World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Sadiq Khan spends £86,000 on ‘tacky’ benches for Oxford Street revamp as taxpayers pick up tab
More than 50 green benches are being installed on Oxford Street as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s pedestrianisation project, at a reported cost of £86,000. The spending has prompted criticism over value for money and the choice of a Spanish supplier, while the benches are intended to give shoppers more places to rest.
Each bench costs about £1,570 before importing and installation costs; six have been installed, with the rest due by the new year. The Oxford Street Development Corporation says the seating was chosen through a procurement process for its quality, durability and sustainability, and that locations account for accessibility and pedestrian flow. Khan has said the wider project aims to make the street safer and support economic growth; the article reports shopper spending has risen by 13 per cent.
In short
- Oxford Street’s new benches cost £86,000.
- Six of more than 50 benches are in place.
- Officials say the seating supports rest and accessibility.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The benches are part of a wider effort to make Oxford Street more welcoming and accessible, giving shoppers places to rest and potentially supporting longer visits and local businesses. The development corporation says they were selected for quality, durability and sustainability, with placement planned around accessibility and pedestrian flow; the reported rise in shopper spending may indicate the wider project is benefiting the area.
The case against
Public money should be spent with clear evidence of value, and £86,000 for more than 50 benches may reasonably invite scrutiny, particularly once importing and installation costs are included. Critics can argue that choosing a Spanish supplier raises questions about whether comparable quality could have been obtained at lower cost or from a domestic supplier, and that the claimed benefits of the broader project do not by themselves justify this specific purchase.
Explained simply
Oxford Street is a major shopping street in central London, managed by several public bodies. Sadiq Khan is London’s mayor, and the Oxford Street Development Corporation is responsible for coordinating plans to improve the area.
The wider project aims to give pedestrians more space and make the street safer, while supporting its shops and businesses. New seating is intended to give shoppers places to rest; decisions about street furniture also involve cost, durability, accessibility and how people move through the area.