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Division(s): Witney North and South

ITEM EX7

EXECUTIVE – 23 DECEMBER 2003

WITNEY INTEGRATED TRANSPORT AND LAND USE STRATEGY

Report by Acting Head of Transport

Introduction

  1. The purpose of this report is to update Members on the progress made on developing the Witney Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy and to seek approval for the revised Strategy. Copies of this document (and the original Strategy it updates) have been placed in the Members’ Resource Centre and are available for public inspection.

    2. Background

  2. Consultants Llewelyn-Davies were commissioned jointly, by Oxfordshire County Council, West Oxfordshire District Council and Witney Town Council, in 1996 to carry out the Witney Integrated Transport and Land Use Study (WITS) and produce a strategy. A strategy was approved by the County Council on 11 June 1997 but not by West Oxfordshire District Council or Witney Town Council. A subsequent bid for government funding via a Transport Policies and Programme package bid for Witney was unsuccessful.

  3. Funding has since been allocated for the implementation of transport measures in Witney from the Local Transport Plan. However, due to the indeterminate position of WITS (as it was never formally adopted by the District Council or the Town Council), it was not felt possible to develop a comprehensive programme of schemes until a revised Strategy was agreed.

  4. To enable a programme to be identified and additional funding allocated, the Strategy needed to be reviewed and agreed by all three Councils. A Joint Members Steering Group (comprising three Members from the County Council, three Members from the District Council and one Member from the Town Council) was therefore reconvened in January 2002 to oversee the development of the Strategy.

  5. The background to the development of the Strategy is set out in more detail at Annex 1.

    6. Principles of the Strategy

  6. There were three main overarching principles for the review of WITS:-

    • that a Strategy must be agreed by the Joint Members Steering Group and by all three Councils;

    • that there must be an agreed statement / set of objectives; and

    • that the Strategy must be consistent with National and Local Transport and Planning Policies and other major schemes planned for the town and the surrounding area.

  1. The Strategy document includes a statement / set of agreed aims (which are reproduced at Annex 2) and these aims accord with relevant national and local planning policies, as explained in more detail in the main Strategy document.

    2. The Strategy

  2. The Strategy has been developed as a package of measures that work together to help to improve safety, the environment and access for all modes. It includes a number of key proposals:-

    • proposals for the improvement of the High Street / Market Square;

    • a Parking Management Strategy;

    • improvements to cycling and walking (for example the development of new routes and crossing facilities);

    • public transport Improvements (such as measures to assist buses); and

    • changes to the road system e.g. traffic management.

  1. Much of the original Strategy has been retained. Revised work has focused on areas that could not be agreed previously, notably the proposals for High Street / Market Square and Parking Management.

    2. High Street/Market Square

  2. The need for a scheme to improve the environment in this area of the town has arisen for a number of reasons which include: -

    • Witney will continue to see a growth in population which will have implications for the town centre;

    • there is a need to redress the balance between vehicular traffic and pedestrians in the town centre; and

    • enhancements to the environment will ensure that the town centre remains attractive.

  1. It was therefore agreed to develop options for an Environmental Improvement Scheme for High Street / Market Square, with the following aims: -

    • to maintain accessibility to Witney town centre for all users in order to protect and enhance its vitality and viability;

    • to maintain and enhance the attractiveness and pleasant environment of the town centre for shoppers and all users; and

    • to reduce unnecessary traffic using the High Street as a through-route by encouraging it to use other available routes.

  1. In order to determine principles of a scheme for High Street / Market Square for inclusion in the Strategy, consultation was undertaken with the public and stakeholders. Respondents were asked to state their preferred scheme from a choice of three options which were: -

    • Option One - A maintenance based scheme with some limited environmental improvements.

    • Option Two - Pedestrian enhancements (such as carriageway narrowing and pavement widening) with complementary measures designed to reduce through traffic (for example banning certain vehicle turns).

    • Option Three - Pedestrianisation between Market Square and Welch Way (with exemptions for some vehicles, e.g. buses).

  1. More details of the consultation exercise, which also covered other transport issues, are provided in paragraphs 18 to 20 of this report and Annex 4 (download as .rtf file). There was a clear message from respondents that improvements are needed in High Street / Market Square with the majority voting for either Option Two or Three, as shown in table A3, Annex 4. However, as there was no overwhelming support for any one option (particularly in the context of individual comments given), it was agreed to keep options open at this stage and agree the principles of the scheme through the Strategy. Therefore, it has been agreed that the scheme should include the following key elements: -

    • environmental enhancements;

    • measures to improve pedestrian facilities;

    • measures to reduce through traffic; and

    • measures to enable the northern and southern sections of High Street to become more integrated.

  1. Detailed measures could include: widened pavements, general improvements to surfaces and signage throughout High Street/ Market Square, improved pedestrian crossing points and / or more pedestrian crossings, restrictions on traffic entering High Street / Market Square, traffic management / calming features in the northern section of High Street and a review of on street parking provision, including provision for disabled drivers.

  2. The Steering Group identified the need to adopt an incremental approach to introducing these measures. This would allow further improvements beyond those identified above to be made at a later stage, for example some form of pedestrianisation in High Street, should this be considered feasible and appropriate.

    3. Parking Management

  3. Local concern was expressed about the parking proposals included in the original (1997) Strategy document, which included proposals to introduce parking charges. To enable the County Council to bid for funding for transport schemes in Witney via the Local Transport Plan it was agreed (in 1999) that a new Parking Management Strategy should be produced that would be monitored and reviewed. The details of the Strategy that have been agreed so far have focused upon off street public parking and can be seen at Annex 3. The updated Strategy proposes that "the County and District Councils develop a more comprehensive Parking Management Strategy for the town, to be consulted upon in more detail" to include: -

    • a detailed review of the existing parking provision (looking initially at on-street public parking); and

    • a detailed study of options for managing parking and their impacts upon the surrounding areas, particularly the impact upon residential streets.

Major Schemes

  1. In addition to the schemes identified in the Strategy a number of major schemes for the Witney area are being developed separately. These include Cogges Link, the West End Link, the A40 / Downs Road junction and the A40 Strategy. Whilst these schemes are not directly proposed by the Strategy it is important that these are taken into consideration since they will have an impact upon traffic management in the town.

    2. Consultation

  2. A public consultation exercise was held between March and October 2003, and comprised questionnaires attached to an information leaflet (shown at Annex 4) (download as .rtf file), a staffed exhibition in Witney Town Centre, unstaffed exhibitions at Witney and Carterton Libraries, face to face interviews undertaken by an independent market research company and a separate consultation exercise with local businesses (specifically in the High Street / Market Square area to obtain their views, particularly in relation to the High Street / Market Square proposals).

  3. Two thousand and ninety three responses were received to the questionnaires and household surveys and 700 people attended the exhibition over the course of three days. The results of the consultation exercises are shown in tables A1 to A9 (Annex 4) (download as .rtf file).

  4. Further consultation will take place on the individual schemes contained within the Strategy when these have been designed in detail.

    5. Strategy Approval

  5. The Strategy was approved by the Witney ITS Joint Members’ Steering Group on 21 October 2003 and is due to be considered by West Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet and Witney Town Council on 3 December 2003. Their views will be reported orally.

    6. Progress so Far

  6. As identified above, some Local Transport Plan funding has already been allocated for Witney in 2002/03 and 2003/04, enabling some schemes to be designed and implemented in advance of an agreed Strategy. Annex 5 (download as .rtf file) identifies the schemes that have already been constructed in Witney or are proposed for implementation shortly, and also includes those schemes approved by the Members’ Steering Group for feasibility, design and design and construction in 2004/05.

    7. Strategy Monitoring and Review

  7. A comprehensive annual monitoring programme has been developed to help ensure that the Strategy and the schemes contained within it are effective in achieving the aims and objectives of the Strategy. A copy of the 2003 monitoring report has been placed on deposit in the Members’ Resource Centre.

  8. The Joint Members’ Steering Group will also continue to meet (on a six monthly basis), to oversee the Strategy implementation process and the approval of further schemes and measures.

    9. Financial and Staff Implications

  9. There are no direct implications arising from this report. Expenditure on individual schemes in support of the strategy will be subject to programming and the availability of funds in the usual way.

    10. RECOMMENDATION

  10. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to approve the revised Witney Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy.

RICHARD DIX
Acting Head of Transport

Background Papers:
(i) The original 1997 Witney Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy
(ii) The revised 2003 Witney Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy
(iii) The Witney Integrated Transport and Land Use Strategy Local Transport Plan Monitoring 2003

Contact Officer: Suzanne Roberts Tel: (01865) 815933

December 2003

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