Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Transport Management

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/190

Contact: Mark Gregory, Team Leader – Behavioural Change and Travel (Mark.Gregory@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Environment and Highways (CMDTM6).

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to: 

a)    Approve the introduction of Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) to facilitate the introduction of ‘school streets’ for the following schools: 

·       Edith Moorhouse Primary School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Carterton 

                                 8:15 – 9:15am and 2:30 – 3:30pm Term time only.                  

·       Harriers Banbury Academy, Banbury 8:15 – 9:15 am and 2:30 – 4:00 pm Term time only.

·       Willowcroft Community Primary School and St Birinus Boys School, Didcot 8- 9 am and 2:30 – 3:30pm Term time only.

b)    Approve the introduction of Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) to extend the school street for the following school: 

·       Sandhills Community Primary School, Oxfordshire County Council, 8-9 am and 2:30 – 3:30 pm Term time only.

c)    Approve the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at the school streets as the method of enforcement of the road closures during the operational hours, as set out in the consultation.

The Chair introduced the item to the meeting, invited speakers to make their addresses and responded to their points in turn.

Officers stated that they were delivering school streets proposals with limited resources of both time and funding, as well as due to the complicated nature of these types of schemes through engagement with schools. The Chair reiterated his belief that it was better to properly design the schemes, even if they took longer, to ensure that they were right for each individual area.

Officers noted that they were trying to work with the Sandhills Community Primary School and parents to encourage use of the Park & Ride, given the free 1 hour bays available.

Officers confirmed that two ANPR cameras would be needed on Delbush Avenue, covering the entire road.

The Chair noted the importance of reading all consultation responses, rather than tallying up responses for one side and the other.

Officers noted that arrangements had been made with the Didcot Wave to use their parking as a ‘park and walk’ zone.

Following representations from the local member, officers stated they’d look at the possibility of adding in double-yellow lines on Bloxham Road to complement the school streets proposals in Banbury.

Officers confirmed there were multiple ‘park and walk’ locations in Carterton that could be used by parents within short distances of the proposed school streets and would work with schools to promote them. The Chair noted that approval had been given to crossings on the walks from ‘park and walk’ sites to schools, with funding being made available. Officers committed to looking at improvements in the speed of delivery of these crossings to better align the school streets programme of work.

The Chair referred to several consultation responses. Officers confirmed that delivery vehicles and carers would be exempt from the scheme.

Officers confirmed that the ANPR can only be used to enforce the scope of the school streets scheme and that it would comply with the Council’s GDPR policies. The data collected could only be used for the purposes in which it was collected.

Officers noted that the installation of equipment at the Carterton site was to allow officers to establish what the baseline situation was for the roads and surrounding areas were. If the scheme were to be approved, further monitoring would take place to allow for comparable data pre and post-school street implementation.

The Chair noted that data gathering was an important part of evidence-based policy making and did not infer decisions had already been made.

The Chair asked officers for potential installation dates if the scheme was approved. Officers responded that it could potentially coincide with February half term, but that this was dependent on installation programmes.

The Chair explicitly stated that this would be introduced as an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) as a trial, meaning it would be a live consultation to see if the changes have the intended positive impact.

The Chair thanked officers for their work, speakers for their contributions and agreed to the recommendations in the report.

RESOLVED to:

a)    Approve the introduction of Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) to facilitate the introduction of ‘school streets’ for the following schools:

· Edith Moorhouse Primary School and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Carterton 8:15 – 9:15 am and 2:30 – 3:30 pm Term time only.

· Harriers Banbury Academy, Banbury 8:15 – 9:15 am and 2:30 – 4:00 pm Term time only.

· Willowcroft Community Primary School and St Birinus Boys School, Didcot 8- 9 am and 2:30 – 3:30pm Term time only.

b)    Approve the introduction of Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) to extend the school street for the following school:

· Sandhills Community Primary School, Oxfordshire County Council 8-9 am and 2:30 – 3:30 pm Term time only.

c) Approve the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at the school streets as the method of enforcement of the road closures during the operational hours, as set out in the consultation.