Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/189

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

Report by Director for Community Operations (CMDE14).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation on a proposal to introduce a prohibition of motor vehicles restriction on Horsemere Lane, Cassington a single track road linking Bell Lane within Cassington village to the A40. The road is currently subject to a one-way order (the road being one-way from north to south) with a 5-tonne weight restriction.  Concerns have been expressed over many years of the adverse impact of traffic on Bell Lane using Horsemere Lane to access the A40 and also the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using the lane itself, together with concerns over the safety of the junction of Horsemere Lane with the A40 and that vehicles frequently contravene the one-way restriction resulting in danger to all users of the lane.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposed prohibition of motor and horse drawn vehicles, the revocation of the existing one-way restriction and weight limit and change of status to restricted byway at Horsemere Lane Cassington as advertised.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered (CMDE14) responses received to a consultation on a proposal to introduce a prohibition of motor vehicles restriction on Horsemere Lane, Cassington a single track road linking Bell Lane within Cassington village to the A40. The road was currently subject to a one-way order (the road being one-way from north to south) with a 5-tonne weight restriction.  Concerns had been expressed over many years over the adverse impact of traffic on Bell Lane using Horsemere Lane to access the A40 and also the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using the lane itself, together with concerns over the safety of the junction of Horsemere Lane with the A40 and that vehicles frequently contravene the one-way restriction resulting in danger to all users of the lane.

Hugh Thomas for Cassington Parish Council confirmed that while there was a level of support for closure equally this was an important access route out of the village with currently 500 cars using Horsemere Lane. That traffic would have to go somewhere with closure inevitably causing an increase in traffic at the signalled junction of the A40 with the Eynsham Road, Cassington. Therefore, if closure were approved then changes would be required to the sequencing of lights at that junction and provision of a slip road toward Oxford to accommodate extra traffic.  The opportunity needed to be taken to consider an alternative approach and unless that was done the Parish Council could not support closure at this time and would require Horsemere Lane to remain open.

The Cabinet Member confirmed that as consultation had taken place on the prohibition restriction the options outlined by Mr Thomas could not be considered now.

Mr Thomas responded that in that case the Parish Council could not support the prohibition and so would want Horsemere Lane to remain open.

Mr Kirkwood accepted that the proposal would redirect traffic to alternative routes but was unable to say exactly how that would materialise but it was inevitable that there would be queuing onto the A40.  In the long term the proposal was to close the Lane with measures to accommodate traffic at the A40 junction but that was an expensive scheme with no funding currently available to do that.

Councillor Charles Mathew referred to Horsemere Lane as a heavily used rat run with speeding traffic often contravening the one-way restriction which had precipitated his request for closure to motor vehicles and horse drawn vehicles while retaining access to properties with one-way and weight restrictions revoked.  However, he acknowledged the points made by Mr Thomas on behalf of Cassington Parish Council regarding the need for a slip road onto A40 to support that closure, which was something he had campaigned for for a number of years.

The Cabinet Member for Environment acknowledged that both Mr Thomas and Councillor Mathew had spoken in support of closure but with slightly different views regarding the timing for that bearing in mind provision of a slip road onto A40. However, that could not be considered as part of this current proposal. Therefore, bearing in mind the information set out in the report and the representations made to her at the meeting she confirmed her decision as follows:

to defer the proposed prohibition of motor and horse drawn vehicles, revocation of the existing one-way restriction and weight limit and change of status to restricted byway at Horsemere Lane, Cassington to enable any proposasl to be linked in with proposals for park & ride facilities and bus lane on the A40.

Signed……………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing……………………………...