Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/195

Contact: Anthony Kirkwood, Principal Engineer Traffic and Road Safety Team

Report by Corporate Director Environment & Place (CMDHM 14).

To consider making permanent the provisions of a current Experimental Traffic Regulation Order.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management AGREED to approve the making of the order to prohibit all vehicles at the East end of St Michael’s Street.

This report presents responses received during the statutory consultation phase of an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) which prohibits all vehicles at the East end of St Michael’s Street.

Cllr Gant invited speakers to address the meeting and responded to the points made in their statements.

Cllr Gant said that the ETRO had continued the provisions of a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (made under the Department for Transport COVID regulations) which had prohibited all vehicles from using the 50-metre length of St Michael’s Street west of its junction with Cornmarket Street to enable outdoor seating to be provided for the adjacent hospitality businesses. A proposal to make the ETRO permanent has been received from Oxford City Council’s Business Liaison Officer at the request of the adjacent businesses.

Cllr Gant noted that whilst assisting local businesses as a result of enabling tables and chairs to be placed on the carriageway, the proposals has raised issues for cyclists who were required to dismount when using this east end of St Michael’s Street.  Cllr Gant acknowledged that the section where cyclists had to dismount was relatively short and an alternative route East-West through the city centre was available where dismounting was not necessary – New Inn Hall Street, George Street, Broad Street, albeit on roads used by a greater number of vehicles.

The Cabinet Member for Highway Management AGREED to approve the making of the order to prohibit all vehicles at the East end of St Michael’s Street.