Delivering to a shop or business on Oxford Street? From Monday 26 October 2026, vehicle access changes on the section between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street. Delivery and servicing vehicles will be able to enter during the permitted midnight to 07:00 window, using defined access routes.
Transport for London has confirmed the arrangements in its Oxford Street deliveries and servicing guide. Access may already be affected on the evening of Sunday 25 October while new controls are installed. All times in this article are local London time; information checked on 25 October 2026.
For customers arranging a courier, the immediate task is to confirm the actual goods entrance and receiving arrangements before choosing a delivery time. This article explains the change, the checks to make with your recipient and the details to include in a transport enquiry.
What changes for Oxford Street deliveries
The traffic-free section has a defined boundary. An address elsewhere on Oxford Street, or a goods entrance on a neighbouring street, needs its own access check. Do not treat the announcement as a blanket ban on deliveries throughout the West End.
| Point to check | Confirmed arrangement |
|---|---|
| Affected section | Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street |
| Change begins | Monday 26 October 2026, with access affected during preparations on Sunday evening |
| Delivery and servicing window | 00:00 to 07:00 every day |
| Previous servicing window | 21:00 to 07:00 |
| Access method | Defined delivery and servicing routes |
The later opening of the servicing window matters to anyone who previously arranged an evening collection. A 22:00 booking should not be carried forward unchanged. Check the revised receiving time with the business and have the full journey reassessed before confirming transport.
Confirm the entrance with your receiving business
Start with the person who will accept the goods. Ask for the exact delivery entrance, a named contact and the time that staff can receive the consignment. A shop’s public opening hours and its goods-receiving arrangements may be different.
Send the entrance details with the booking enquiry. Include a loading-bay reference, height restriction, carrying distance or internal access appointment where relevant. A postcode and shop name leave too much uncertainty when the vehicle route is changing.
TfL says businesses using rear or side-street access may not be affected in the same way, but should check whether their route depends on entering the restricted section. Ask the receiving business to verify its current instructions rather than relying on an old driver’s note.
Use the published delivery access routes
The permitted time window is only one part of the arrangement. TfL has published a delivery guide with access-route maps. Use the current map for the relevant premises and follow on-street controls. The guide explains that initial routes will be temporary, with permanent arrangements to follow.
A navigation app selecting the shortest road route does not establish permission to use it. Give the carrier the receiver’s current access instructions and flag any uncertainty before dispatch. If the goods entrance has changed, include the revised entrance name and contact rather than simply replacing the postcode.
Our London courier access guide explains how to put road, building and handover information into one useful booking brief.
Discuss daytime handovers before booking transport
TfL’s guidance allows goods to be moved on foot or with pedestrian trolleys. That does not mean every consignment can be carried from any nearby street. The stopping point must be lawful, and the goods, distance, surface and handling assistance must suit the proposed method.
If a business asks for a daytime delivery, establish whether it has a usable rear entrance outside the traffic-free section or another agreed receiving arrangement. Describe the load and route so that the carrier can assess what is possible. Heavy, bulky or fragile items need particular attention.
For several deliveries, review the complete stop order and receiving windows. Changing one handover can affect the time available for others. The multi-drop delivery service is relevant where several consignments need assessing together; do not add an Oxford Street stop to an existing route without checking the revised plan.
Check restrictions and exceptional access carefully
According to TfL’s rules and exemptions, entering the traffic-free area outside permitted access arrangements may result in a Penalty Charge Notice. Stopping for a purpose other than loading can also result in a PCN, even during loading hours.
Exceptional access has a separate application process for limited circumstances, such as certain urgent works or essential specialist access. Approval is at TfL’s discretion. An urgent customer order is not permission to enter, and submitting a request does not mean it has been accepted.
Check any relevant signs and loading restrictions at the actual stopping point. If a proposed handover depends on an exception, establish the written approval and its conditions before transport is confirmed. Avoid sending the driver to negotiate an unresolved access question on arrival.
Prepare for changes from Sunday evening
The transition starts before Monday’s daytime restrictions. TfL’s Oxford Street works update says traffic will be diverted from 20:00 on Sunday 25 October between Portman Street and Winsley Street. The traffic-free area then reduces to the section between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street on Monday morning.
If you have a collection during the changeover, recheck the route with the releasing business. Confirm that the goods are ready, the appropriate entrance is available and somebody can respond if instructions change. Include the transition in your timing discussion rather than assuming the usual evening route remains usable.
Send a complete Oxford Street delivery brief
Before requesting a delivery, put these details together:
- The full collection and delivery addresses, including the actual goods entrance.
- The proposed date and receiving window, stated in London time.
- The named releasing and receiving contacts.
- Package counts, packed dimensions, weights and any handling restrictions.
- The receiver’s current access route, loading point and carrying requirements.
- Any approved exceptional-access conditions, if the job relies on them.
- Other stops or returns that form part of the same enquiry.
Send this information through Lucky Van’s business courier service enquiry or request a delivery quote. The team can assess the route, vehicle, assistance and available timing against the actual job. Any overnight or alternative handover arrangement needs confirmation before you rely on it.
Source: Transport for London. Access arrangements may change as the project progresses; check TfL’s current guidance and the receiving business’s instructions when arranging your journey.
