London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been urged to back plans to pedestrianise more areas of the capital after he gave the green light to ban traffic along the popular Oxford Street.

Westminster City Council has unveiled plans to pedestrianise Regent Street St James's and expand pedestrian space at Piccadilly Circus, in proposals that complement the Mayor of London's Oxford Street pedestrianisation scheme.

The council's draft masterplan, developed with The Crown Estate, would make the road directly south of Piccadilly Circus running to St James's Park traffic-free.

City Hall said it welcomed the plans and confirmed the idea "complemented" the mayor's plan to pedestrianise Oxford Street.

Sadiq Khan has been urged to pedestrianise much of the West End

The proposals form part of a broader transformation of the West End, with Westminster City Council saying the draft masterplan reimagines architect John Nash's original ambition, set out 200 years ago, to connect St James's Park to Regent's Park.

The pedestrianisation would create a traffic-free area about the size of five football pitches on Regent Street.

Additional changes to the main section of Regent Street would include introducing safer cycling routes from All Souls' Church to Piccadilly Circus, along with improved pedestrian crossings and removal of the central island running along the street.

These modifications would reduce the main section of Regent Street between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus to a single lane of traffic in each direction. The proposals also include reintroducing two-way traffic on Haymarket.

The proposed plan to pedestrianise the West End

The council's plans encompass "greening" initiatives for Regent Street, addressing the area's daily influx of more than 57,000 visitors who currently face crowded pavements and limited places to rest.

Geoff Barraclough, cabinet member for planning and economic development at Westminster City Council, said the plans would create "a new network of public spaces".

The Labour councillor added: "This is a rare opportunity to reimagine the heart of the West End as a greener, more welcoming and accessible place that works better for residents, visitors and local businesses alike.

"By removing traffic from Regent Street St James's and expanding pedestrian space at Piccadilly Circus, we're creating a new network of public spaces that will serve Londoners for generations."

Sir Sadiq Khan has expressed support for Westminster's proposals, with City Hall confirming it had been in touch with Westminster City Council and The Crown Estate on their plans "well in advance" of setting out the Oxford Street plans.

The Mayor said there had been an "overwhelmingly positive response" to the separate pedestrianisation plans for Oxford Street, which were needed "urgently".

The future implementation of Westminster's proposals, along with the ways in which they are funded, is to be agreed by the council and The Crown Estate in 2026.

The council aims to approve the changes next year, with the go-ahead subject to securing sufficient funding for the modifications.

Map of the proposed pedestrianised route along Oxford StreetTFL

When complete, the changes will amount to the "most significant transformation of Regent Street, Haymarket and Piccadilly Circus in over a century," according to the Labour-run authority.

The London Cycling Campaign has called for wider traffic restrictions across the entire West End, urging the mayor to build on pedestrianised but "isolated" areas already regarded as successful, including Covent Garden, Carnaby Street and Aldwych.

Tom Fyans, chief executive of London Cycling Campaign, said: "London risks falling behind on the global stage as other European cities like Paris blaze a trail on reducing traffic in their city centres.

"We want the mayor to dare to dream bigger and move faster to deliver real changes London needs for climate, health, communities and business."

The campaign wants to establish a "Low Traffic West End", with almost 1,000 members writing to the mayor during the Oxford Street consultation asking him to encourage cycling and reduce motor traffic.