At the weekend, as crowds gathered, the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said: ‘Today will go down in history – in my view – as the day the fightback began to rescue this street’ [Mayor of London]

SUNDAY’S traffic ban on Oxford Street “was the day the fightback began to rescue the street”, the Mayor of London said.

Sir Sadiq Khan attended the This is Oxford Street event that saw half-a-mile of the road, between Oxford Circus and Orchard Street shut off to the public.

It was a taster of a permanent plan from the London mayor that has replaced a similar scheme led by Westminster City Council.

Sir Sadiq said: “For one day the ‘nation’s high street’ has gone completely traffic-free, giving you a glimpse of what the future could look like.

“Today will go down in history, in my view, as the day the fightback began to rescue this street.”

He added: “As mayor, I’m determined to unlock Oxford Street’s true potential and deliver a world-class, accessible, clean, avenue.”

The mayor wants to stop all vehicles going down Oxford Circus and Marble Arch initially, before extending the ban down to Tottenham Court Road.

Fitzrovia, Soho, Marylebone, and Mayfair resident groups criticised the project arguing it
will create congestion in their neighbourhoods.

The mayor said he “fully understands” the “minority of residents” who raised concerns over congestion and accessibility, and added: “We’re going to carry on not just working with residents and the council, but working with retailers, landowners, and others to make sure we can return this street to its previous glory.”

The Extra attended around midday finding an ice cream van selling single cones for £5, chip stalls with portions costing £9 and NBA “freestylers” playing basketball with a DJ playing loud music.