Hammersmith Road cycleway to become permanent after council backs TfL’s £20m plan
Cabinet voted unanimously for the C9 scheme, which adds three floating bus stops. A resident had urged councillors to reject it over safety.
Traffic to be banned on Oxford Street from Monday 26 October
Almost a kilometre between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street goes car-free first. A temporary layout will be tested before the permanent design.
Key facts
- Traffic ban on Oxford Street starts on Monday 26 October 2026
- Covers almost a kilometre, from Orchard Street to Great Portland Street
- All vehicles, including buses and taxis, will use nearby roads instead
- A transitional scheme is due by the end of spring 2027
Vehicles will be barred from almost a kilometre of Oxford Street from Monday 26 October 2026. The stretch affected runs between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, and the date has now been confirmed.
Buses and taxis will lose access along with every other vehicle. Cyclists will also have to use other routes. The roads that take the diverted traffic will be watched closely so that it keeps flowing during the switchover.
Oxford Street pedestrianisation: what happens first
The closure is the opening stage of a programme that will be delivered in phases. Building work is being kept to a minimum to limit disruption, and the street will be open to people on foot before the Christmas rush.
After the traffic has gone, the Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) and its partners plan more changes. According to the corporation, these will include seating and rest areas, trees and clearer signs.
A temporary layout before the permanent design
This first set of changes to the street is temporary. The team wants feedback in real time from the people using the space. Residents and businesses will be asked for their views. Accessibility groups will be consulted as well, along with workers and other key stakeholders.
That insight will be used to design the permanent improvements. The corporation expects a transitional scheme to be in place by the end of spring 2027, so the layout people see from 26 October is a trial rather than the finished street.
Key questions
When will Oxford Street be pedestrianised?
Traffic will be banned from a stretch of almost a kilometre of Oxford Street from Monday 26 October 2026.
Which part of Oxford Street is closing to traffic?
The section between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.
Where will Oxford Street buses go?
Buses and taxis, like every other vehicle, will switch to roads nearby. Those roads will be watched so traffic keeps moving.
Is the new Oxford Street layout permanent?
No. The first phase is temporary. Feedback from people using the street will shape the permanent design, and a transitional scheme is due by the end of spring 2027.
No direct Stansted trains from Liverpool Street on 17 and 18 October
Track work also closes part of the Weaver line for the weekend and shuts the Hertford East branch for nine days.
Kilburn Mews finished: 12 railway arches by the station now seek tenants
Places for London has finished converting 12 arches under the Jubilee and Metropolitan lines and is now looking for businesses to move in.
South Tottenham station garden reaches the World Cup of Stations final 20
Two station assistants turned wasteland into a community garden. Public voting runs until Sunday 18 October, and the winner will be named on 20 October.