Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2021/190

Contact: Tim Shickle, Group Manager – Traffic & Roads Safety Tel: 07920 591545 / Odele Parsons, Senior Transport Planner Tel: 07974 002860

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CMDHM5).

The report presents responses received to a proposal to introduce a permanent prohibition of motor vehicles covering High Street and Market Place in Witney. Exemptions to the restriction will apply to buses, taxis, vehicles loading/unloading and those displaying a valid blue badge. The detailed design of the ‘physical’ restriction will be undertaken if the scheme is approved and will take into account and consider the needs of those requiring access. Additionally, the existing 30-minute short-stay parking bays along the western side of Market Square will be converted to 3-hour ‘Disabled Persons Parking Places’.

The proposals are being put forward to:

·           help reduce the level of through traffic in Witney High Street and Market Square,

·           aid pedestrian accessibility and increase safety,

·           aid cycling accessibility and safety by reducing likelihood of conflict with other vehicles,

·           improve bus access and bus journey time reliability, and

·           increase the amount of blue badge parking at key town centre location.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management is RECOMMENDED to approve the following measures on High Street (south of its junction with Welch Way) and Market Place in Witney as advertised:

a)        A prohibition of motor vehicles with exemptions applying to buses, taxis, vehicles loading/unloading and those displaying a valid blue badge.

b)        The conversion of the existing 30-minute short-stay parking bays along the western side of Market Square to 3-hour ‘Disabled Persons Parking Places’

The Cabinet Member for Highway management considered (CMDHM5) responses received to a proposal to introduce a permanent prohibition of motor vehicles covering High Street and Market Place in Witney. Exemptions to the restriction would apply with the detailed design of any ‘physical’ restriction taking into account and considering the needs of those requiring access and converting the existing 30-minute short-stay parking bays along the western side of Market Square to 3-hour ‘Disabled Persons Parking Places’. The proposals had been put forward to:

·      help reduce the level of through traffic in Witney High Street and Market Square,

·      aid pedestrian accessibility and increase safety,

·      aid cycling accessibility and safety by reducing likelihood of conflict with other vehicles,

·      improve bus access and bus journey time reliability, and

·      increase the amount of blue badge parking at key town centre location.

Henry Mo suggested that as the consultation response clearly showed a majority of respondents opposed to the prohibition the County Council should respect those views and sanction the reopening of the High Street. Out of 1313 people only 39% had supported the Witney High Street traffic restriction with 1% offering no opinion while 50% strongly opposed it with another 10% showing concern. That showed a clear majority in favour of restoring the status quo.  Those in support had had very little to say, whereas the majority who opposed closure had pointed out that the restriction had not achieved any of the objectives outlined but had made side streets much more congested and polluted and further damaged businesses on the High Street. In addition to the county council consultation results 36 out of 37 businesses in Witney town centre had opposed the restriction and he had with him a 1011 signature petition signed by Witney town centre shoppers also opposing the restriction. Unlike other major towns and cities, Witney High Street had many local independent shops which had seen a 40% drop in trade, partly due to covid, but largely due to non-customer access. The upper High Street had really wide pavements and along with other places in Witney, which were already pedestrianized, there was absolutely no need to close this road to traffic and it should be reopened in line with the majority view.

Speaking in his capacity as West Oxfordshire cycling champion County Councillor Dan Levy considered that this area of Witney had been much improved as a result of this scheme. Trade had been affected by Covid restrictions but he felt that traders would not be adversely affected by the scheme. There was a lot of alternative free parking in Witney, which was preferred by many shoppers and made it an attractive place to visit. It was now more pleasant to walk and cycle and along with proposed improvements for disabled access and to the junction with Corn Street he supported a permanent prohibition.

County Councillor Duncan Enright acknowledged that there been mixed opinion on the scheme but saw that the biggest advantage of the scheme would be a reduction of through traffic and so less pollution. Other general improvements to the town centre were welcome along with further improvements to the layout which would help support local businesses. He supported the suggestion by the Witney Town Council regarding disabled parking.

County Councillor Andrew Coles considered it would be in everyone’s interest to make this scheme permanent.  Before the restriction shops had been in decline and he was not convinced that reversing this would mean that trade would return.  Shoppers preferred areas without traffic and as Witney had lots of free parking and there was an opportunity now to improve the general environment of the town centre, making it a more attractive alternative for shoppers and help local business to thrive while benefitting from the obvious improvements to be gained from less traffic.

County Councillor Liam Walker considered that traffic data currently available was incomplete. There was clearly a strong body of opposition to making the scheme permanent and until there had been further discussions to address those concerns and secure a more favourable scheme for all parties the prohibition should not be made permanent.

A written representation had been received from Witney Town Council in support of the permanent prohibition but also highlighting the need for effective communication regarding its introduction. They had also asked that loading and unloading be made as easy as possible through sharing the parking areas between taxi bay, disabled parking and loading for traders. Safety and air quality at the roundabout at the junction of Church Green, Corn Street & Market Square (including the area adjacent to the war memorial and the constricted entry into Corn Street) needed to be considered as a priority along with the need to lessen conflict for all road users and pedestrians. The current barrier of planters did not conform with that outcome because the roundabout did not function properly whereas opening both lanes for use by permitted traffic with restrictions via signage and change of road surface colouring might be less hazardous. The Town Council supported the changing of existing 30-minute parking bays to 3 hour disabled parking places further thought needed to be given as to whether the spaces could be larger, with hatching all around or slanted for ease of access. As part of a wider aspiration, the Town Council wished to see a larger town centre development plan coming forward.

Another written representation had been received from Roger Ball a Witney resident in support of the recommendations.

Both representations had been tabled in their entirety.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management thanked everyone for their comments. Having recently observed the levels of free parking in Witney he found it hard to accept that parking in the town was at a premium. Referring to other sites in Oxfordshire which had been pedestrianized such as Sheep Street, Bicester and Cornmarket, Oxford and the benefits which had been derived from those closures it was difficult to see a desire to return to the status quo in those areas and he felt the same would apply in Witney.  Local councillors and the Witney Town Council all supported the permanent closure and so having regard to the information set out in the report before him and the representations made to him at the meeting he confirmed his decision as follows:

to approve the following measures on High Street (south of its junction with Welch Way) and Market Place in Witney as advertised:

a)        a prohibition of motor vehicles with exemptions applying to buses, taxis, vehicles loading/unloading and those displaying a valid blue badge.

b)        conversion of the existing 30-minute short-stay parking bays along the western side of Market Square to 3-hour ‘Disabled Persons Parking Places’.

Signed……………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Highway Management

Date of signing……………………………..