Oxford Street is set to be pedestrianised by the end of the summer

THE new political administration running Westminster City Hall have been accused of making their “first u-turn” within days of taking power.

A King’s Counsel has advised the Conservative city council leader Paul Swaddle that a courts challenge to the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan over his Oxford Street scheme will not happen.

The Conservatives in opposition had made a potential legal challenge of the unpopular project a key part of their pre-May 7 local election push.

Labour councillor Geoff Barraclough, who had been steering the negotiations for Westminster City Council when Labour was in power, said: “The Conservatives misled voters with their spurious promise of a legal challenge.

Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan’s ‘car-free test day’ in September

“This was never a realistic prospect, and they knew it.

“The new leadership of Westminster City Council now needs to stop grandstanding and start working constructively with all parties.

“Oxford Street goes traffic-free this summer and all parts of the public sector should be focused on making it a success for residents, businesses and visitors, not fighting each other to score political points.”

Cllr Barraclough added that, instead of taking Sir Sadiq Khan to the High Court, he has written him a letter.

Sir Sadiq Khan

Westminster Labour had argued that there was no realistic way to legally stop the mayor’s Oxford Street pedestrianisation plan.

The Tories in opposition had argued the then Labour city council had backed down due to party ties, accusing them of “collusion and capitulation”.

In a bulletin to borough residents this week Cllr Swaddle said: “I have called for an urgent meeting with Sir Sadiq Khan, to deliver a plan that actually works for Oxford Street.

“Westminster Labour blocked our legal fighting fund, Labour surrendered control, and their inaction has cost Westminster residents their chance to stand up to Sadiq Khan.”

Paul Swaddle

He also told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “At the moment we have a bit of a Temu plan. It’s very much budget. And it doesn’t deliver on a lot of things that are really needed.

“We’ve taken legal advice to see if there is a way of stopping the mayor. Unfortunately, the capitulation and handing over the road to the mayor by the last administration is making that very difficult.”

He added: “At the moment, it’s a bit of a smoke and mirrors trick by the mayor, because he’s saying, choose this thing that sounds fine, but I won’t tell you any other detail.”