Oxford Street Development Corporation Board Announced as MDC Convenes for Inaugural Meeting

The Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) has announced the appointment of its Board, with members convening for the first time tomorrow (7 January) at City Hall.

The inaugural meeting marks a major milestone for Oxford Street. Following years of consultation, political debate and preparation, the regeneration of the capital’s flagship high street has now moved into a delivery phase under a fully constituted Mayoral Development Corporation with statutory powers, formal governance and a long-term mandate.

From policy ambition to delivery institution

The OSDC came into legal existence on 1 January 2026 following approval by the London Assembly and the completion of the necessary legislative steps. The first Board meeting confirms the leadership, governance and operational framework that will shape decision-making from this point forward.

The agenda focuses on the practical foundations required to make the Corporation operational. This includes the adoption of Standing Orders and financial regulations, approval of a Contracts and Funding Code, establishment of an Audit and Risk Committee, and agreement of shared services arrangements with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London. A draft budget for 2026 to 2027 is also being noted.

These steps move the OSDC beyond policy intent and into institutional reality. For the built environment sector, this provides clarity that Oxford Street’s regeneration is now being taken forward through a permanent statutory body rather than a time-limited programme.

Leadership and the significance of the Chief Executive appointment

Central to the Corporation’s early direction is the appointment of Nabeel Khan as Chief Executive.

Khan joins from the London Borough of Lambeth, where he served as Corporate Director for Growth and Environment, with responsibility for planning, regeneration, transport and public realm policy. His experience includes leading major regeneration programmes, shaping Lambeth’s internationally recognised Kerbside Strategy, and delivering complex mixed-use and industrial development projects.

The appointment signals a clear emphasis on combining strategic planning expertise with delivery capability. Until Nabeel formally takes up post in the coming weeks, Philip Graham, Executive Director for Good Growth at the GLA, is acting as Interim Chief Executive to ensure continuity from day one.

The Board is chaired by Scott Parsons, announced in November 2025. Scott brings extensive experience across retail and property, including senior leadership roles at Landsec and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, and is well known for guiding major projects through periods of market and operational change.

Oxford Street Development Corporation Board

The full OSDC Board brings together a broad mix of commercial, cultural, public-sector and governance expertise:

• • Scott Parsons (Chair)
    Scott Parsons is a senior retail and property executive with extensive leadership experience across major UK and international real-estate organisations. He has held senior roles at Landsec and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, bringing deep expertise in large-scale urban regeneration, retail destination strategy and commercial delivery.
    
    

• • Nabeel Khan (Chief Executive)
    Nabeel Khan is Chief Executive of the Oxford Street Development Corporation. He previously served as Corporate Director for Growth and Environment at the London Borough of Lambeth and brings significant experience in planning, regeneration and organisational leadership.
    
    

• • Philip Graham (Interim Chief Executive)
    
    

Independent Board members:

• • Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE
    Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford is a highly respected lawyer, business leader and diversity advocate. Former Director of Legal Services at the John Lewis Partnership, she has held senior governance roles across retail, education and the voluntary sector. She is currently Chancellor of Coventry University and Chair of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
    
    

• • Es Devlin OBE
    Es Devlin is an internationally acclaimed stage and set designer whose work spans theatre, opera, fashion and global music tours. A three-time Olivier Award winner, she has designed large-scale productions for leading cultural institutions and global artists, and brings a distinctive creative perspective on public space, culture and place-making.
    
    

• • Keith Edelman
    Keith Edelman is a business executive with more than 30 years’ international experience across retail, leisure and property. He is best known for his tenure as Managing Director of Arsenal Football Club, overseeing major commercial partnerships and the development of Emirates Stadium, and has served on several major public-sector boards.
    
    

• • Emir Feisal
    Emir Feisal is a chartered accountant and specialist in transformational change with extensive public-sector governance experience. He has held non-executive roles across organisations including the Disclosure and Barring Service, British Transport Police Authority and the Bar Standards Board, and also serves as a Magistrate and Family Court Judge.
    
    

• • Asma Khan
    Asma Khan is an award-winning restaurateur and founder of Darjeeling Express in Soho. She is a UN World Food Programme chef advocate and was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people. Her work combines hospitality excellence with strong social and community values.
    
    

• • Caroline Rush CBE
    Caroline Rush has been Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council since 2009. She has played a central role in elevating London Fashion Week and promoting British fashion globally, and was awarded a CBE for services to the fashion industry.
    
    

• • Kate Willard OBE
    Kate Willard is Chair and Chief Executive of the Thames Estuary Growth Board and a member of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority’s Expert Advisory Council. She brings extensive experience in infrastructure delivery, long-term growth planning and public-private partnership.
    
    

Local authority and GLA representation:

• • Cllr Adam Hug, Leader of Westminster City Council
    
    

• • Cllr Richard Olszewski, Leader of Camden Council
    
    

• • Stuart Love, Chief Executive, Westminster City Council
    
    

• • Manisha Patel, Director of ASC Governance, Operations and Oxford Street, Westminster City Council
    
    

• • Howard Dawber OBE, Deputy Mayor for Business and Chair of London and Partners
    Howard Dawber is the Mayor of London’s Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth. He brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors, including 17 years at Canary Wharf Group where he played a key role in major infrastructure, regeneration and investment programmes across London.
    
    

Business representation (ex officio):

• • Dee Corsi, Chief Executive, New West End Company
    Dee Corsi is Chief Executive of the New West End Company and serves as a non-voting, ex-officio member of the OSDC Board. She represents the West End business community, bringing a strong track record in public-realm transformation, destination marketing, security operations and strategic advocacy.
    
    

The composition of the Board reflects the scale and complexity of Oxford Street as an economic asset, cultural destination and civic space, bringing together expertise from retail, property, fashion, culture, local government and public administration.

Planning powers, timing and statutory approvals

From a planning perspective, the establishment of the OSDC introduces a new planning authority for Oxford Street, with an important transitional period.

While the Corporation is now legally established, its full planning powers are expected to come into effect from April 2026, subject to the completion of statutory processes and formal approvals. Until that point, planning functions will continue to operate under existing arrangements.

Once live, the OSDC will determine planning applications within its boundary through a dedicated Planning Committee, operating under its own Standing Orders and governance framework. This will create a distinct planning route for Oxford Street, with its own committee composition, political dynamics and decision-making culture.

Public realm and pedestrianisation

Alongside the establishment of the Corporation, public realm and pedestrianisation proposals for Oxford Street are already progressing through consultation. These proposals, which have attracted significant public and business support, are expected to form a central part of the OSDC’s early delivery programme once it is fully operational.

For developers and occupiers, this reinforces the need to consider planning proposals in the context of wider movement, public realm and place-based objectives, rather than on a site-by-site basis alone.

Political context and the May elections

With local elections scheduled for May 2026, attention has turned to the potential political impact at borough level. However, the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation materially changes that context.

Even if control of Westminster City Council were to change, the OSDC’s statutory footing, governance framework and Mayoral oversight mean that the direction of travel for Oxford Street’s regeneration is unlikely to be materially affected. The Corporation now exists independently of borough political cycles, with a long-term mandate embedded in law.

A turning point for Oxford Street

The establishment of the Oxford Street Development Corporation marks a fundamental shift in how the street will be planned, governed and transformed over the coming decades. It creates a single institution responsible for coordinating planning decisions, public realm investment and long-term stewardship at scale.

For developers, landowners and occupiers, the question is no longer whether Oxford Street will change, but how to engage effectively with the new structures through which that change will now be delivered.

For insight into how the Oxford Street Development Corporation will operate in practice, and what this means for planning, development and engagement strategies do get in touch with Nathan Parsad-Wyatt at nathan.parsad-wyatt@hedry.co.uk.

📄 Download: Hedry Oxford Street Development Board Briefing