Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillor Fooks presented a petition on behalf of the Wolvercote Liberal Democrats asking the County Council to provide yellow lines on the Godstow Road in front of Jacobs Inn and round the corner towards Webbs Close to enable pedestrians, buggy users and wheelchair users to use the pavement at all times. 

 

Councillor Fooks advised that cars parked on the pavement made it impossible for pedestrians, especially anyone with a buggy or wheelchair, to get past without going on to the road. Last year the County Council had introduced yellow lines in the village to restrict parking to allow buses to get through but a proposal to provide lines outside Jacobs Inn had been rejected as the plan had put them on the playground side and not the pavement side.  The County Council had said that this would be reconsidered but that has not happened. As the pub has increased in popularity the problem has worsened and should be reconsidered urgently. All residents supported the request.

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment having received the petition referred it to the Director for Environment & Economy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Petition - presented by Councillor jean Fooks

 

“Provision of yellow lines on the Godstow Road in front of Jacobs Inn and round the corner towards Webb Close to enable pedestrians, buggy users and wheelchair users to use the pavement at all times”

 

Speakers

 

Item 4 – Westgate Centre Redevelopment – Sajad Khan (COLTA)

 

Item 5 – Great Western Park

David Slingo – Chairman GWPRA

Councillor Nick Hards

 

Item 6 – Thames View, Abingdon

Councillor Alison Rooke

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 77/15

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/043

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

 

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

 

The report presents objections and comments received in the course of a statutory consultation to (a) introduce no waiting at any time parking restrictions along Sir Frank Williams Avenue (the main spine road through the development) and partly into the adjoining side streets, (b) to implement a 20mph speed limit within the Northern and the District Neighbourhoods, and (c) to introduce a 1 hour with no return for 1 hour provision for loading in the vicinity of the proposed commercial/retail premises along the University Technical College access road, all within the Great Western Park residential development, Didcot. 

 

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to:-

 

(a)          approve implementation of no waiting at any time parking restrictions and 20mph speed limit zone proposals as advertised;

 

(b)          approve implementation of loading bay restrictions as advertised and amended as described in the report CMDE5

 

 

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE5) objections and comments received in the course of a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce and implement the following within the Great Western Park residential development, Didcot. 

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·                    no waiting at any time parking restrictions along Sir Frank Williams Avenue (the main spine road through the development) and partly into the adjoining side streets;

·                    a 20mph speed limit within the Northern and the District Neighbourhoods, and

·                    a 1 hour with no return for 1 hour provision for loading in the vicinity of the proposed commercial/retail premises along the University Technical College access road, all within the

 

The various proposals are being put forward in response to the ongoing works within the Northern and District Neighbourhoods of the GWP development, in preparation for the adoption of the roads.

 

David Slingo, Chair of the Great Western Park Residents Association explained why the report had not in their view adequately reflected the response which they had submitted.  They had 3 areas of concern namely the causes of the perceived need for parking restrictions; impact on residents and alternatives to be considered. The scheme clearly had not met the County Council’s objectives which stated previously were to prevent obstruction to through traffic, make the area safe for pedestrians and other road users, provision of convenient and safe movement of vehicles and other traffic and provision of parking places.  Clearly the County Council had failed in its aims by allowing planning permission for a major development with a spine road which had a width in places 10% less than roads in other similar developments; bus stops which were on the road carriageway and near road junctions rather than recessed off the carriageway and insufficient parking and inadequate room for parking on the highway.  Arbitrary introduction of 24 hour restrictions would have a huge impact on residents limiting immediate access to their properties, preventing appropriate use of resident parking where spaces were already restricted, inconvenience to visitors outside work hours or weekends, inconvenience to delivery vehicles and impact on resale value of houses. Possible alternatives were:

 

o    Use of traffic calming ‘directional flows’ at intervals along the spine road, particularly as some are already in use in the vicinity of Boundary Park.

o    Creation of safe pedestrian controlled crossing points at appropriate intervals

o    Increasing the number of dropped kerbs to reflect key crossing points.

o    Re-positioning bus stops to allow the parked bus to halt off the main carriageway.

o    Enforcing the use by contractor vehicles (including vans and cars) of the temporary contractor access road rather than the main spine road.

o    Installation of ‘speed advisory’ signs to record the speed of the approaching vehicle.

o    Introduction of residents parking systems with controlled hours or times in specific locations.

 

Additionally some form of parking should be permitted in order to give easy access to houses from a parked vehicle in those areas where there is housing directly fronting the road and acknowledge that residents working unsocial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78/15

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/044

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

 

Report by Deputy Director for Environment & Economy – Commercial & Delivery (CMDE6).

 

The report presents objections and comments received in the course of a statutory consultation on a proposal to introduce no waiting at any time parking restrictions along the majority of Thames View in Abingdon in response to residents’ concerns, expressed through the local Member, regarding the high levels of inappropriate and dangerous commuter parking.

 

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approveimplementation of the proposal as advertised and amended as described in the report CMDE6.

 

 

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment  considered (CMDE6) objections and comments received to a statutory consultation on proposals to introduce no waiting at any time parking restrictions in Thames View, Abingdon in order to alleviate perceived high levels of inappropriate and dangerous commuter parking.

 

Councillor Alison Rooke spoke in support of the proposals and thanked officers for working up the proposals.  Thames View was very narrow and with parking on both sides it was almost impossible for ambulances to to pass but would be for fire engines. Pavement parking helps vehicle movement but doesn’t help pedestrians and she felt the situation was dangerous. She did suggest perhaps that restrictions could be relaxed on one side during evenings.

 

Mr Tole confirmed that the road was as yet unadopted but that problems were evident regarding access. He advised that a slight amendment had been made to the scheme following comments received as part of the consultation but there was no real justification for the introduction of single yellow lines. And added that a number of schemes such as this one introduced on estates would in time need to be reviewed. . He advised that half way along Thames View there was a car park administered by the Vale of White Horse District Council which did not charge for evening parking which could provide alternative evening parking.

 

Considering the scheme the Cabinet Member having regard to the information in the documentation before him and the representations made to him confirmed his decision as follows:

 

to approve implementation of the proposals to introduce parking restrictions in Thames View, Abingdon as advertised but amended as described in the report.

 

Signed………………………………..

Cabinet Member for Environment

 

Date of signing……………………..