Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/146

Contact: Tim Shickle, Group Manager – Traffic & Road Safety Tel: 07920 591545 / Julian Richardson, Senior Engineer (Road Agreements Team C&W) Tel: 07825 052736/ Odele Parsons, Senior Transport Planner Tel: 07974 002860

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CMDHM11).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce no waiting at any time restrictions on Avenue 2, Witney which are required to safely accommodate access to and from adjacent commercial land use, in line with a planning consent recently given by West Oxfordshire District Council.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposed no waiting at any time restrictions on Avenue Two, Witney as advertised.

Deferred for further discussion.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management considered (CMDHM11) responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce no waiting at any time restrictions on Avenue 2, Witney which were required to safely accommodate access to and from adjacent commercial land use, in line with a planning consent recently given by West Oxfordshire District Council.

Councillor Dan Levy speaking as the county cycling champion for West Oxfordshire advised that Avenue 2 was a key cycle and walking route, leading at its southern end to a car free route to Ducklington and to WItney Lakes Country Park and because this route led under the A40 was the only direct route to these places from Witney other than by car.   We needed to encourage active travel, not put obstacles in its way whereas the District Council by approving plans which involved large lorries turning across the carriageway endangered active travellers. He asked the Cabinet Member to reject the current proposal to enable County officers to come up with alternative plans to make this area safe for active travellers. That might well require the creation of a separated track on the western side of the road and provision for parking for people wanting to use the Country park or possibly a redesign of the plans by the developers but there had been objections on similar lines from the Town Council and others.

The local member County Councillor Andrew Coles although unable to attend had asked that his comments as set out in paragraph 12 of the officer report be taken into consideration. In a further written representation he outlined his support for the comments put forward by Councillor Levy to reject the proposal until have further plans had been drawn up by from County officers to improve safety for active travellers.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management acknowledged the comments by both councillors and accepted that the plans as proposed did not reflect the aims of the current administration to support active travel nor protect cyclists and pedestrians sufficiently.  Therefore, having regard to the information set out in the report before him together with the representations made to him at the meeting he confirmed his decision as follows:

to defer a decision to introduce no waiting at any time restrictions on Avenue 2, Witney and ask officers to discuss further with the developers to explore the potential for an alternative and more ambitious scheme to protect cyclists and pedestrians.

Signed…………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Highway Management

Date of signing…………………………..