Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/166

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704/Craig Rossington, Senior Transport Planner Tel: 07880 945891

Report by Interim Corporate Director Communities (CMDE9).

It is proposed to use money from the allocation from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund allocated to Thames Valley Police for the provision of secure on street cycle parking in eight streets between Iffley and Cowley Road from The Plain to Bullingdon Road.  The report sets out responses to a consultation for  provision of secure parking for 104 bicycles carried out in November and December last year.  Whilst there were some common objections to the proposals in general as well as some specific objections/concerns about finer details, there was considerable support for the provision of additional secure cycle parking.

The Cabinet Member for Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposals as advertised for secure on-street cycle parking in East Oxford except for the proposals at the north east end of Regent Street.

Approved

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management considered (CMDE9) responses received to a consultation for provision of secure parking for 104 bicycles carried out in November and December last year in eight streets between Iffley and Cowley Road from The Plain to Bullingdon Road using money from the allocation from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund allocated to Thames Valley Police for the provision of secure on street cycle parking.    There had been some common objections to the proposals in general as well as some specific objections/concerns about finer details but overall the report highlighted considerable support for the provision of additional secure cycle parking.

PC Jamie Howell from Thames Valley Police Safer Streets Team had started this process with the intention of improving the safety of the community it served. 44% of the offences in this area related to the theft of bicycles with Oxford itself traditionally having high levels of cycle theft. This area had significant levels of bikes left outside the fronts of properties with poor options for locking those bikes safely because of a lack of space outside properties or locations to effectively secure the bike. Having worked with partners in the city in relation to cycle theft and the national cycle working group ideas had been formed of where resources could be targeted and 3 main goals were set to try and achieve this through an ambitious mass bike registration push with a national database, free gold standard D-lock distribution (alongside best locking guidance) and the introduction of secure on street parking for cycles. Accepting that nothing was 100% effective these measures could help reduce the likelihood of a theft occurring and would support the City Council’s own program of street parking. This was a unique opportunity to provide something to the community, offering real value by adding an additional level of bike security in the St Mary’s ward.

The Cabinet Member for Environment having regard to the information set out in the report before her together with the representations made to her at the meeting confirmed her decision as follows:

to approve the proposals as advertised for secure on-street cycle parking in East Oxford except for the proposals at the north east end of Regent Street.

Signed……………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………………