Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/010

Contact: Owen Jenkins, Service Manager for Highways, Transport & Waste Tel: (01865) 323304

Report by Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Commercial) (CMDE4).

The report presents objections and comments received in the course of a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce and amend various traffic restrictions, and to provide new and amended pedestrian crossings, in the vicinity of the Westgate Centre in central Oxford as part of the major redevelopment of the Centre.  It includes further responses to the consultation that were received too late to be included in the report presented to and deferred by the Cabinet Member for Environment at his meeting on 9 June 2016.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the implementation of proposals as advertised, but with the possible exemption of pedal cyclists from the proposed prohibition of right turns from Old Greyfriars Street being made in the light of further investigation and local consultation.

Approved subject to additional text in bold italics.

The Cabinet Member for Environment reconsidered (CMDE4) objections and comments received to a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce and amend various traffic restrictions as part of the major redevelopment of the Westgate Centre.  He also noted the contents of a letter from City Councillor Colin Cook Chair, of that Council’s Licensing and Gambling Committee supporting the views of the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicabs Association and requesting that the restriction should not exclude licenced taxis from this important link in the city centre and at the very least said restriction should not apply outside core shopping hours between 18.00 and 10.00

Sajad Khan spoke on behalf of Oxford’s licenced hackney carriage drivers who objected strongly to the proposed exclusion of cabs from the new link road between Castle street and Speedwell Street from the Westgate Redevelopment. They provided a vital and iconic service with wheelchair accessible cabs and their livelihood was now threatened by the County Council who they felt had failed to recognise that the hackney carriage service was integral to Oxford.  They had been required to provide modern emission free vehicles but were being prevented from using some roads which would result in increased journey times and costs.

Responding to the Cabinet Member Mr Khan was unable to confirm if COLTA had made representations in 2013 to the planning application but he seemed to recal that there had been some discussions at that time.

The Cabinet Member expressed some sympathy for their position but pointed out that the County Council were merely implementing a planning permission issued by the City Council.

Officers confirmed that following deferral in June this current report now contained further comments from cycle and taxi organisations and SENDRA specifically regarding junction arrangements at Blackfriars Road. The latter were now content with that element and the issue now centred on the issue of traffic allowed use of the main route.

The concensus was that this represented an improvement on the previous scheme by providing a new facility for taxis in Old Greyfriars Street the heart of the development and that the route as now proposed for taxi use was no longer than the through route. It was confirmed that at the planning stage both the City and County Councils had felt it better to provide a taxi rank in Old Greyfriars Street.

Also many of the supporting documents and junctions had been based on modelling which had been undertaken on the assumption that only buses would be allowed. There were also issues regarding air quality and the number of vehicles allowed.

Responding to the Cabinet Member who referred to proposals for taxis to acquire zero emission status officers confirmed that that was largely irrelevant as the issue revolved around the number of vehicles and that the position was further complicated as steps needed to be taken to avoid discrimination between Oxford City licenced hackney carriages and other licenced taxi vehicles from outside the City.  Also consultation had been undertaken on proposals for a highway  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/010

Contact: Owen Jenkins, Service Manager for Highways, Transport & Waste Tel: (01865) 323304

Report by Deputy Director for Environment & Economy (Commercial) (CMDE5).

The report presents objections and comments received in the course of a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce and amend various traffic restrictions and provide new and amended pedestrian crossings, in the vicinity of the Westgate Centre in central Oxford as part of the major redevelopment of the Centre. 

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approveimplementation of the proposals as advertised.

Deferred to the July meeting to allow further consideration of proposals for the exclusion of taxis along the new length of highway linking Castle Street with Speedwell Street.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered objections and comments received to a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce and amend various traffic restrictions and provide new and amended pedestrian crossings  as part of the major redevelopment of the Westgate centre.

Speaking on behalf of SENDRA Ian Green thanked officers for their responses to their comments. They remained interested in pedestrian access to the south west corner of the development. Pedestrian access to the underground car park would increase from the south and that needed to be reviewed. Also the situation at the junction of Blackfriars Road and Thames Street needed to be monitored and SENDRA asked to be kept informed of that monitoring.

Speaking on behalf of COLTA Sajid Khan advised that taxis were currently able to access bus gates and it was essential that that should continue with regard to the length of new public highway linking Castle street and Speedwell Street. That was essential in order for them to continue to provide a good service as well as helping to reduce the carbon footprint adding that they had in fact made these points during the informal consultation.

Councillor John Tanner shared the concerns expressed regarding the Blackfriars Road/Thames Street junction. The proposal would call into question the priorities for vehicles coming in and out of Blackfriars Road and he also asked to be copied in on any responses from the consultants as set out in paragraph 20.

On the advice of officers the Cabinet Member for Environment advised that he was minded to defer consideration of this report until July to allow for further consultation on the points raised by COLTA.  He therefore confirmed his decision as follows:

To defer consideration of these measures to the 21 July 2016 meeting  to allow further consideration of various issues including the proposal to exclude taxis along the new length of highway linking Castle Street with Speedwell Street.

Signed………………………………….

Cabinet Member fro Environment

Date of signing………………………..