Oxford Street plans climbable hill to lure shoppers back to district

Called ‘Marble Arch Hill’, the structure is set to be decorated with grass and trees, and will overlook Hyde Park and the western entrance to the mile-long shopping street. 

The council said the structure would be open for six months beginning in the summer and would feature a viewing platform as well as inner rooms for events and exhibitions. 

The construction plans were unveiled yesterday by the local authority in a bid to revive London’s famous shopping district from the depredations of the coronavirus. 

Pre-Covid Oxford Street would attract 200 million visitors a year, but the district’s retailers and hospitality businesses have suffered the twin shocks of collapsed tourism and the loss of commuters. 

As a result, new research from the New West End Company said that a fifth of retail stores on the famous street have closed permanently, including the likes of Debenhams. 

Westminster City Council said it is committing £150m to the plan, while local landlords and other stakeholders would also contribute. 

Alongside Marble Arch Hill, the council yesterday unveiled a swathe of other planned works designed to lure shoppers back to the surrounding area. 

These include more pedestrian space, pop-up parks, open-air theatres, and other playful cultural and leisure activities, and will be concentrated around the area’s three main transportation hubs: Marble Arch, Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Road.