00:00Hello. Yes, from the 22nd of August to the 31st of October in 2025, St. Martin's Lane in London's West End will be pedestrianised daily, transforming into a traffic-free outdoor dining and leisure space.
00:16The scheme, part of Mayor Sadiq Khan's Summer Streets Initiative, is supported by the Heart of London Business Alliance and Westminster City Council as well.
00:27Now, there is potential for the scheme to be extended into 2026 too.
00:33The initiative is designed to support the capital's hospitality sector, stimulate the local economy and make open-air dining a permanent feature of London life.
00:45Visitors to the area, located close to Leicester Square and the heart of Theatreland, will be able to choose from more than 30 restaurants, pubs and bars offering alfresco service.
01:01Now, that's not all the London Mayor has planned for the city when it comes to outdoor spaces.
01:07Plans to pedestrianise parts of Oxford Street will move forward as quickly as possible, the Mayor of London has previously said in the last couple of months.
01:18Sir Sadiq Khan claims two-thirds of people support the principle of banning traffic on one of the world's busiest streets, with the Mayor adding that urgent action is needed to give the nation's high street a new lease of life.
01:35Vehicles would be banned from a 0.7 mile stretch between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch near Green Park as well, with further potential changes towards Tottenham Court Road, right in the centre of Soho.
01:51So, how do Londoners feel about the possible pedestrianisation of Oxford Street and other parts of London?
01:59I'm sure it's not the only street in London or in another major city that has pedestrianised times.
02:07I think if you go to places like Barcelona, for example, there's a lot of pedestrianisation there.
02:14You've got shops there, how they're going to get their deliveries?
02:16The logistics would be a big problem, is the way I see it. I can't see that being pedestrianised.
02:26Obviously, it's a big retail area, so they will need to get deliveries, so I'll have to probably schedule things, but I cycle a lot, and cycling down the middle of Oxford Street is awful.
02:39There's loads of pollution. There's lots of traffic. There's chances to get knocked off. I'd say it's probably a good idea to at least trial pedestrianising Oxford Street.
02:53It's a bit too difficult. I can see it being one-way street.
03:02Thank you so much.
03:13I hope for all that hunting Diploma, of course, is Al Mendon.
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