Decision details

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

Officers stated that the boundary point was moved to prevent cars parking too far along Market Street towards Cornmarket Street, which officers felt would be unsafe and create unattractive conditions for walking and cycling. Cycle parking outside Boots had also been provided as mitigation.

The Chair noted that there was competition for limited cycling parking spaces within Oxford.

The Chair commented that this was an example of an ETRO working well, in which an experiment was tried out in real time before modifications were made after gathering feedback, before deciding whether to make the changes permanent.

Officers stated that amendments to signage and bollards were being actively looked into.

Following a question from the Chair, officers stated that they were unsure of the reasons why cars sometimes ended up on Cornmarket Street but confirmed that enforcement would be helped by signage and bollards.

The Chair thanked officers from the City Council for their work on this scheme.

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

RESOLVED to:

a) Approve the making permanent of the removal/relocation of the existing restrictions as part of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), as advertised:

i. 24hr loading bays outside the entrances to the covered market – split into 3 sections on the south side of the road, realigned for parking parallel to the kerb, and

ii. change the existing ‘No loading from 10am to 6pm’ restriction within the pedestrian zone to prohibit loading outside of marked bays provided ‘At all times’.

b) Approve the making permanent of the new restrictions/relocations as part of the ETRO, as advertised:

i. Prohibition of Motor Vehicles (i.e. the `Pedestrian and Cycle Zone`) for Market Street, to be in operation at all times,

ii. exemptions for Taxis, Private Hire Vehicles, Blue Badge Holders requiring to drop-off/collection only, street legal E-scooters, vehicles for loading in marked bays, and where access is required to off-street premises, and

iii. relocate the entry point from Market Street into the existing pedestrian zone on Cornmarket 23 metres east, to align with the end of the new zone.

c) Approve the making permanent of the modifications made to the ETRO in January 2025, as advertised:

i. an exemption for Drivers of patients visiting the ‘Northgate Health Centre’ so they can be dropped off and picked up, and

ii. changing the loading bay outside `Wagamamas restaurant` to allow Blue Badge holders to park from 12pm until 12am (loading at all other times).