I’m not being funny but… do you remember when Oxford Street was one of the greatest in the world? That wasn’t even too long ago. Walking down it these days, you’re either blinded by the atrocious candy shops on every corner or being too cautious about getting run over by a tuk-tuk. With Topshop at Oxford Circus no more and the House of Fraser store shutting in 2021, a lot rests on Selfridges and John Lewis to maintain the standard of the iconic shopping district. I’m curious about how so many of those candy shops are even allowed to operate.
Surely it must be some kind of money-laundering business for many of those establishments? I remember that the Standard covered this last year and discovered a number of stores had seen goods seized for being counterfeit, they’d owed taxes and the list goes on. The garish neon light they emit stands out like a sore thumb and the crackdown appears to be going slower than anticipated, with a new one popping up as another one closes.
Westminster council has approved a first-round investment fund of £90 million for the area. I think that is fantastic but let’s be clear, adding a bit more greenery and pedestrianising chunks of the street won’t solve all the problems. They won’t attract more people while what’s actually on offer is still the same. There needs to be a concerted effort in working closely with landlords and business forums to ensure a diverse range of shopping and entertainment can be offered.
It’s dangerous and I’m over it — I have even heard instances of drivers drinking alongside their passengers
We all know the insane rents, along with, of course, Covid and online shopping were the catalysts in hollowing out Oxford Street. We all remember that disastrous “Marble Arch Mound” project that wasted millions of our taxpayer pounds. The hideous bit of scaffolding that supposedly gave great views of… oh, I don’t know, Marble Arch and a bit of Hyde Park? That so-called attraction lasted mere months and caused umpteen more problems than it did benefits. I feel as though there should be far more consultation with London’s (and particularly Westminster’s) constituents on what we’d really like to have improving our borough. Communication is of the utmost importance, now more than ever.
London has officially been crowned the world’s “slowest” city for the second time and while I will always think of it as the absolute greatest city, how on earth are we going to tackle traffic? By permanently shutting off more roads? I mentioned pedicabs (tuk-tuks) earlier. I know they’ve been around for a couple of decades now but it seems the vehicles and their riders are becoming even more outrageous. While central London businesses have to adhere to sometimes ridiculously strict sound restrictions, you have riders blasting music out of a boombox all while dodging pedestrians on the roads, footpaths, wherever their heart desires! It’s dangerous and I’m over it. I have heard instances of drivers drinking alongside their passengers. I mean, the list goes on.
I am happy that licensing is finally going through the legislative process but they need to speed it the hell up and pass a bill to require a stringent training programme and rigorous vetting. The pricing also needs to have a precise structure and their operable locations restricted. We shouldn’t have to hear one more person tell us how they drunkenly asked to be driven home to Acton or Holloway and ended up being charged hundreds of pounds. Too funny.
A lot for us to all think about and I’m really excited things are getting done — I only hope they open up the process to small businesses and to locals. London has too many incredible creative small businesses and unique producers. Oxford Street could become a pioneer for this all while maintaining some of the landmark stores we know and love. Here’s hoping!
I am getting really excited about this year for London. Big love and see you next Wednesday.
Track of the Week: Mic Check — Tasty Lopez, Saigon.
