Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/003

Contact: Owen Jenkins, Service Manager for Highways, Transport & Waste Tel: (01865) 323304 and Paul Fermer, Service Manager, Major Infrastructure Delivery Tel: (01865) 815764

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

The report presents the outcomes of consultation on the Access to Headington project which includes proposals to introduce and amend various Traffic Regulation Orders and other traffic measures.  

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approvethe implementation of proposals as advertised and as set out below:

a)           waiting restrictions on The Slade

b)           the amended proposals for waiting restrictions and residents parking places on Headley Way and Windmill Road (as consulted on between 30 April 2016 and 23 May 2016)

c)           the new residents parking bays on side streets adjacent to Windmill Road with the exception of the following:

                 i.             Stile Rd – 3 bays on boundary of 62 St Leonards (east side)

               ii.             Stile Rd – 1 bay outside 25 Stile Road (east side)

              iii.             Margaret Road – 1 Bay outside number 12 (south side)

              iv.             Windsor Street – 1 bay opposite 18 (north side)

               v.             St Anne’s Road – 3 bays boundary with 18 Gathorne Road (west side)

d)           the proposed mandatory cycle lane on the east side of Headley Way, but shortened by 9m between its junction with Bowness Avenue and Snowdon Mede

e)           the proposed mandatory cycle lane on the west side of Headley Way between the John Radcliffe Hospital junction and Eden Drive 

f)            shared use cycle track on Headley Way

g)           the reversal of  the permitted direction of travel, and proposed changes to the waiting restrictions (including the provision of a traffic calming narrowing)  in the Cherwell Drive service road.

h)           the turning restrictions at the proposed new signalled junctions of Headley Way and the John Radcliffe Hospital access road and the Headley Way / Cherwell Drive junctions with Marsh Lane and Marston Road and at the existing signalled junction of Old Road with Warneford Lane, Gipsy Lane and Roosevelt Drive, and A4142 Eastern bypass junction with Horspath Driftway

i)             proposed new and amended pedestrian and pedal cyclists crossings with the exception of:

                 i.             the new pedestrian and cycle controlled crossing on Old Road

               ii.             the proposed signal controlled crossing on Headley Way by Coniston Avenue

j)             the raised side road entry treatments on Headley Way, Windmill Road and The Slade

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE4) the results of a consultation on the Access to Headington project which had included proposals to introduce and amend various traffic regulation orders and other traffic measures.

Chris Clifford advised that although the Windmill Road Residents Association cautiously welcomed the revised scheme concerns remained regarding speeding traffic and potential knock on effects of the scheme. Windmill Road was a residential road close to a school and it was important to retain access for disabled and safe passage for cyclists.

Michael Hugh Jones expressed his dissatisfaction at only being given 2 minutes and dismay at the costs involved for this scheme adding that growth and expansion was the last thing Oxfordshire needed.  Money should instead on supporting bus services.  He also considered that as toucan crossings were frequently misused resulting in traffic delays they should be replaced with zebra crossings.

Valerie Seagroatt was concerned that proposals to remove residents parking could potentially encourage greater traffic speed with further potential for more accidents and suggested a 20 mph speed limit would help.  Supporting travel by means other than car she questioned whether the project offered value for money and the efficacy of using S106 money for this project.

David Preiss supported the revised scheme but pointed out that Windmill Road should be classified as a primary route. Traffic speed remained a concern for cyclists and serious consideration needed to be given to measures to achieve reductions in speed.

Geoff Sutton spoke on behalf of Windmill School whose catchment area was split by Windmill Road. Supporting the proposals he referred to a fatality involving a child some years back. That had nearly been repeated recently which indicated a clear risk was still present and he appealed to the County Council to listen to local concerns to reduce traffic speeds through traffic calming and a 20 mph speed limit.

City Councillor Mick Haines called for retention of the Marsh Lane and Cherwell junctions roundabouts. Accepting that the junctions were busy that was however only for short periods during the day and replacement with lights would cause greater chaos.  There was a lot of support to keep things as they were.

City Councillor Dee Sinclair welcomed the proposed amendments but there were still concerns which included the one-way system around Stile and Holyoake roads which was not always observed; use of the St Leonards car park by permit holders would result in less parking available for shoppers; reduction in visitor permits for new development and the potential for increased speeds on Windmill Road through removal of parking spaces. She also asked for consideration to be given to reinstating the yellow boxes on the Stile Road/London Road junction.

City Councillor Ruth Wilkinson supported the proposals but highlighted the need for traffic calming in Windmill Road to control speed and suggested a 20 mph speed limit and solar powered repeater speed signs. She also expressed concern regarding additional parking bays outside and opposite 57 York Rd are which were immediately adjacent to a busy T junction with Margaret Rd (main route to Windmill School, the biggest primary school in Oxford) and  one was very close to zigzags leading to the pedestrian crossing to Windmill School. There were further safety concerns that traffic turning onto or out of York Road would need to be in the centre of the road in order to negotiate around vehicles parked in the additional spaces and that sight lines would be obstructed. The risk of near misses or collisions was therefore unacceptably high to those living in the neighbourhood.

County Councillor Liz Brighouse referred to the long history of traffic impact in this area. That situation had been recognised many years before by former county officers but since then more and more traffic had been squeezed in.  She highlighted problems of traffic at the Cheney Lane/Gypsy Lane/Roosevelt Drive junction. This was a busy junction with a school sandwiched between it and Brookes and traffic exiting from the Churchill onto Old Road. There had been several accidents and she suggested yellow boxing or a roundabout Also rat running traffic from the Slade to Old Road accessing the Churchill and the need to reconsider parking on the Slade which had a lot of multi occupancy dwellings as part of the CPZ consultation.

County Councillor Roz Smith thanked officers for attending public meetings. Generally welcoming the revised proposals she highlighted the following issues. Proposals to reverse the permitted direction of travel in the Cherwell Drive service road could promote rat running. The current John Radcliffe junction at Staunton Road worked well but this design prevented right turns at Headley Way from Staunton Road. Welcomed yellow box provision at the top of London Road and endorsed the comments made earlier by City Councillor Dee Sinclair. Concerns about repositioning of bus stops. Parking bays in York Road and additional parking and accidents in Stile Road. Lights needed in the Slade to assist crossing.

Stewart Wilson confirmed that central government had approved the County Council’s business case for the scheme. He considered the scheme represented good value for money and confirmed that S106 money was being spent on pedestrian, cycle and public transport improvements which were key to the project. With regard to Windmill Road some car parking had been retained with cycle lanes also narrowing carriageways to assist in keeping speeds down. With regard to comments concerning conversion to signals or roundabouts officers felt roundabouts could cause delays and not all were cycle friendly and it was difficult to achieve cycle priority on some roundabouts and it was felt that lights offered the best solution for traffic, pedestrians and cyclists and that they could all be linked together via signal control. Reversing traffic in Churchill Drive was necessary for safety and it was hoped that by getting priority all the way through rat running would not happen. With regard to the bus stop on Windmill Road it was proposed to move the stop to a wider part of the footway outside Starbucks which meant that the other stop was close to Mattocks way and therefore not appropriate.

Mr Tole advised that officers could look at providing a yellow box on Stile Road and look independently of the scheme at issues of rat running and bus stops on Girdlestone Road. He confirmed that pedestrian crossings would be equipped with sensors to avoid misuse and that all toucan crossings had that facility to cancel demand if no-one was there.  With regard to the Slade any proposals to retain some parking needed to be looked in conjunction with proposals for its use as a future bus route.

The Cabinet Member for Environment advised that he had been involved in these issues for a long time and that to a large extent it was retro planning and very much a compromise but it was not an option to do nothing. The  scheme would be monitored with opportunities to make minor adjustments such as final siting or resiting of bus stops.. In the meantime he was happy for officers to pursue consultation on a 20 mph speed limit for Windmill Road. Therefore with that caveat and having regard to the arguments and options set out in the report and the representations made to him he confirmed his decision as follows:

(1)          approve with an undertaking to consult on a 20 mph speed limit on Windmill Road the implementation of proposals as advertised and as set out below:

a)    waiting restrictions on The Slade

b)    the amended proposals for waiting restrictions and residents parking places on Headley Way and Windmill Road (as consulted on between 30 April 2016 and 23 May 2016)

c)    the new residents parking bays on side streets adjacent to Windmill Road with the exception of the following:

                          i.       Stile Rd – 3 bays on boundary of 62 St Leonards (east side)

                         ii.       Stile Rd – 1 bay outside 25 Stile Road (east side)

                       iii.       Margaret Road – 1 Bay outside number 12 (south side)

                       iv.       Windsor Street – 1 bay opposite 18 (north side)

                         v.       St Anne’s Road – 3 bays boundary with 18 Gathorne Road (west side)

d)    the proposed mandatory cycle lane on the east side of Headley Way, but shortened by 9m between its junction with Bowness Avenue and Snowdon Mede

e)    the proposed mandatory cycle lane on the west side of Headley Way between the John Radcliffe Hospital junction and Eden Drive 

f)     shared use cycle track on Headley Way

g)    the reversal of  the permitted direction of travel, and proposed changes to the waiting restrictions (including the provision of a traffic calming narrowing)  in the Cherwell Drive service road.

h)   the turning restrictions at the proposed new signalled junctions of Headley Way and the John Radcliffe Hospital access road and the Headley Way / Cherwell Drive junctions with Marsh Lane and Marston Road and at the existing signalled junction of Old Road with Warneford Lane, Gipsy Lane and Roosevelt Drive, and A4142 Eastern bypass junction with Horspath Driftway

i)     proposed new and amended pedestrian and pedal cyclists crossings with the exception of:

                          i.       the new pedestrian and cycle controlled crossing on Old Road

                         ii.       the proposed signal controlled crossing on Headley Way by Coniston Avenue

j)      the raised side road entry treatments on Headley Way, Windmill Road and The Slade

(2)          note that the scheme would be subject to further monitoring providing opportunities for further minor adjustments.

(3)          officers be instructed to consider further various matters raised by speakers including:

·                     the issue of residents’ visitors permits in CPZs in Headington

·                     possible re-instatement a yellow box on Stile Road/London Road

·                     the route to the hospital from the bus stop on Girdlestone Road

·                     parking for residents of The Slade (as part of the proposed Lye Valley CPZ)

Signed…………………………………

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………