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ITEM EX26

BANBURY: PROHIBITION AND RESTRICTION OF WAITING AND LOADING

1. This report deals with objections and representations received in response to recently advertised proposals for new/amended lengths of waiting and loading restrictions in Banbury.

Background/Proposals

Castle Quay Shopping Centre

2. The new shopping centre at Castle Quay has provided 850 new car parking spaces serving the retail stores that have taken up units in Castle Quay. During its construction major changes to highway infrastructure were carried out, including the stopping up of the eastern part of Castle Street and the construction of a new road – Cherwell Drive, linking Castle Street and Concord Avenue.
3. Cherwell Drive has become an important traffic route requiring the protection of 24-hour parking and loading restrictions along its entire length. Additionally, lengths of Compton Road and the Spiceball Park access roads leading off Cherwell Drive are proposed to be similarly protected to prevent parked vehicles from causing danger and congestion, particularly in the vicinity of busy junctions.
4. Bridge Street has become the main public transport (bus) interchange area; therefore it is considered necessary to introduce Bus Clearway Orders in the bus lay-bys, with no waiting or loading to the adjacent lengths. Local bus services use these lay-bys to pick up/drop off passengers and turn around on completion, with long distance coaches continuing to use the bus station. To allow for some loading activity a goods vehicle loading bay has been provided near the main entrance to Castle Quay for retailers unable to gain rear access. Loading is also proposed to be permitted during off peak hours on the southern side between Cherwell Street and the bus station.
5. Proposals advertised for the Castle Quay Shopping Centre area are indicated on drawing No BPS/087131/008, which will be on display at the meeting.

Hightown Road Area

6. Hightown Road is situated to the south-east of Banbury and joins the A4260 Oxford Road at its western end. It is mostly residential in character with the exception of the Horton General Hospital near Oxford Road.
7. Currently there are waiting restrictions extending from the junction with Oxford Road for approximately 250 metres, which covers the Hospital frontage. Complaints have been received concerning obstruction due to parked vehicles on Valley Road (a side road leading off Hightown Road), and those lengths of Hightown Road which are not currently subject to waiting restrictions. This problem was exacerbated when parking charges were introduced for the car parks at the hospital.
8. Proposals have been advertised for "no waiting at any time" restrictions as indicated on drawing No BPS/087243/003B, which will be on display at the meeting. It is possible that this could result in a transfer of parking to those lengths of highway not covered by the restrictions. However, maintaining short lengths of on street parking on Hightown Road between Oxford Road and Foscote Road should reduce traffic speed due to their "chicane" effect and conditions will be monitored to ensure that any displaced vehicles do not create new traffic hazards.

Hightown Gardens/Hightown Leyes

9. Hightown Gardens and Hightown Leyes effectively form a cul-de-sac joining Hightown Road near its junction with Oxford Road. Hightown Leyes is totally residential in character whilst Hightown Gardens has some residential properties as well as an office building and doctors surgery.
10. Currently there are double yellow lines extending from Hightown Road into Hightown Gardens for approximately 13 metres. Complaints have been received from both residents and businesses concerning obstructive parking, which is assumed to be associated mainly with the doctors’ surgery. The surgery has a car park but it is considered to be insufficient at times. Attempts have been made previously to reduce the nuisance of obstructive parking by implementing informal white line markings across private drives.
11. Proposals have been advertised for various waiting restrictions on both Hightown Gardens and Hightown Leyes in order to address the problem. They include a daytime parking ban with short lengths of limited waiting permitted. It is considered that, if a total ban were imposed, then drivers who cannot park elsewhere may still be tempted to park near the surgery, possibly causing obstruction. By introducing short lengths of limited waiting in relatively safe locations, then drivers who cannot access the surgery car park would be attracted towards them rather than parking inappropriately. They would also prevent commuters from leaving their cars all day in this area.
12. These proposals are indicated on drawing No BPS/080243/001B, which will be on display at the meeting.

Tramway Road

13. Tramway Road is situated to the east of Banbury in close proximity to the railway station and is entirely frontaged by industrial units. The road has been closed off near the railway station in the past, effectively forming a cul-de-sac. There are three minor roads which can only be accessed from Tramway Road but none of these are adopted by the Highway Authority.
14. Complaints have been received relating to problems experienced by drivers of large vehicles who either cannot access properties or whose manoeuvres are obstructed due to parked vehicles. Much of the parking is associated with commuters accessing the railway station, despite a reasonably priced car park being constructed for rail users at the station end of the road. It is desirable for "no waiting at any time" restrictions to apply to its entire length as it is proposed to re-open the road as an access route to the station car park later this year.
15. Legal and General, who administer the properties on Tramway Road, were included in informal consultation and are fully in support of the restrictions indicated on drawing No BPS/080243/002A, which will be on display at the meeting.

Consultation

16. The formal public consultation period for these proposals ran from 17 January 2002 for a period of four weeks. A total of ten representations were received. These are summarised below under the area to which they apply. Full details of the comments received, with additional officer comments, are in the Members’ Resource Centre. Thames Valley Police had no objections.

Castle Quay Shopping Centre

17. The Freight Transport Association requested that the operation hours of the goods vehicle loading bay in Bridge Street be amended from 4.30pm – 10am to 4.00pm – 11am, to allow a larger window for retail deliveries. It is recommended that the Order be amended to accommodate their request.

Hightown Road Area

18. Four representations were received concerning the proposals for Hightown Road and three for Valley Road. In Hightown Road the main concerns come from residents in the vicinity of the parking bays proposed. They felt their locations would obstruct visibility of oncoming traffic during egress from their properties. Also, Hightown Road at this point narrows, to the extent that when cars are parked there, two streams of traffic travelling in opposite directions cannot pass each other. Another Banbury resident felt that the proposed restrictions would only shift the problem elsewhere, totally congesting the side roads and forcing parking further down Hightown Road causing more problems and inconvenience to residents.
19. In Valley Road one resident positively objected to no waiting at any time restrictions outside their property on the grounds that parking was not a problem at present. They suggested that a single yellow line with time limits would assist visitors to their property. Two other residents requested that the proposed lengths should be extended further.
20. During a site meeting on 18 February with the Area Engineer and Thames Valley Police it was concluded that the location of parking bays proposed in Hightown Road could be improved, and that in light of the representations made the proposal should be reviewed and further consultations undertaken. With respect to Valley Road it was considered that they should proceed as advertised. Adequate parking provision for visitors is available on the south-west side of the road and residents themselves have off-street parking.

Tramway Road

21. One public objection was received from a commuter to Oxford who uses the road to park daily to access Banbury railway station. He accepts that there is a problem with inappropriate parking but felt that this could be controlled by the introduction of "no waiting restrictions" on the junctions and along one side of the road. He felt the proposals were contrary to the Council’s policies in promoting green travel methods by reducing the free parking for the station. The new car park in Tramway Road, run by Chiltern Railways, charges £3.50 per day. He considered that removing parking in Tramway Road would force "free parkers" into other residential streets nearby.
22. The industrial units generally have off-street parking but both the Police and Council frequently receive complaints that goods vehicles servicing those units have their passage obstructed by parked vehicles. As part of the Banbury Integrated Transport Strategy, Tramway Road is proposed to be reopened as an access route to the station car park, and it is therefore deemed essential that all on street parking is removed.

Financial Implications

23. The introduction of these waiting and loading restrictions will cost approximately £2000 and are proposed to be financed from the Banbury Integrated Transport Strategy Programme.

RECOMMENDATIONS

24. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. authorise the implementation of the advertised waiting and loading restrictions subject to the following minor modifications:

1. amendment of the operational times of the goods vehicle loading bay on the north side of Bridge Street to 4pm – 11am on every day of the week; and
2. omission of the proposed waiting prohibitions in Hightown Road;

1. authorise the promotion of amended proposals for Hightown Road taking account of the representations received and the views of the police, subject to consideration of any further objections or representations by the Director of Environmental Services in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport and the local member.

DAVID YOUNG
Director of Environmental Services

Contact Officer: Andrew Johnson Tel: Oxford 815737

27 February 2002

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