Having voted for the formation of the previous two MDC at City Hall – Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation (OOPR) and London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), when l was an Assembly Member, l looked with interest at the proposal for the one along Oxford Street to assist the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. 

Looking at the map, it is strictly only the row of properties along Oxford St and the block there exist within between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road. So much smaller geographical and in scope to the other two MDCs already in existence, one of which dealt with the legacy of the Olympic Games around the main site in 4 boroughs and the other over 3 boroughs an industrial Estate that had been long in decline with much critical transport infrastructure.  

Quite simply the transfer of Oxford St to TfL, so as to become part of its red routes should be enough for these efforts by the Mayor. It is something he’ll have to do anyway along with the planning consent. Quite honestly Oxford St should have been transferred at the outset of the creation of the GLA and its bodies like TfL within their designated red routes.  So l would welcome the designation of Oxford St as a “GLA road” which should have been done many years ago when the GLA and TfL was set-up almost 25 years ago.

Doing it the MDC way, risks antagonising WCC by taking away their planning powers.The result being it will take a lot longer to accomplice the actual pedestrianisation and make the legal process of the transfer of Oxford St to TfL a lot longer l fear.  Furthermore, if it was refused planning by the Westminster City Council, it can surely be called in by the Mayor anyway! 

In the meantime, if TfL want to be seen to transform the West End it could start with the removing of rickshaws (pedicabs) now that it has the powers to do so, in the West End and putting more provision of public toilets in neighbourhoods like Soho which adjoin along Oxford Street.