Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Environment

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/122

Contact: Joanne Fellows, Growth Manager (Central) Tel: 07990 368897

Report by Director for Planning & Place (CA8).

This report seeks a decision on the introduction of temporary bus gates in Oxford city centre as part of the council's transport response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The report outlines the results of an online survey of public and stakeholder opinion on the temporary bus gate proposals, along with an analysis of the costs, risks, and longer term strategic implications of the scheme.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

(a)        recognise the council’s current commitments to deliver a wide range of transport initiatives across the county along with its ongoing focus on Oxford city;

(b)        welcome the level of response received to the temporary bus gates (Oxford city centre) survey and the wider debate that this stimulated;

(c)        recognise the wide range of important issues raised by those opposing, supporting, and undecided about the temporary city centre bus gates;

(d)        not proceed with the temporary bus gates both in recognition of the split of local opinion and in consideration of their likely impact upon the council’s wider strategic transport strategy and resources, and to use the invaluable feedback received to inform the development of the council’s wider transport strategy;

(e)        subject to (d) above, work with Oxford City Council and other partners to accelerate, where feasible, work on the council’s wider transport strategy including the provision of bus gates as part of the Connecting Oxford programme, as well as the Zero Emission Zone, the active transport programme, and measures to improve bus journey times and encourage COVID-secure bus use.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report seeking a decision on the introduction of temporary bus gates in Oxford city centre as part of the council's transport response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The report outlined the results of an online survey of public and stakeholder opinion on the temporary bus gate proposals, along with an analysis of the costs, risks, and longer term strategic implications of the scheme.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Deputy Leader of Oxford City Councillor spoke in support of the introduction of the temporary bus gates, outlining reasons why he felt that there was not a solid base of evidence for recommendation (d) and the proposal not to proceed. Firstly, he recognised the  split of opinion but the majority were in favour of the bus gates overall. Councillor Hayes commented that the interpretation of the survey results was skewed in part due to the design of the survey that meant that more responses were bundled in to bad idea than in to good idea. Even so OCC had progressed schemes where there had been a split of opinion. Secondly the report referred to the impact of the bus gates on the wider transportation strategy and resources Councillor Hayes commented that the City and County were working together to integrate the zero emissions zone and Connecting Oxford and this has been a long standing plan. The City Council believed that they should integrate further with the City Centre bus gates and the Tranche 2 bus gates. It seemed seemed peculiar to propose abandoning the City Centre bus gates as a bolt on to the Connecting Oxford programme but rush towards another bolt on in the form of the Tranche 2 bus gates. With the loss of the City Centre bus gates, highlighted in the next Active Travel bid Councillor Hayes queried whether there was a risk of losing out on funding. The City Centre bus gates were a perfect fit for this fund. Thirdly it was important to deliver the wider transportation strategy that City and County colleagues have spent many years developing. Access restrictions are part of the Connecting Oxford plan and Tranche 2 bid and is a nettle that must be grasped. Councillor Hayes queried whether the County was brave enough to take the actions necessary. He considered that access restrictions were the only way to bring about fast, consistent and reliable bus travel. Tranche 2 was the only emergency active travel show in town and it is not focussed on the City Centre. Councillor Hayes queried in what other City this was the case. He referred to the work he and partners had done over many years and suggested that they had real concern about the lack of communication and that the decision today and the way it was conveyed was important if relationships were not to be impacted.

Responding to a question from Councillor Bartholomew about the number of emails received by Councillor Hayes and whether in favour or not Councillor Hayes replied that people with concerns will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 89