CONCERNS over low traffic neighbourhood schemes in Oxford will be taken seriously, says Oxfordshire County Council – which introduced the controversial projects.
Addressing concerns over the perceived lack of consultation, the impact on businesses and on people’s health, an Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “The county council engaged on the Cowley low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) throughout 2020, 2021 and into 2022 through informal and formal surveys, and direct stakeholder engagement.
“All feedback received has been reviewed and has been used to contribute to the report to the council’s cabinet.
“The Cowley LTNs will now be subject to the council’s decision-making procedures, and a decision is expected at our cabinet meeting on July 19.
READ ALSO: Angry protestors who live on streets with LTNs say life has become miserable
“The report contains a recommendation to investigate issues for deliveries and taxis as a result of increased journey times.
“If the scheme is made permanent, we will seek to engage and make changes where possible.
“The East Oxford LTNs are currently being trialled and a statutory public consultation is open now.
“We would strongly encourage people to engage with our public consultation on the East Oxford LTNs, at letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/east-oxford-ltns-2022.
“A decision on whether to make the trial scheme permanent, extend or remove it cannot be made without engagement with those affected and we want to hear all views.
“Officers recommend whether to make an LTN trial scheme permanent, extend or remove it based on factors including any feedback received, alignment with policy, data collected on traffic and air pollution and levels of walking and cycling in these areas.”
On the impact on businesses, the spokesperson continued: “We know that some businesses have faced challenges as these measures settle in.
“We have spoken to business owners throughout the development and implementation of both the Cowley and East Oxford LTNs, and regular meetings will continue with the business community to monitor the impact of the LTNs as the East Oxford trial progresses.
“We will also be offering one-to-one support to businesses looking to adapt their delivery strategies.
“We recognised that communities outside the Cowley LTN areas have sometimes experienced longer journey times, and data shows that neighbourhoods outside the LTN areas have not benefitted from lower congestion and improved air quality.
“The Cowley LTNs report contains a recommendation to investigate increased traffic in some streets.
“If the scheme is made permanent, we will seek to engage and make changes where possible.
“LTNs form one part of our wider transport strategy. Our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan has made clear that there is a wider need for measures to better enable and encourage more active travel (such as cycling and walking), including using a wide variety of interventions to achieve this, and improve access to public transport.
“Monitoring has been undertaken within the Cowley LTNs and on surrounding roads to assess the impact on traffic volumes and collect air quality recordings against pre-LTN (lockdown and non-lockdown) figures.
“Traffic monitoring data shows improved air quality, decreased traffic and increased walking within the LTNs.
“The report recognises that when assessing surrounding roads, the traffic volumes are still slightly higher and air quality is slightly worse, although still within the legal limit.
“However, the trend is improving and will continue to be monitored should the scheme be made permanent.”
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