Westminster council has signed off on the first stage of funding for the £90m overhaul of London’s Oxford Street.
The council hopes the revamp will see the shopping district deliver a “world class offer and experience” after being flooded with American Candy and empty shop units, the Evening Standard reported.
As part of its plans, the mile between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court will be redesigned with wider pavements and new additional crossings to help boost footfall along the street.
The Oxford Circus junction will also be remodeled to provide more space for shoppers to cross, while increased parking for bikes and e-scooters will be added to nearby side streets.
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The redevelopment plans have been drawn up in conjunction with the New West End Company (NWEC), which represents 600 retail, restaurant and hotel businesses and property owners across London’s West End.
Westminster council, which signed off on the first £7m of the project on Monday, has agreed to fund £45m of the revamp with NWEC covering the other half.
Retail bosses from the likes of M&S, Frasers Group and Superdry have campaigned for the redevelopment of the capital’s busy shopping district.
Superdry chief executive Julian Dunkerton warned late last month that the street “needs some serious help if it is going to remain one of the world’s leading shopping streets”.
Meanwhile, M&S executive Sacha Berendji claimed the poor state of Oxford Street was fueling a surge in crime after the police made several arrests and issued 34 dispersal orders following a post calling for people to ‘rob JD Sports’ went viral on Tiktok.
He said the activity was “another reminder of how bad things are” in the area.
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