlet for beauty specialist Space NK as well as office space.
