What happened in this Energy story?

Oxford Street’s busiest stretch will close to traffic Monday, delivering Sadiq Khan’s long-delayed pedestrianisation scheme after years of setbacks and critics’ claims that it simply displaces traffic onto nearby roads.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Sadiq Khan** has pursued pedestrianisation of Oxford Street since becoming London mayor in 2016, and the shopping street’s busiest stretch will close to traffic Monday after numerous setbacks.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Greater London Authority** estimates the scheme will generate £82m in value each year by increasing footfall and encouraging visitors to linger, while the number of vacant Oxford Street shops has more than quadrupled since the pandemic.

Oxford Street to Close to Traffic Monday — SkimNews

By The Guardian Environment · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-10-25

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Sadiq Khan has pursued pedestrianisation of Oxford Street since becoming London mayor in 2016, and the shopping street’s busiest stretch will close to traffic Monday after numerous setbacks.
Greater London Authority estimates the scheme will generate £82m in value each year by increasing footfall and encouraging visitors to linger, while the number of vacant Oxford Street shops has more than quadrupled since the pandemic.
Reform UK support is correlated with the deterioration of British high streets, placing Oxford Street’s rejuvenation within the prime minister’s focus on reviving retail centres.
Britain saw 59% of all journeys made by car in 2024, compared with 34% in London, while the Treasury spends twice as much on London’s transport system as on other regions in England.
Westminster council argues that pedestrianisation merely displaces traffic elsewhere, but University of the West of England research suggests some traffic disappears permanently when strategic roads close and travelers switch to public transport or walking; a study of 46 London low-traffic neighbourhoods suggested minimal effects on traffic elsewhere.
Imperial College research suggests Ulez significantly improved the health of primary-school children in London, whose lung growth had been stunted by pollution.
Transport for London estimates Oxford Street pedestrianisation will have only a minimal effect on nitrogen dioxide emissions, already declining as a result of Ulez; in 2014, Oxford Street had the world’s highest NO2 concentration.

Why it matters: The Greater London Authority estimates £82m in annual value from more footfall and longer visits, although the impact remains to be seen. For Oxford Street retailers, the closure carries a concrete commercial test against a vacancy count that has more than quadrupled since the pandemic, alongside its stated environmental and public-health rationale.