Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/183

Contact: Hugh Potter, Team Leader – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Director for Infrastructure Operations (CMDE6).

This report presents responses received to a statutory consultation on a proposal to introduce additional waiting restrictions at Barracks Lane. put forward at the request of the local member in response to concerns over safety and the obstruction of traffic arising from parking in the area.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to defer a decision on the proposed waiting restrictions in Barracks Lane, Oxford, which may be more appropriately considered as part of a Controlled Parking Zone proposed for this area.

Th Cabinet Member for Environment considered CMDE6 a report presenting responses received to a statutory consultation on a proposal to introduce additional waiting restrictions at Barracks Lane. put forward at the request of the local member in response to concerns over safety and the obstruction of traffic arising from parking in the area.

Councillor Sanders the local member had been unable to attend but had submitted an email registering his opposition to the officer recommendation to defer implementation of parking restrictions in Barracks Lane until the introduction of the CPZ controls. The reason for the proposed controls (yellow lines) had been to prevent residents from Hollow Way parking along the section of Barracks Lane from Hollow Way to William Morris Close.   That caused a serious bottleneck for traffic as Barracks Lane was a cul-de-sac and school traffic tried to pass in both directions at the beginning and end of the school day.  Tyndale Primary School on William Morris Close was a free school, had a city-wide catchment, and consequently a high proportion of children who were driven to school.  The School founded in 2013 had been growing each year, adding another two new classes (60 pupils) up to its maximum next September. Unusually for school traffic, parents parking was not too much of a problem as the school had a good drop-off lane on school grounds, so the problem was one of access in and out of Barracks lane.  He was not particularly concerned about the inconvenience to parents at the School, who should be more discouraged from driving their children, but Barracks Lane was the only road entrance to 100 dwellings beyond the School.  This meant that parents of children living in the cul-de-sac were unable to drive out between 8 and 9 in the morning and working people unable to drive to work in those hours.   Although it was inconvenient for cars dropping off children to get in and out of William Morris Close, it was considerably more difficult for residents to drive out past the school traffic to leave Barracks Lane. Although officers had agreed that the controls were needed they preferred understandably to introduce the yellow lining as part of the CPZ programme.   However,  he was concerned that this bottleneck was quite dangerous and with even more children due to start school in September would be even more so.  Additionally it should be noted that Barracks Lane was a designated Cycle Route but cyclists needed to dismount and walk on the pavement to pass the school, moving around parents walking their children to school. To underline his concern he had agreed to spend subsidise the costs of this work from his Councillor Priority Fund.

Officers advised that although some way off yet a development proposed on the William Morris playing field would address congestion on Barracks Lane through a double yellow line scheme similar to the one suggested by Councillor Sanders although not quite as restrictive. In the meantime it could be possible to implement the advertised proposals in part to help alleviate the problems outlined by councillor Sanders.

Having regard to the information set out in the report before her and the representations made to her at the meeting the Cabinet Member for Environment confirmed her decision as follows:

To defer a decision on the proposed wating restictions in Barracks lane, Oxford which might be more appropriately considered as part of a controlled Parking Zone proposed for the area but that a detailed modified proposal for a potential compromise scheme to introduce additional waiting restrictions as put forward by the local member be brought forward to the 28 March 2019 Cabinet Member for Environment Delegated Decisions meeting.

Signed……………………………………

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………….