Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2020/072

Contact: Hugh Potter, Group Manager – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Director for Community Operations (Interim) (CMDE13).

The report presents responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce a 30mph speed limit on Cumnor Hill in place of the existing 40mph speed limit and also a 30mph speed limit on the Kimmeridge Road residential development as requested by Cumnor Parish Council and, if approved, funded from s106 contributions received from developers, the Area Parish Support budget and Cumnor Parish Council.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposed 30mph speed limits as advertised.

The Cabinet Member for Environment considered a report (CMDE13) presenting responses received to a statutory consultation to introduce a 30mph speed limit on Cumnor Hill in place of the existing 40mph speed limit and also a 30mph speed limit on the Kimmeridge Road residential development as requested by Cumnor Parish Council and, if approved, funded from s106 contributions received from developers, the Area Parish Support budget and Cumnor Parish Council.

Tom Christophers (Cumnor Parish Council) gave a brief synopsis of the parish of Cumnor and the distinct and unique identities of the several communities which made up a parish with 7,000 residents. For almost a decade those residents had raised concern over the speed driven by traffic along the Cumnor Hill, from the boundary with North Hinksey parish to the centre of Cumnor village, which served as an extension of one of the main arteries out of Oxford. The recent case of a local schoolgirl being struck by a car, however, and the subsequent speed surveys (three) commissioned by Cumnor Parish Council provided evidence that traffic speeds should be lowered to a 30mph speed limit without additional supporting traffic calming measures.

The landscape of this road had changed greatly from when it was first designated and residents and the parish council recognised that it had not moved with the times and was no longer appropriate or sustainable with increased traffic volumes. The environment in the parish had changed considerably and the continued traffic speed was now at odds with the current and forecast future development of the hill. Cumnor Hill served as a thoroughfare to three local schools in Cumnor and North Hinksey parishes and the number of school children that walk and cycle up and down the hill had grown over the years and by formally lowering the speed limit the aim would be to prevent this type of incident as referred to above, or worse, occurring again.

There was a lot of support from within the community to mitigate the inherent danger presented by the volume of traffic travelling at 40mph along this road at present. Cumnor Parish councillors and our district and county councillors unanimously support this proposal and we are confident that this reduction in speed along the Cumnor Hill has the support of those who live within and neighbour the Parish, as well as those who travel through it given the 93% (332/358) who backed the consultation. Furthermore, a local petition had gained 1,859 signatures in support of a reduction to 30mph with a paper copy containing a further 305 signatures.

In urging that the proposal be supported he took the opportunity to ask that if funding could be found by Cumnor Parish Council to cover the cost of reducing the speed limit on the part of Oxford Road currently remaining at 40mph would the Cabinet Member see any issue that would prevent this stretch of road also being lowered to 30mph?

Following advice from officers that that would need further speed survey work and public consultation the Cabinet Member could see no reason for that work not to proceed.

County Councillor Judy Roberts advised that over the last five years more and more local residents had asked about reducing the speed limit on this road to 30 mph. The no overtaking signs had been there since the 1960’s which indicated to her that drivers should take care on this road as the view ahead at most points was restricted. She referred to the serious accident last year involving a schoolgirl crossing the road and a well-supported petition had been started at that time asking for a speed reduction. It is a documented fact that accidents at 30 mph were rarely fatal whereas at 40 mph they were much more likely to be fatal and the fact that 94% of the respondents to this consultation were in favour of this change indicated the strength of local support. The number of dwellings on this road had increased by at least 250 in the last eight years as well as the Kimmeridge Road development of 192 dwellings. Two care homes had also been constructed housing 142 residents and all this new development had changed the feel of the area from rural to suburban and she felt it was now  time to reduce the speed limit to 30 mph in line with the fact that the road had street lighting along its entire length. She wholeheartedly supported the proposal and for further consideration to be given to reducing the speed limit on that part of Oxford Road currently remaining at 40mph subject to funding being found.

The Cabinet Member noted the objection by Councillor Susannah Pressel the member for Jericho and Osney who had objected on the grounds that a 20 limit should be introduced rather than 30 although officers had advised in the report that a 20 limit here would not comply with national guidance on setting local speed limits.

She then thanked the presenters for their submissions.  Having regard to the information they had presented and the information set out in the report before her the Cabinet member for the Environment confirmed her decision as follows:

to approve the proposed 30mph speed limits as advertisedand that officers undertake a speed survey on the section of Oxford Road currently remaining at 40mph with a view to seeking a reduction of that limit to 30 mph.

Signed………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………..