OUTRAGED residents have told the Oxford Mail they were left angry and confused by a new traffic system.

Locals from Church Cowley, Temple Cowley and Florence Park, where the new Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were created last week, said they were left feeling ‘disappointed’ and ‘frustrated’ with the way the scheme had been implemented.

Oxfordshire County Council has been trialling LTNs across the county in a bid to create quieter and safer streets and encourage residents to live more active and environmentally-friendly lives.

Read more here: New road blocks cause 'chaos for emergency workers'

But after the new schemes were introduced in Cowley this weekend, some residents said that chaos erupted.

A city councillor has said that an ambulance had to turn around at one of the road blocks out of confusion, as well as a police officer at a different point.

Delivery drivers have also been left confused about where to find alternative routes.

Oxford City Councillor David Henwood told this newspaper: “On the weekend an ambulance with flashing blue lights was unable to pass through the planters and had to reverse away to find a different route.

“The emergency services on the ground were clearly unaware of the changes, which reflects poor communication.

“In principle, I am in favour of the scheme, but not naïve enough to realise the scheme does need tweaking.”

Angry motorists frustrated with the chaos caused by the new scheme have even been driving onto pavements to get around the new boulders and planters in place to stop through-flow traffic.

Kiran Tasneem, who lives in Cowley, said: “I am very disappointed with the council’s decision here.

“They are a huge inconvenience for everyone, I do not know a single person that is 'for' this decision.

“My road has now been blocked off as well several other roads that I would use to get to work. For me to get to work now takes an extra 25 minutes due to the increase of traffic on the roads. It is absolutely ridiculous.”

The county council said it consulted residents in the area in December of last year.

One county councillor told a resident that, out of more than 1,000 people in the area who responded to a council survey, most supported the local LTN proposal.

It said that 46 per cent in Church Cowley ‘fully supported’ the proposal, while 59 per cent in Temple Cowley and 70 per cent Florence Park fully supported it.

Locals, however, say the lack of signs for alternative routes when the boulders were first installed created mayhem on the streets.

Mike Hurd, who has lived on Church Hill Road for 40 years, said: “Leading up to the installation warning signs were put in place, however, a lack of coordination and implementation of the scheme has seen hundreds of motorists angry and frustrated with the lack of proper signage.

“I am a resident in Church Hill Road, one of the ‘rat runs’ targeted and although I benefit from the installation of a road closure, I am concerned for the wider benefit of the local community who use the roads for local access.

“Motorists, including parcel delivery vehicles, were left fuming and bewildered as they were not provided with the signage to inform them of what areas could be accessed and from where.”

He added: “Over the weekend this has resulted in many motorists getting out of their cars and removing bollards and driving through closed areas."

Labour city councillor candidate Amar Latif said: “Residents in the Church Cowley ward didn’t feel like they have had much consultation and felt as though they had a lot less consultation than Florence Park.

“Really, the issue is that lots of people feel like they have not been listened to or engaged with – the first they knew about it was when these blocks went up.”

Dr Latif also said on the weekend he saw police cars having to turn around because they did not know how to get to a particular road.

He added: “Even a police car had to turn around – they had to turn around and come back the way they came.

“One chap told me ‘I don’t know how to get home’

“Because it’s a new scheme it is disappointing the county council didn’t put signs up, there are some now, but they should have had them up earlier.”

Dr Latif is holding a Zoom meeting next Tuesday at 6pm regarding the implementation of the LTNs.

You can join by following this link https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIkde2sqDwuHNxoY--cJ-DIHTPAaXHlS4Uf

Councillor Henwood has also arranged several public online meetings for residents to discuss the matter. The first will take place next Thursday between 7pm and 8.30pm on Google Meet.

Anyone who wants to attend the meeting is asked to email david@cowley.news or cllrdhenwood@oxford.gov.uk

Oxfordshire County Council said that all residents in the area were consulted in December 2020.

Oxford Mail:

A spokesman said: “All statutory consultees including the emergency services were informed of the plans for the LTN in the Cowley area.”

The council said it hopes streets will become quieter, and residents can feel more safe and comfortable travelling by bike, bus, or on foot. It also hopes the scheme will help residents become more active.

The spokesman added: “The LTN does not prevent access to properties or businesses but may require slight changes in route.

“The LTN filters are being introduced using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs). ETROs run for six months to give enough time for residents to assess the impacts and the council to undertake monitoring.

“After six months, the council may decide to extend the experiment for another 12 months before deciding whether to make the scheme permanent, amend it or cancel it.

“It is important to note that the scheme can also be amended during the initial six-month period, if particular problems are identified.”