PLANS for a new Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme have been put on hold.

Oxfordshire County Council was initially expected to launch its consultation for a new LTN in Headington and the Quarry area in either November or December this year.

Today, however, the council has announced that the plans will be paused while it 'reviews the scheme against the fit with the wider transport strategy for the city' and searches for 'long term changes that will have the effect of reducing traffic across the city and improve the air quality for everyone'.

The LTN schemes have been extremely controversial in the past across the city.

In March 2021, the first LTN trial scheme was introduced to Church Cowley, Temple Cowley, and Florence Park.

While some people thoroughly supported the scheme enjoying quieter roads for cycling, and safer streets for children to play in, others have strongly opposed the scheme.

Some have said the scheme has resulted in more congestion and causes increased pollution on the city's arterial roads.

The consultation period for the Cowley LTN trial will end on November 19.

The outcomes of the consultation will then be considered by the Cabinet

Member for Highway Management in February 2022.

The council also has plans to introduce an LTN scheme to East Oxford.

Its initial plans would see traffic filters placed on Divinity Road, as well as on through-roads between Iffley Road and Cowley Road.

Following the initial round of consultation, however, it found that the majority of residents in East Oxford did not support the council's initial proposal for where traffic filters would lye.

The council has now said the East Oxford LTN proposal is now going through a 'targeted consultation phase' and the results will be reported to a Cabinet Member on December 23.

As part of this 'targeted consultation work,' the council has said that it has proposed a filter on Howard Street, in the St Mary's area of the East Oxford LTN proposal. 

The Oxford Mail asked the council if it intends to place any LTNs in the north of the city - in response the council said 'no LTNs currently being developed for north Oxford.

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