Ken Livingstone has called on landowners in the Central London district of St Giles to “come together to make the most of a once-in-a-generation opportunity” for the development of the area.
Speaking earlier today at his weekly press conference the Mayor said the area was “key to giving the eastern end of Oxford Street the boost it needs, linking it with surrounding parts of the city and drawing people into the West End” adding “people should be able to make their way through the area easily and in the kind of high-quality environment that reflects our premier retail and leisure centre.”
“Making the most of such a strategic place is only possible if a comprehensive approach is taken to its development. The current proposals for one part of the area would prevent this kind of approach, foregoing the potential to offer a genuinely accessible location that draws in visitors to a high quality public realm – with perhaps an iconic public space at its centre. It also fails to maximise the economic benefits, with the loss of opportunities for significantly more jobs and homes.”
“It was only with reluctance I did not direct refusal of planning permission at the time it came before me; now other landholders are expressing an interest in making the most of St Giles’ potential the situation must be reassessed.”
“This is a really exceptional opportunity to develop and implement proposals that would benefit the West End, and London as a whole. The landowners in the area must take stock and work with each other and my office to come up with proposals that can make the most of it. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I am determined to do all I can to make sure it is not lost.”
