The updated guidance, agreed by the council’s cabinet in April 2026, aimed to enable a move towards more ‘car free’ and ‘car light’ developments, where appropriate.

Councillor Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “If every new development is designed around the assumption that car ownership and car use should continue to grow unchecked, congestion will simply get worse and journeys will become less reliable for everyone.

“However, it’s essential that our approach commands broad support and can be delivered successfully in practice.”

Representations received by the council highlighted the complexity of balancing transport, climate, and housing objectives – particularly social housing – with the need to ensure that any guidance is both ambitious and capable of effective implementation through the planning system.

The council will continue to work closely with local planning authorities, developers, and other stakeholders to review the issues that have been raised and consider whether reasonable refinements can be made that support both housing delivery and shared transport and climate ambitions.

Cllr Epps added: “We remain concerned that the growth demands of central government will be unachievable and result in chaotic levels of congestion unless we do something to address future car use.  Developers are encouraged to concentrate on how to build more homes, not more car parks.

“By working creatively and collaboratively across the sector, we are confident we can develop an approach that supports sustainable travel while also enabling the delivery of the homes and communities Oxfordshire needs.”

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An on street enforcement exercise by the council’s counter fraud team led to another person appearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last week.

On Friday 12 December, Mayowa Oyeleke, 23, of Belhouse Avenue, South Ockendon, admitted illegally using a blue badge to park on Albion Place in Oxford city centre on 24 April 2025. 

The counter fraud team established that the badge he was using had been reported stolen from a vehicle in London.   

In passing sentence, the magistrate described it as “a distasteful offence” and fined Mr Oyeleke £140 plus a victim surcharge of £56. He awarded the council its full costs of £1,165.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, said: “People who abuse the blue badge system deny vital parking spaces to people who rely on it to help them remain mobile and independent.

“This council will continue to take enforcement action to stop those misusing this service so that people with valid blue badges can access goods and services and park near workplaces, supermarkets and health facilities.”

Blue badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A penalty charge notice will normally be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

As well as removing blue badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, enforcement is used to raise awareness of the importance of the badges for residents who really need them.

Inappropriate use of limited disabled parking bays can result in blue badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food or get to work.

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An on-street enforcement exercise by Oxfordshire County Council’s counter fraud team led another person appearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last week.

On Friday 28 November, Jessica Holdsworth, 34, of Barbour Road, Abingdon, admitted illegally using a blue badge to park outside Templars Square in Cowley.

Miss Holdsworth used a blue badge to park on 15 January 2025. The council’s fraud team established during an interview under caution that the badge she was using had belonged to her grandmother who had died.  

She was fined £307 plus a victim surcharge of £123 and the council was awarded costs of £911.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, said: “The blue badge system is there for people who rely on it to help them remain mobile and independent. Those who abuse it deny vital parking spaces to people who really need them the most.

“Valid blue badges enable people to access goods and services and park near workplaces, supermarkets and health facilities. That is why we, as a council, will continue to take enforcement action to stop those misusing this service.”

The latest case follows the prosecutions of five people in September, December 2024 and January 2024 for similar offences.

Blue badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A penalty charge notice will normally be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

As well as removing blue badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, enforcement is used to raise awareness of the importance of the badges for residents who really need them.

Inappropriate use of limited disabled parking bays can result in blue badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food or get to work.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s civil parking enforcement officers will be targeting more areas, including the market towns, where repeated incidents of rule breaking have been identified.

More officers will be seen in areas where new controlled parking zones and restrictions have recently been implemented. They will also be patrolling in response to a perceived increase in dangerous and inconsiderate parking. This includes on double yellow lines, outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times, and by non-residents parking in residents’ bays.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This focused crackdown will allow residents to see a greater presence by our officers in their neighbourhoods, enforcing the parking restrictions to make our streets safer and keep the transport network running for all users.”

The council enforces permit holder parking and on-street pay and display parking. It also enforces parking on double and single yellow lines; limited waiting bays; loading bays; zig-zag markings at schools (if restrictions apply); pedestrian crossings; double parking (parking too far from the kerb); blue badge bays; taxi ranks; bus lanes and stops; and across dropped kerbs where there's a crossing point.

People can report these offences through the county council’s website, or by phoning parking contractor Trellint's control room at 0345 337 1138 (option 3).

Drivers caught breaking the rules can receive a penalty charge notice for £70 or £50, depending on the offence.

The police are responsible for dealing with dangerously parked vehicles, including where there are no parking restrictions in place, such as on bends, brows of hills, and junctions, or obstruction offences – such as on a pavement with no parking restrictions.

The public can report these issues to the police by calling 101.

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An on street enforcement exercise by Oxfordshire County Council’s counter fraud team led to two people appearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last week.

On Friday 19 September, Azeem Ansari, 44, of Kennington Road, Oxford, and Lauren Bell, 38, of Poplar Close, Garsington, admitted illegally using blue badges to park in Oxford city centre.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Transformation, said: “The blue badge system is there for people who rely on it to help them remain mobile and independent. Those who abuse it deny vital parking spaces to people who really need them the most.

“Valid blue badges enable people to access goods and services and park near workplaces, supermarkets and health facilities. That is why we, as a council, will continue to take enforcement action to stop those misusing this service.”

Mr Ansari used a blue badge to park on 20 January 2025. The council’s fraud team established that Mr Ansari was using a badge that had been cancelled as its owner, Mr Ansari’s grandmother, had died. 

In summing up, the district judge said that while he accepted Mr Ansari did not wake up that day intending to defraud, he did make a conscious decision and thought he was going to get away with it but, unfortunately for him, he didn’t.

He was fined £576 plus a victim surcharge of £230.40 and the council was awarded costs of £1,787.50.

Ms Bell admitted illegally using a blue badge to park on 20 January 2025. The council’s fraud team established that the badge she was displaying in her vehicle had been cancelled as it had been reported as lost by its owner. 

She was fined £400 plus a victim surcharge of £160 and the council was awarded costs of £500.

A third case was adjourned until November.

The latest cases follow the prosecutions of three men in December and January for similar offences.

Blue badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A penalty charge notice will normally be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

As well as removing blue badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, enforcement is used to raise awareness of the importance of the badges for residents who really need them.

Inappropriate use of limited disabled parking bays can result in blue badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food, or get to work.

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At Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday 24 January, Ahmad Horik, 23, of Blenheim Court, Kidlington, admitted illegally using a blue badge to park in Oxford city centre on 21 May 2024.

When officers from Oxfordshire County Council Council’s counter fraud team checked the badge, they established it was not valid as it had been reported lost and a replacement issued. 

When interviewed under caution by council officers, Mr Horik said the badge belonged to a family member and he had no knowledge why it had been reported lost and replaced.

As the badge holder was not present when he parked, there was no entitlement to any blue badge concession. 

Mr Horik was fined £209, ordered to pay a court charge of £84 and pay the council’s costs of £500.

The case follows the prosecution of two men for similar offences in December 2024 as part of the same on-street enforcement exercise.

Blue badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A penalty charge notice will normally be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Community and Corporate Services, said: “People rely on their blue badges so that they can park near workplaces, supermarkets, and health facilities. Illegal use of the scheme denies a space to someone who really needs it.

“It is not acceptable to misuse this service and the recent enforcement operation shows that this council is taking action to stop this abuse.”

As well as removing blue badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, enforcement is used to raise awareness of the importance of the badges for residents who really need them.

Many people rely on their blue badge to remain mobile and independent, enabling them to access goods and services.

Inappropriate use of disabled parking bays can result in blue badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food, or get to work.

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Oxfordshire County Council recently moved its residents’ parking permit system online to make it easier and more convenient for most users to manage their accounts.

However, to minimise the impact of the changes on digitally excluded people who are unable to access the internet, paper scratchcard visitor permits will remain available to residents who genuinely have no other option.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Many types of permits which used to be issued in paper form have gone digital in recent years, including tax discs and residents’ parking permits. Despite initial concerns, these work well and are safer, more reliable and more efficient for both users and authorities.

“It is no longer sensible or practical for the county council to produce large numbers of paper visitor permits and trusting them to the postal service, which is costly and often involves delays. The reasons for moving to digital visitor permits are right, and the system is working well.

“However, we have listened to the feedback as part of our customer experience strategy, aimed at designing services around our residents, and are continuing to make paper visitor permits available to people who have no other option. These will be assessed on a case by case basis.”

For anyone who currently has paper visitor permits, these will remain valid until the end of 2025. More details about eligibility for future paper permits will be made available in due course.

However, residents who have cars and residential permits – which have been digital for two years – and anyone with an active email address are unlikely to be eligible.

Anyone having problems can call 01865 519800 and discuss the best way forward with the council’s customer service team.

Anyone living in a residential parking area is urged to set up an online permit account through Oxfordshire County Council’s website. People can also apply for visitor parking permits online.

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An on-street enforcement exercise by Oxfordshire County Council’s counter fraud team led to two men appearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last week. It follows the prosecution of a woman in Oxford in May for a similar offence.

On Friday 13 December, Andrew Gill, 34, of Overdale Close, Oxford, and Johnis Lleshi, 21, of Overmead Green, Oxford, admitted illegally using blue badges to park in Oxford city centre.

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Community and Corporate Services, said: “People rely on their blue badges so that they can park near workplaces, supermarkets, and health facilities. Illegal use of the scheme denies a space to someone who really needs it.

“It is not acceptable to misuse this service and the recent enforcement operation shows that this council is taking action to stop this abuse.”

Mr Gill used a blue badge to park on 21 May 2024. The council’s fraud team established that Mr Gill was using a badge that had been cancelled as its owner, Mr Gill’s mother, had died three years earlier. 

He was fined £134 plus a court charge of £54 and the council was awarded costs of £350.

Mr Lleshi was found guilty of illegally using a blue badge to park on 19 June 2024 and for failing to present it for inspection when requested to do so.  

When later interviewed under caution he admitted buying the badge from the social media platform Snapchat.

He was fined £153 plus a court charge of £61 and the council was awarded costs of £350.

A further case was adjourned until the new year.

Blue badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A penalty charge notice will normally be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

As well as removing blue badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, enforcement is used to raise awareness of the importance of the badges for residents who really need them.

Many people rely on their blue badge to remain mobile and independent, enabling them to access goods and services.

Inappropriate use of limited disabled parking bays can result in blue badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food, or get to work.

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In a hearing at Oxford Magistrates Court on 31 May, Tasnim Al-Samad of Westminster Way, Botley near Oxford, was found guilty of illegally using a blue badge to park in Oxford city centre on the 26 September 2023.

When officers from Oxfordshire County Council Council’s Counter Fraud Team checked the badge, they established that it had been reported stolen from the London Borough of Hillingdon and seized it.

Ms Al-Samad claimed that the badge belonged to her friend who had been with her when she parked. When later interviewed under caution she admitted to having bought the badge from the social media platform ‘Snapchat’ and that no one was with her when she parked.

Ms Al-Samad was fined £300 plus a court charge of £120 and the county council was awarded costs of £350.

Blue badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A penalty charge notice will normally be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

Mark Haynes, Director of Customer and Culture at Oxfordshire County Council which includes the blue badge service, said: “People rely on their blue badges so that they can park near workplaces, supermarkets, and health facilities. Illegal use of the scheme denies a space to someone who really needs it.

“It is particularly concerning that this conviction involves the display of a stolen badge. It is not acceptable to misuse this service and the recent enforcement operation shows that this council is taking action to stop this abuse.”

Why blue badges are important

As well as removing blue badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, enforcement is used to raise awareness of the importance of the badges for residents who really need them.

Many people rely on their blue badge to remain mobile and independent, enabling them to access goods and services.

Inappropriate use of disabled parking bays can result in blue badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food, or get to work. Every space really does matter.

For further information about the blue badge scheme, including how to apply using the county council’s new application service, visit the website: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/disabledparking

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Measures had already been proposed to address what had become an £11.2m shortfall after central government grant funding announcements failed to provide local government with the required finance to meet the pressures being experienced across the nation.

The proposals form part of the final budget being recommended to the council’s cabinet on 30 January, which will then be decided at the annual budget setting meeting of all 63 county councillors on 20 February.

Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Councils throughout the country made clear to central government through the Local Government Association and other channels that more funding was needed this year and in following years due to the high levels of pressures in areas such as social care, special educational needs and other services.

“There has been deep disappointment at the failure of government to address these issues.

“Our track record of responsible financial management means that Oxfordshire County Council has been in a more resilient position than many other authorities. However, the overall position is extremely challenging.

“This final batch of proposed measures means we are able to put forward a balanced budget but it has been a difficult process and we know this is mirrored in town and county halls throughout the land. We know that we, and local government as a whole, will continue to face difficult financial challenges in 2025/26 and beyond.

“It remains the case that our budgets for both adults and children’s social care will increase in real-terms after accounting for inflation in 2024, with investments to meet pressures outweighing savings proposals.”

What are the newly proposed measures?

• The county council has been notified that district councils have given a further improved forecast as to how much council tax will be collected in Oxfordshire. This amounts to £300,000.
• The council is able to reduce the amount it puts in contingency funding by £100,000.
• The council’s award-winning innovation hub (iHub) will move to becoming self-financing, which has created a saving of £300,000. It was launched in 2018 by the council to promote innovation in the county. This includes developing solutions on intelligent infrastructure, health, environment and mobility systems, as well as implementing projects to improve the local economy and environment for Oxfordshire’s citizens.
• A series of rises to charges for on-street parking and residents parking permits (helping cover the full costs of maintenance of controlled parking zones), This would raise £200,000 combined. 

Further detail

Detail as regards proposed on-street parking and residents parking changes:

• Abingdon: On-street parking pay and display would rise from £1.10 for one hour (8am to 6pm excluding Sundays and Bank Holidays) to £1.30. Two hours rises from £1.50 to £2.
• Oxford city centre central area (Zone 1): Street parking for one hour would rise from £6.60 to £7.60; two hours from £13.20 to £15.20. Evening parking would also rise from £6.60 to £7.60. Parking for an hour on Saturday rises from £6.60 to £7.60 and from £13.20 to £15.20 for two hours.
• Oxford city centre (Zone 2 including Jericho): Street parking for one hour would rise from £5.50 to £6.30 and for three hours from £16.50 to £19. Street parking for evenings and Sundays would rise from £5.50 to £6.30.
• Wallingford: Street parking for one and a half hours would rise from 70p to 80p.
• Residents parking permits: In Abingdon and Henley-on-Thames, a second batch of 25 visitor permits would rise from £27.50 to £31.50.
• In Oxford, business permits would rise from £44 to £50.50 for three months, £82.50 to £95 for six months and £126.50 to £145 for nine months. An annual permit would rise from £165 to £190. A change of vehicle charge will rise from £22 to £25.
• In Oxford, residents parking permits would rise from £70 to £80 for a first and second car and £140 to £161 for a third car In the Kassam Stadium area a permit would rise from £17.50 to £20.
• In Oxford a traders permit per week would rise from £27.50 to £31.50. A second batch of 25 visitor permits would rise from £27.50 to £31.50.
• In Banbury and Bicester a residents parking permit would rise from £66 to £76 with a second batch of 25 visitor permits rising from £27.50 to £31.50
• In Wantage and Wallingford a residents parking permit would rise from £100 to £110, and a second 25 visitor permits would rise from £25 to £31.50.
• Parking bay suspensions:  The charge for the suspension of a parking pay (both pay and display and non pay and display) would rise from £33 to £38.

Passengers can continue to buy a combined ticket at a reduced price which covers both parking and return bus travel at a rate of £4 for a car with only one adult, or £5 for a car and two adults. With both options, up to three children under 16 can travel for free.

Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach said the trial, which was originally due to end on 31 March, will now carry on until the end of September 2023 due to its success.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This deal will continue to make it cheaper and more convenient for many people to use the park and ride services instead of driving all the way into Oxford city centre. More people on the buses will reduce car use and cut congestion and pollution.”

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Health and Transport at Oxford City Council, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to extend the park and ride offer for a further six months. Park and ride services are essential for travelling into and across our city and we want to help make these services as easy to use and as affordable as possible.”

The deal represents a saving of £1 per person for an individual ticket, and £1.80 for two people travelling together. Previously, other than a combined £6.80 family ticket, drivers had to pay separately for both parking and bus travel.

Since the campaign was launched, park and ride passenger numbers have increased to around 97 per cent of the level they were before the pandemic. The increase has been up to 10 per cent on weekdays, and even greater at weekends.

Rachel Geliamassi, Managing Director at Stagecoach West, said: “We’re really pleased to be extending this park and ride ticket offer for Oxford. For those looking to travel from Oxford Parkway to the hospital sites in Headington, as well as into Oxford city centre, this ticket offer will provide brilliant value and convenient travel.”

Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said: “This continues to be a fantastic offer for people visiting Oxford and represents the best value for commuters, shift workers and leisure visitors. Thanks to key stakeholders working together, we have jointly created an excellent special offer for an extended period designed to encourage people to return to, or try out, the park and ride service.

“We appreciate times are challenging and the reduced prices represent tremendous value for people to park and travel in and out of Oxford.”

The combined parking and bus ticket remains in place at all park and ride sites in and around Oxford:

• Oxford Parkway Park and Ride
• Pear Tree Park and Ride
• Redbridge Park and Ride
• Seacourt Park and Ride
• Thornhill Park and Ride

Drivers are encouraged to purchase a combined ticket through the RingGo parking app, or at one of the onsite ticket machines.

RingGo users can buy a combined virtual ticket through the app. Users are encouraged to download the RingGo app in advance of their arrival.

Ticket machines at the park and ride sites have been updated to reflect the trial.

The trial does not impact the prices of parking only, annual, quarterly, or 28 day permit holders. Free parking remains for blue badge holders.

Drivers using Hozah parking app who would like to use the combined ticket offer will need to pause their membership and use either RingGo or the onsite ticket machines.

Aside from these changes, all other car parking charges at these sites remain the same.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s parking contractor Conduent Transportation is training its on-street parking civil enforcement officers to become the first in the country to participate in the ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign to help vulnerable members of the public in dangerous or uncomfortable situations.

It is an extension of the Ask for Angela campaign that started in 2016 and is used by bars and other venues in the hospitality industry to protect people from sexual or violent assault. Anyone who feels unsafe, vulnerable, or threatened can discreetly seek help by approaching staff and asking for Angela.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services and Safety, said: “This is an incredibly worthwhile initiative, and we are delighted to be trialling it first in Oxfordshire. Conduent and their officers are pioneering a new approach which we hope will make our streets safer for everyone.”

Jade Neville, Head of User Experience – UK Parking, at Conduent Transportation, said: “Conduent is proud to be the first on-street parking provider in the country to join the Ask for Angela campaign and make its contribution to improving safety on the county’s streets.”

This code phrase ‘Angela’ indicates that they require help, and a trained member of staff will look to support them. This might be through reuniting them with a friend, arranging a taxi, or calling security or the police. 

Working with Thames Valley Police and Oxfordshire County Council, and Oxford City Council’s ODS parking officers, Conduent Transportation saw an opportunity to help tackle violence against women, girls, and vulnerable people by expanding the Ask for Angela campaign outside of the hospitality industry.

Through the training, Conduent’s parking officers have been given an awareness of vulnerability and their responsibilities towards the public during their shifts. The aim is for officers to be an additional point of contact for those who feel unsafe, as Ask for Angela is taken into the wider environment.

Members of the Oxfordshire parking enforcement team receive welfare and vulnerability engagement training from the Safer Business Network, and this will also form part of the new starters’ induction process. The training is based on real life incidents and is designed to look at what can be done to tackle vulnerability on streets.

Parking Enforcement Officer, Roberta Santos, said: “The training helped me to identify a person in a vulnerable situation, or someone who does not appear comfortable. After this training, I am confident in my ability to help a person in need.”

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable, Katy Barrow-Grint, said: “Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for Thames Valley Police and partnership working is key to achieving this. Whilst we seek to prevent harm from ever taking place, we believe initiatives like this help to make people across Oxfordshire feel safer and prevent criminal activity.”

Councillor Diko Walcott, Oxford City Council Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said: “Oxford City Council has long supported and participated in the Ask for Angela initiative as part of our community safety strategy. It’s great to know that ODS are now including their parking attendants along with those from the county council in the scheme.”

The scheme will be operating in Oxford City, plus the Vale of White Horse, South Oxfordshire, and Cherwell District Council areas of Oxfordshire. West Oxfordshire will not be included at this stage, as different parking enforcement arrangements are in place until spring 2023.

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The final EV charging hub in the Park and Charge Oxfordshire project went live this month at Claremont short stay car park in Bicester.

It marks the completion of the 20th hub successfully delivered in the project and means a total of 250 EV charging points have been delivered across the county since May 2021.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “The reaction from Oxfordshire residents has been overwhelmingly positive, from EV drivers and prospective EV drivers alike.

“Park and Charge is enabling local people who don’t have private off-street parking to have a convenient location to charge their EVs overnight, meaning more Oxfordshire residents have the opportunity to drive electric. It’s another great reason to make sure your next vehicle is an EV.”

The hubs have been seeing very promising usage level with over 3,300 individual EV charging sessions taking place across the Park and Charge network in October alone – a 23 per cent rise in the number of charging sessions since the previous month.

The EV chargers have been designed and produced by local Bicester-based company – EZ Charge – who will operate the chargers for the next 10 years.

Oxfordshire has the highest uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country, with 32 per cent of all new vehicles sold in August being fully battery electric EVs.

The 20 Park and Charge locations, each containing between 10 and 16 EV charging points, are:

• Cattle Market and Claremont car parks in Bicester
• Curtis Place car park, Kidlington
• Windsor Street and Calthorpe Street West car parks in Banbury
• Woodford Way car park in Witney
• Black Bourton car park in Carterton
• Hensington Road car park in Woodstock
• Back Lane car park in Eynsham
• New Street car park in Chipping Norton
• Cattlemarket and Goldsmith’s Lane car parks in Wallingford
• Kings Road and Greys Road car parks in Henley
• Southern Road car park in Thame
• West St Helens, Audlett Drive and Cattle Market car parks in Abingdon
• Portway car park in Wantage
• Southampton Road car park in Faringdon.

Councillor Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Nature Recovery, said: “We’ve been pleased with the interest in the EV chargers in South Oxfordshire, with one car park in Henley alone having more than 1,000 sessions in its first three months. The uptake of charging bays has been higher than expected in some car parks but in others it will take longer as habits change.

“Having plenty of spaces to charge EVs will help those thinking of buying an EV but do not have a charging point at their property.”

Councillor Sally Povolotsky, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Environment, said: “We’ve been very pleased to bring EV chargers to the Vale-run car parks as part of our council goals to reduce carbon emissions. There has already been a high rate of EV ownership in Oxfordshire which is why we have undertaken this long-term project investing in the infrastructure to make it easier for those to make the switch to an EV whether or not they have access to easy charging at home.

“The scheme has been designed to encourage local residents without off-street parking to switch to an EV as they can park and charge in our car parks overnight. This has already proved popular in Abingdon with nearly 20 per cent of charging sessions at West St Helen car park being done overnight.”

Councillor Andrew Prosser, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Latest statistics suggest that a third of all new cars bought in Oxfordshire are now fully battery electric, which is well ahead of the rest of the UK. Projects such as Park and Charge are helping to build countywide EV infrastructure that supports this growth in EV ownership.

“We want to make it easier for EV drivers to charge up and give motorists the confidence to purchase their first electric vehicle. Maximising opportunities to grow this network will accelerate the shift to ultra-low emission transport and our pathway to net zero carbon emissions.”

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities, said: “The pioneering EV charging project has exceeded expectations and usage continues to grow. We are delighted to have been able to expand the project and create more charging hubs within Cherwell.”

The £5.4 million project was funded by grants from Innovate UK and the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles as well as private investment from local companies Zeta and Urban Integrated. It has provided the biggest ever single boost to public EV charging infrastructure in the county.

The network of ‘fast’ EV chargers have a power rating of 7kW to 22kW, which means EV drivers can get between 25 and 75 miles of charge for every hour they charge, depending on the rate at which their vehicle can charge. These innovative chargers are highly robust and reliable, and have multiple payment options including contactless ‘tap and go’, ensuring that EV drivers can always get a charge when they need one.

More details on how to use the chargers and the Park and Charge scheme are available at www.parkandchargeoxfordshire.co.uk.

The Park and Charge project is a key part of the Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, which was named Public Sector Infrastructure Strategy of the Year at the 2022 Electric Vehicle Innovation & Excellence Awards (EVIEs).

Oxfordshire County Council is currently working with all other councils across Oxfordshire to roll out further residential EV charging hubs in car parks right across the county, pending securing appropriate funding.

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On Tuesday 18 October, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved an updated guide for parking standards for new developments. It means developers will need to work collaboratively with the council to help achieve the targets set in the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), which was adopted earlier this year.

The LTCP aims create a net zero transport system in Oxfordshire by 2040, improving health and wellbeing, tackling the climate emergency, reducing private vehicle use, and prioritising walking, cycling, and public transport.

Councillor Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: “We know that in future people are going to use cars less frequently. Our new standards place much more emphasis on cycles, shared car clubs, and public transport than on multiple cars per household.

“Striking the right balance by providing an appropriate level and type of parking, while also protecting highway safety for all users and promoting active and sustainable transport modes, is essential. We also need to be aware of the viability of new developments for developers and people who will live there.”

The new parking standards document will be used to help determine the level of parking at new developments and provides the basis for the council’s advice to local planning authorities on the soundness of their policies.

It can also be a mechanism for improving the levels of cycle parking in areas that will benefit from the popularity of cycling for leisure and commuting purposes.

Cllr Enright, alongside Cabinet Member for Highways management Cllr Andrew Gant and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment Cllr Pete Sudbury, will review issues raised by the scrutiny committee and bring an update back to cabinet before the end of the year.

The LTCP is a wide-ranging document with 54 policies and aims to provide the backbone for the council’s commitment to invest in an inclusive, integrated and sustainable transport network for the county.

It looks at ways of reducing the need to travel and discouraging unnecessary individual private vehicle use through making walking, cycling, public and shared transport the natural first choice. Its aims include reducing the number of car journeys in the county by more than half by 2040.

Last month, the council’s cabinet approved new requirements for transport planning based on the principle of ‘decide and provide’ rather than ‘predict and provide’, which will also help achieve the aims of the LTCP.

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Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, approved the measures at his delegated decisions meeting on Thursday 26 May. The decision followed a period of consultation which took place earlier this year.

The changes are aimed at improving the situation for residents, increasing the turnover of parking for businesses, encouraging more short journeys by foot, and improving action against inconsiderate parkers, while generating revenue to fund the scheme and provide effective enforcement.

Cllr Gant said: “These measures are a response to concerns from Woodstock residents over many years that the current system doesn’t work. However, the changes will be kept under review by officers and monitored to see how they operate.”

The changes include:

• The introduction of three-hour pay and display bays in the central area with exemptions for permit holders. The first hour in any 24 hour period would be free.
• The introduction of some ultra-short stay (30 minute) parking areas.
• New permit holder only parking areas. The fee for a resident’s permit is currently £65 a year per vehicle and includes 25 annual scratch cards for visitor parking.
• Additional parking bays on some roads of between two and three hours.
• New cycle parking areas.

A further assessment will be undertaken by officers to consider the introduction of permits for visitors to guest houses, hotels and holiday lets within the scheme. This will require further public consultation.

Off street car parks controlled by West Oxfordshire District Council, which are currently free, will be unaffected by these changes.

Earlier this year, Oxfordshire County Council agreed to take over responsibility from West Oxfordshire District Council for penalising motorists who break the rules in West Oxfordshire in a bid to improve the enforcement process.

When the agreement is formally ended in spring 2023, the county council will manage on-street infringements, such as yellow lines, loading bays and bus lanes, as it already does in Oxford City, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, and the Vale of White Horse districts.

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Oxfordshire County Council has worked with Woodstock Town Council and local councillors to draw up the proposals, with the aim of improving the management of parking in the town centre. It follows informal consultations in November 2019 into parking usage and demand.

The proposals are aimed at improving the situation for residents, increasing the turnover of parking for shoppers, encouraging more short journeys by foot and improving action against inconsiderate parkers, while generating revenue to fund the scheme and provide effective enforcement.

Off street car parks are controlled by West Oxfordshire District Council and will be unaffected by these proposals.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Local problems need local solutions and the people of Woodstock have been calling for action on the parking problem for years. We have drawn up measures – following input from residents, businesses, and councillors – and are putting forward an on-street parking plan that addresses enforcement and residents and business parking.

“It is now the time for residents and businesses to have their say as part of this consultation. We want to hear from as many people as possible so that we get the widest cross-section of views.

"West Oxfordshire District Council will remain in control of the off-street parking that it owns, including any change to charges. The county council only looks after on-street parking and we will only alter the current arrangements if local communities ask us to.”

The consultation comes two days after Cabinet voted to allow Oxfordshire County Council to take over responsibility from West Oxfordshire District Council for penalising motorists who break the rules in West Oxfordshire. When the agreement is formally ended in spring 2023, after a 12 month notice period, the county council will manage on-street infringements, such as yellow lines, loading bays and bus lanes, as it already does in Oxford City, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, and the Vale of White Horse districts.

Cllr Bearder added: “Residents in West Oxfordshire have repeatedly reached out to us with concerns about enforcement in key locations. So, as well as these measures in Woodstock, we will also manage on-street parking in the district and we are confident that this will improve the situation for our residents.”

The Woodstock proposals include:

• The introduction of pay and display bays in the central area with exemptions for permit holders. The first 30 minutes in any 24 hour period would be free.
• The introduction of some ultra-short stay parking areas.
• New permit holder only parking areas to manage displacement. The fee for a resident’s permit is currently £65 a year per vehicle and includes 25 annual scratch cards for visitor parking.
• Additional two-hour parking bays on some roads.
• New cycle parking areas.

Oxfordshire County Council will be running two exhibitions to answer questions:

• Saturday 19 March, 9.30am – 12 noon at Woodstock Community Centre, New Road
• Monday 21 March, 6.30pm - 8pm at Woodstock Town Hall, Market Place.

Plans and documents will also be available to view in person at: Woodstock Library, The Oxfordshire Museum, Fletcher's House, Park Street, Woodstock, OX20 1SN, 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am - 12.30pm and 1pm - 4.30pm Saturday, and 2pm - 5pm on Sunday, and also at County Hall, New Street, Oxford, OX1 1ND,  9am - 4pm Monday to Friday.

The public consultation opened on 17 March on Let’s Talk Oxfordshire and the closing date for comments is 15 April.

Oxfordshire County Council will review the responses and prepare a report to be presented to the Cabinet member for highways management at a meeting scheduled for 26 May 2022, where a decision is due to be made.

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It follows a consultation by Oxfordshire County Council into whether to make temporary traffic restrictions permanent. The measures were brought in as part of COVID-19 regulations to encourage social distancing and were due to expire on 3 January 2022.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “These measures are in line with our aims to create a transport network that makes active travel – walking and cycling – the first choice for short journeys, encourage public transport, and reduce reliance on car journeys.

“There are a large number of free car parking spaces behind High Street so this measure should not impact significantly on businesses in the area. Indeed, there is growing evidence to suggest that cycle and pedestrian-friendly streets can boost footfall and retail sales, helping to revive traditional high streets and town centres by creating more pleasant conditions.

“Both Cornmarket Street in Oxford and Sheep Street in Bicester used to be full of vehicles, and I doubt anyone would suggest a return to that situation now that they are both pedestrianised. I’m sure that these changes in Witney will be just as popular, although we will monitor the situation to see if any amendments are required in the future.”

Exemptions to the ban will apply to buses, taxis, vehicles loading or unloading, and those displaying a valid blue badge.

The measures will also involve the conversion of the existing 30 minute short-stay parking bays along the western side of Market Square to three hour disabled persons parking places.

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Following the installation of the first park and charge EV hub at Bicester’s Cattle Market car park in May, the locations of the remaining 19 sites have been announced. Work started earlier this month and is due to be completed by March 2022.

The park and charge scheme allows residents without off-street parking to park for free overnight and charge up using a ‘fast’ 7 - 22kw EV charging point. The chargers will also provide much needed battery top-ups to commuters and visitors during the daytime.

The project is being delivered by a consortium of partners including Oxfordshire County Council, University of Oxford, Urban Integrated UK, and Bicester firm Zeta Lighting which is running the EV charging service under the trading name EZ-Charge. Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils are also supporting the scheme and hosting the EV charging hubs.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “Many councillors have already had residents who don't have off-street parking asking about charging EVs, and we at the county council know we need to accelerate different solutions to that problem. Park and charge is a key part of the Oxfordshire EV strategy, helping people to move away from using diesel and petrol vehicles.”

The locations set to benefit from park and charge hubs, each containing between 10 and 16 EV charging points, are:

• Claremont car park, Bicester
• Curtis Place car park, Kidlington
• Windsor Street and Calthorpe Street West car parks in Banbury
• Woodford Way car park in Witney
• Black Bourton car park in Carterton
• Hensington Road car park, Woodstock
• Back Lane car park, Eynsham
• New Street car park, Chipping Norton
• Cattlemarket and Goldsmiths Lane car parks in Wallingford
• Kings Road and Greys Road car parks in Henley
• Southern Road car park, Thame
• West St Helens, Audlett Drive and Cattle Market car parks in Abingdon
• Portway car park in Wantage
• Southampton Road car park in Faringdon.

Councillor Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Nature Recovery, said: “This is great news for residents as they will have access to 62 new chargers across the district. This could be the difference to those living in Thame, Wallingford and Henley, to make the switch to EV ownership knowing they have easy access to charging points. Being part of this project also shows the council’s determination to take action to tackle the climate emergency, which we are prioritising as part of our corporate plan.”

Councillor Catherine Webber, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet member for the Environment and Climate Emergency, said: “We are delighted that we can accommodate so many EV charging points across the Vale in our car parks. It should really help those wishing to switch to EVs but who live in town centres such as Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage and have on-street parking which can make it difficult to access charging. More chargers should mean more people can make the switch to cleaner travel.”

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Clean and Green, said: “The pioneering electric vehicle charging project has exceeded expectations and usage continues to grow. We are delighted to be able to expand the project and create more charging hubs within Cherwell. The added bonus is that we are using home grown technology developed by a Bicester-based company.”

Councillor David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “With transport emissions being the largest contributor to greenhouse gases and air pollution in the district, moving to electric vehicles is a hugely important step in reaching our local and national net zero targets. The positive news is that recent statistics suggest that one in six cars now sold have a plug. We are delighted to be a partner in the park and charge Oxfordshire project, which will see more EV charging points installed across the county and here in West Oxfordshire, making it even easier for residents and business to make the switch to ultra-low emission vehicles.”

It is predicted that by 2030, one in five cars on Oxfordshire’s roads will be an EV, according to data modelling by the University of Oxford.

The £5.4 million programme is among the first of its kind in the UK and is being funded by the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles through Innovate UK and the government’s On-Street Residential Charging Scheme.

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Providing accessible and reliable charging infrastructure is fundamental in our mission to achieve net-zero. I am delighted Oxfordshire County Council has received funding through our £20m On-Street Residential Chargepoint scheme and I hope it gives the area a boost to go green and to make it easier for drivers to make the important switch to electric.”

More details about the scheme are available on the Park and Charge website.

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On 1 November, Oxfordshire County Council took control of civil parking enforcement in the Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, and Vale of White Horse district council areas from the police. The council already looks after parking enforcement in Oxford and in West Oxfordshire through an agency agreement.

In the first two weeks, enforcement officers issued 1,199 warning notices to drivers who broke the rules, while the council received 75 requests from the public to target certain areas where inconsiderate parking has been a problem.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We are delighted with the response so far, and it is heartening to hear that so many people are thanking our enforcement officers for doing something about a problem that has been going on for many years. It must be a myth that being an enforcement officer is a thankless task!

“People in places including Banbury, Bicester, Abingdon, Didcot and Wallingford have praised our officers for finally taking action against drivers who have previously been getting away with it, while causing a major inconvenience to other road users, cyclists and pedestrians. We’ve addressed a notorious spot in Garsington twice where drivers had been causing a danger by parking on double yellow lines, issuing 10 warnings. We’ve even been called to a car parked on a pedestrian crossing in Thame.”

For the first two weeks, officers only issued warning notices to offenders, to make sure people were aware of the new enforcement regime. However, from Monday 15 November, drivers who break the rules face fines of between £50 and £70, depending on the contravention, although these will be halved if paid within a certain period.

The new enforcement officers are responsible for permit holder parking and on-street pay and display parking, as well as:

• double and single yellow lines
• limited waiting bays
• loading bays
• zig-zag markings at schools (if restrictions apply)
• pedestrian crossings
• double parking (parking too far from the kerb)
• blue badge bays
• taxi ranks
• parking in bus lanes and stops
• parking across dropped kerbs where there’s a crossing point, with or without tactile paving.

People can report incidents of illegally parked vehicles by using Oxfordshire County Council’s online form.

The police will continue to be responsible for dealing with dangerously parked vehicles where there are no parking restrictions in place, such as on bends, brows of hills and junctions, and parking pavement with no parking restrictions. People can report these issues to the police by calling 101.

Car parks remain the responsibility of district and town councils.

More information is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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From 1 November, Oxfordshire County Council will take on responsibility for civil parking enforcement from Thames Valley Police. The council already enforces parking in Oxford City. It has also delegated the role to the district council in West Oxfordshire. The county council is now taking over in South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and at Cherwell District Council, ensuring continuity across the whole county.

The new arrangement also means the creation of extra on-street pay and display car parking spaces in the Vale of White Horse, South Oxfordshire and Cherwell districts. This will help market towns in the post COVID-19 recovery period as it leads to a greater turnover of spaces, which is better for shops and businesses.

The aim is for the new arrangement to be self-funding, with the extra pay and display spaces helping to pay for enforcement costs, although there will be some limited funding from the three districts. And the civil enforcement officers will not get bonuses for issuing tickets – they are paid a wage.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Residents in these affected districts have been suffering from motorists who park with near impunity. By taking control of managing parking offences, we can give local communities more input into parking enforcement in their areas.

“We are determined to make walking and cycling easier and safer and to improve bus services, and one way to do this is to improve the flow of traffic by penalising drivers who clog up the roads through inconsiderate parking and who put pedestrians, cyclists and other road users in danger.”

Parking offences, which include overstaying in pay and display bays, double-parking, parking in disabled bays without a blue badge and on yellow lines, will be enforced by a contractor on behalf of the council. Penalty charges range from £50-£70 but will be reduced by 50 per cent if paid within 14 days.

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Clean and Green, said: “This will change how problem parking is enforced within Cherwell district. Those flouting parking regulations can expect to be dealt with more vigorously than in the past, which should deter inconsiderate and problem parking across the district. Three enforcement officers will operate initially with their focus mainly being in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington, with other areas being dealt with as needed.”

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Strategic Partnerships and Place at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This is very good news for all our residents and road users. Illegal parking creates congestion in our towns, resulting in a negative impact on local air quality, delays to public transport and potentially more serious issues for our emergency services. I’m pleased that we have been able to work with the county council, Cherwell and South Oxfordshire to create this new enforcement scheme that the county council will oversee.”

Councillor David Rouane, South Oxfordshire District Council leader, said: “The county council taking on responsibility for parking enforcement will help us to ease congestion locally and be more effective when it comes to managing road safety. It will also help to free up police resources, strengthening neighbourhood policing and allowing them to focus more on the crimes that matter most to residents.”

Members of the public can report areas and incidents of illegal parking through a dedicated email address and telephone line. Officers will investigate and take enforcement action as required.

More details are available on the Oxfordshire County Council website.

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Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Highways Management, made the decision today during a formal council meeting after considering feedback from the non-statutory consultation held in June.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “I’d like to thank all those who have taken part in the debate on the east Oxford LTNs both in the consultation and at this session. No-one doubts our collective aim to address climate change and traffic as an administration. But we have to make the transport system you are using work for you. This needs a holistic, planned, comprehensive approach that results in planned change that gives it every chance of success.”

Residents, the emergency services, visitors and local businesses across Oxford were consulted on proposals for the introduction of a trial of LTNs in the Divinity Road, St Mary’s and St Clements areas 8 - 29 June 2021. Over 2,000 responses were submitted.

The consultation found that residents living in the proposed LTN neighbourhoods particularly in the Divinity Road area (62 per cent strongly in favour) show support for the proposals. Meanwhile, residents in both St Mary’s, and St Clement’s were largely supportive (with 42 per cent each strongly in favour). Feedback from businesses and those outside the proposed LTN areas was generally against the proposals. 

The decision means that council officers will now examine the specific issues and concerns raised in the consultation responses and those who made them. The new consultation that follows will be targeted more specifically to those who identified the key concerns to propose a revised scheme that works for the communities involved.

The decision now means that revisions to the proposed LTNs based on the new consultation planned will return for a Cabinet member decision session later this year.

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Oxfordshire’s park and charge team will be running live roadshow events in Abingdon, Witney and Henley in August. These free events will be an opportunity for residents to learn more about EVs and the different options for making the switch.

The test drive events will take place 10am - 4pm on:

• Saturday 14 August at Cattle Market car park, Abingdon
• Friday 20 August Kings Road car park, Henley
• Saturday 21 August at the Woolgate Centre, Witney.

The test drives form part of Oxfordshire’s £5.2 million park and charge project that has been awarded funding from Innovate UK as part of the government’s investment in British engineering to transform electric charging infrastructure. The project is being delivered by Oxfordshire County Council, with support from Cherwell District Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, the Vale of the White Horse District Council, Zeta Specialist Lighting, Urban Integrated UK and the University of Oxford.

Event organisers are working alongside local dealerships Go Green Autos, North Oxford MINI and Jaybee Motors. To book a test drive, residents can visit parkandchargeoxfordshire.co.uk choose their preferred day and venue and fill out a quick form. A member of the park and charge team will confirm all bookings.

Councillor Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: “Come and test drive an electric vehicle. We are in the twilight of petrol and diesel cars, as we must move to zero carbon transport in the next few years for the sake of our health and the planet.

“Our new park and charge hubs will be appearing in towns and villages across the county to be a safe place for overnight charging, particularly for those who don’t have off-street parking and can’t easily charge their vehicles at home. Be part of the future and come along for what promises to be a fun and informative experience.”

As well as test driving an EV, attendees will be able to chat to local experts and members of the park and charge team to find out more about driving electric and about the EV charging hubs that are coming to Oxfordshire later this year. 

Park and charge hubs can be found within 22 county and district council owned car parks around the county, offering overnight charging bays for residents to use. The first one opened in Bicester in May, enabling drivers to park for free overnight and charge up using one of the 12 new EV charging points, which also provide much needed battery top-ups to commuters and visitors during the daytime.

Councillor David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Over a third of West Oxfordshire’s CO2 emissions can be attributed to transport, which is hugely significant when looking at how we can go about reducing the district’s carbon footprint. Creating a network of EV charging points across the county encourages people and businesses to make their next car purchase electric, confident in the knowledge that they will be able to charge their vehicle at a time and place convenient to them. This is a vital step in how we bring about change.”

Councillor Catherine Webber, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Environment, said: “One of the ways the council aims to achieve the district-wide target of becoming carbon neutral by 2045 is by working closely with partners wherever possible. This is why the council is working with Oxfordshire County Council to build on our commitment to active travel. It is also partnering with Oxfordshire councils on the Oxfordshire electric vehicle infrastructure strategy and the park and charge project.

“We are delighted that we can host a park and charge event at the council’s Cattle Market car park in Abingdon so people will have a chance to test drive some electric vehicles and find out more about this exciting project.”

Councillor Sue Cooper, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Nature Recovery, said: “The council is a partner in several innovative energy projects across the county, including the Oxfordshire energy strategy and local energy Oxfordshire project in addition to the park and charge scheme. This is just one of many ways we as a council are aiming to achieve our target of becoming a carbon neutral district by 2030.

“We are very pleased that we are able to use the council’s Kings Road car park in Henley to showcase the park and charge project and, if possible, we'd like people to walk or cycle to the event.”

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The government has approved Oxfordshire County Council’s bid to take on responsibility for civil parking enforcement. The council already enforces parking in Oxford City and West Oxfordshire and will now take over from Thames Valley Police in South Oxfordshire, the Vale of White Horse and Cherwell districts, ensuring continuity across the whole county when the change comes into place, which is currently expected to be on 1 November 2021.

The new arrangement will also lead to the creation of extra on-street pay and display car parking spaces in the Vale of White Horse, South Oxfordshire and Cherwell districts. These are intended to help market towns in the post COVID-19 recovery period as it leads to a greater turnover of spaces, which is better for shops and businesses.

The aim is for the new arrangement to be self-funding, with the extra pay and display spaces helping to pay for enforcement costs, although there will be some limited funding from the three districts.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This is one of the most significant changes the county will be making in decades, and we are delighted to be bringing this change in. At the moment, residents in these affected districts are suffering from motorists who park with near impunity. Finally, we will be able to take control of managing parking offences and give local communities more input into parking enforcement in their local areas.

“We are determined to make walking and cycling easier and safer and to improve bus services, and one way to do this is to improve the flow of traffic by penalising drivers who clog up the roads through inconsiderate parking and who put pedestrians, cyclists and other road users in danger.”

Any motorists who park legally and responsibly will have nothing to fear from these changes. Oxfordshire County Council will be carrying out an information campaign in the run-up to 1 November to let drivers who are currently flouting the rules know that they can no longer get away with it. If they continue, they can expect to be fined.

Parking offences, which include overstaying in pay and display bays, double-parking, parking in disabled bays without a blue badge and on yellow lines, will be enforced by a contractor on behalf of the council. Penalty charges range from £50-£70 but will be reduced by 50 per cent if paid within 14 days.

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Clean and Green, said: “This will change how problem parking is enforced within Cherwell District. Enforcement will change from police officers and PCSOs to enforcement officers employed by Oxfordshire County Council. Those flouting parking regulations can expect to be dealt with more vigorously than in the past, which should deter inconsiderate and problem parking across the district. Three enforcement officers will operate initially with their focus mainly being in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington, with other areas being dealt with as needed.”

Councillor Neil Fawcett, Cabinet Member for Strategic Partnerships and Place at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “This is very good news for all our residents and road users. Illegal parking creates congestion in our towns, resulting in a negative impact on local air quality, delays to public transport and potentially more serious issues for our emergency services. I’m pleased that we have been able to work with the county council, Cherwell and South Oxfordshire to create this new enforcement scheme and look forward to its introduction later in the year.”

Councillor David Rouane, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “I’m delighted the Department for Transport has approved this application. Once introduced, these measures will help us to ease congestion locally and be more effective when it comes to managing road safety. It will also help to free up police resources, strengthening neighbourhood policing and allowing them to focus more on the crimes that matter most to residents.”

Once civil enforcement comes into force, members of the public will be able to report areas and incidents of illegal parking through a dedicated email address and telephone line. Officers will investigate and take enforcement action as required.

More details are available on the Oxfordshire County Council website.

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The £5.2 million Park and Charge Oxfordshire programme is among the first of its kind in the UK and is being delivered by a consortium of local partners including Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council. The Bicester site is the first of 24 council-owned car parks to have an EV charging hub installed this year under the scheme.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “Interest in electric vehicle ownership is increasing in the county, but one factor holding people back is the inability to easily charge them outside their home, with about 35 per cent of residents having no access to off-street parking. Park and Charge Oxfordshire offers an alternative solution by allowing residents to park for free overnight in council-owned car parks, while giving access to top of the range electric charging points.

“Oxfordshire County Council is committed to going carbon neutral as an authority by 2030 and helping the county to go zero-carbon by 2050 – if not sooner. Innovative schemes like this one will help create the infrastructure that will make it easier for people to make changes to their lifestyles.”

Motorists can park for free overnight and charge up using one of the 12 new ‘fast’ 7-22kw EV charging points, which will also provide much-needed battery top-ups to commuters and visitors during the daytime.

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Lead Member for Clean and Green, said: "Bicester is the ideal place to pilot the Park and Charge Oxfordshire scheme. As a garden town, it is home to a number of innovative green tech companies developing cutting edge, sustainable solutions to the climate emergency. It is only by working together, with businesses and residents, that we will be able to hit our ambitious goal of being zero carbon as a district by 2030. Creating a good electrical charging infrastructure is an essential part of that strategy.”

Supporting the creation of green infrastructure, using low-carbon, energy positive technology is a core principle of the Bicester Garden Town project, with Bicester firm Zeta developing a state of the art charger for the scheme.

Zeta is leading the Park and Charge project and will also be running the EV charging service on behalf of the councils under the trading name EZ-Charge. Built with ease of use and reliability in mind, the chargers can be operated by contactless payment, making it simple for EV drivers to ‘tap and go’, with no membership required.

EZ-Charge CEO, Phil Shadbolt, OBE, said: “We are really proud and excited to see our innovative EV chargers finally go live to the public this week – having designed and manufactured them in our Bicester factory, it’s a big moment for us! We hope that the public have a fantastic experience charging in the new Park and Charge hubs, and that having so many reliable and easy to use chargers here in Oxfordshire encourages more residents to make the shift to EV this year.”

A series of events will take place in Cattle Market car park between 7 - 12 June to introduce residents to the scheme and provide EV test drive opportunities. See www.parkandchargeoxfordshire.co.uk for full details.

By 2025, an estimated 25,000 battery electric vehicles will be driven on Oxfordshire’s roads. To meet with this demand, a further 23 car parks have been selected for the project across Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of the White Horse. These will be rolled out later this year.

The Park and Charge Oxfordshire project has been awarded funding from Innovate UK as part of the government’s investment in British engineering to transform electric charging infrastructure. Urban Integrated UK, the University of Oxford, West Oxfordshire District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council and the Vale of the White Horse District Council are also all supporting the scheme.

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council have begun an informal consultation process with people living in 13 neighbourhoods across the city about bringing in permit-controlled parking for residents. CPZs are already in place in 37 parts of Oxford, while CPZs for nine other areas have already been approved or have funding in place.

CPZs are one of the tools for dealing with the impact of new developments and initiatives. They help prevent commuter traffic and parking from building up on residential streets. They also reduce congestion and pollution and improve the environment around residents’ homes.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “CPZs are already reducing commuter parking in residential streets across the city. With our plan to introduce congestion management and a Workplace Parking Levy in the near future, residents’ parking will become even more important – which is why we are taking this proactive approach to stop overspill parking on residential streets.

“We want as many people as possible to take part in this consultation process so that we get a wide range of opinions and can adapt each CPZ to fit the needs of each neighbourhood.”

The consultation will help both authorities prioritise which areas should be earmarked for CPZs in the next wave of implementation, and also to take into account residents’ and businesses’ opinions on matters such as what days and times the restrictions should apply.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council’s Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “Development can ramp up demand for parking; our councils want to clamp down on commuter parking that can reduce the quality of life of local communities. I'm pleased that we're providing more controlled parking zones to reduce levels of traffic and pollution in more neighbourhoods.

“The city council is jointly funding the extension of CPZs to protect Oxford citizens from having their own streets turned into commuter car parks because we know that people living in areas with controlled parking zones value them highly."

The areas included in the latest consultation are:

• Barton
• Blackbird Leys
• Donnington
• Greater Leys
• Iffley
• Jordan Hill
• Littlemore North
• Littlemore South
• Lower Wolvercote
• Risinghurst
• Rose Hill
• South Oxford (extension)
• Upper Wolvercote.

Permits will be required to park in the CPZ area during the days and times it operates. Residents and businesses in the zone will be eligible to apply for these permits, which also include – for residents – permits for their visitors. A CPZ will usually allow non-permit holders to park for a short time (typically two hours) without the need for a permit during the time the restrictions apply, either in designated places, or throughout the zone.

A maximum of two permits are allowed per household, where parking capacity allows, and the annual cost for two permits is currently £65. Money raised from the sale of permits is used to fund the enforcement of the restrictions. The restrictions only apply to parking on the highway, so do not affect off-street parking on driveways or garages.

Anyone wanting to comment on the proposals should visit the Oxfordshire County Council website before March 5.

Oxfordshire County Council has introduced a temporary traffic regulation order (TTRO), which means the 1,000-space shopping centre car park can be closed when it becomes 90 per cent full, or the traffic queues on Thames Street or Oxpens Road, approaching the entrance, reach 10 minutes or more. The TTRO came into effect when lockdown measures were eased on Wednesday 2 December and shops, restaurants and some pubs were allowed to reopen under tier 2 restrictions.

Councillor Liam Walker, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Highways Delivery and Operations, said: “Over the past few months we have been working closely with the Westgate Centre to look at implementing some measures to help with reducing congestion in the city centre during the peak times.

“We recognise that visitors to the Westgate are also visitors to Oxford but we want them to have a better experience that doesn’t involve them sitting in long delays or congestion.”

This time last year, city centre traffic was subject to disruption as vehicles queueing to get into the Westgate Centre car park when it was already full caused heavy congestion. On some occasions, journeys from West Way in Botley to Thames Street were taking more than 40 minutes.

These measures were put into action last week and had a positive impact on reducing congestion in the city centre. They have been reviewed and dynamic decision-making has been introduced, based on congestion and overall parking capacity in the city.

To reduce congestion in the city centre during this busy period, Oxfordshire County and Oxford City Councils have joined forces to provide free parking at the city’s five park and ride sites until Sunday 27 December. Visitors will be able to take advantage of the offer at Redbridge, Pear Tree, Seacourt, Thornhill and Oxford Parkway.

All Park and Ride buses are deep-cleaned daily and customers are required to wear a face covering whilst on board, unless they are exempt. Seating is also reduced to ensure effective social distancing.

The bus journey time between Seacourt P&R and Westgate is only 10-15 minutes, even taking into account congestion, given the inbound bus lane on Botley Road. Any risk of exposure to Covid-19 is therefore extremely low, as has been suggested by industry research.

Since July, Government reversed its general advice against using public transport as restrictions on the retail and hospitality sectors began to be progressively released.

Oxfordshire County Council is also encouraging people to drive to the Park and Ride sites and then cycle or walk to their destination where possible, although this option is not suitable for everyone.

When the decision is made to close the Westgate car park, it will remain shut for at least four hours, and will only reopen if it is no more than 80 per cent full, and traffic delays on the surrounding road network are no longer than five minutes.

Cllr Walker added: “By putting stronger measures in place for when the Westgate car park is full we hope this will help to reduce delays and visitors will instead be encouraged to make use of the free parking we are offering at the park and ride sites in December.”

Motorists will be kept up to date with car park closure developments through the @OxonTravel Twitter account, media updates and signage at 11 locations around the city. The TTRO is expected to remain in place until early in the new year.

Anyone with mobility impairments can use the disabled parking bays situated at off-street car parks around the city centre, with additional disabled parking bays in Albion Place, St Ebbes Street and Littlegate Street.

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council are providing free parking at Oxford’s five park and ride sites from Saturday 5 December until Sunday 27 December, to support businesses and help reduce congestion. The councils are also asking people who plan to use the service to travel outside peak times if possible.

Councillor Liam Walker, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Delivery and Operations, said: “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to work closely with Oxford City Council to reintroduce free parking at our park and ride sites. Having this in place proved really popular in August to support the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and it makes sense for us to do the same now to support jobs and local businesses across Oxford during a busy period ahead of Christmas.

“We are keen to play our part in helping to reduce congestion in the city centre during peak times and we have recently been working closely with the Westgate Centre to help achieve this and we will be putting measures in place, which will now be complemented with free parking at the park and ride sites.

“Ultimately, we want everyone to be able to travel around safely, enjoy their visiting experience, and reduce the congestion on our roads and this is a great way to help achieve this. We urge all those planning to visit Oxford over the next few weeks to take advantage of this festive gift from both councils.”

Oxfordshire will be in the high alert level (tier 2) from Wednesday 2 December, when lockdown ends. The government has updated its safe travel advice, including for those walking, cycling, and travelling in vehicles or on public transport. You can read the latest advice online.

Oxford Bus Company, which operates services from the five park and ride sites – Pear Tree, Redbridge, Seacourt, Thornhill and Oxford Parkwa­y – is supporting the initiative by running a '£4.80 per car maximum charge’ promotion. This will mean that any more than two adults in the same car will get their bus journey for free. Children will go for free too.

By making parking free all week at all five sites, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council also aim to reduce peak-time congestion on routes into the city and around city centre car parks.

All Park and Ride buses are deep-cleaned daily and customers are required to wear a face covering whilst on board, unless they are exempt. Seating is also reduced to ensure effective social distancing.

The bus journey time between Seacourt P&R and Westgate is only 10-15 minutes, even taking into account congestion, given the inbound bus lane on Botley Road. Any risk of exposure to Covid-19 is therefore extremely low, as has been suggested by industry research.

Since July, Government reversed its general advice against using public transport as restrictions on the retail and hospitality sectors began to be progressively released.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council’s Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “With Oxford now entering tier 2 restrictions, we are encouraging people who plan to shop here or support our hospitality businesses to think carefully about the best times to do so. Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, working together, have made parking at our five park and ride sites free from 5 to 27 December inclusive to help people to do that.

“We know people are determined to get behind our local businesses at this incredibly difficult time, and this initiative is a way they can get into the city centre easily, safely, and sustainably by bus or by walking or cycling. Free park and ride parking will also help to unblock Oxford’s congested roads at what are proving to be the busiest times.”

Park and ride sites are also a good stopping off place to cycle or walk into Oxford. Visitors can get on a bus and head into the city centre, or visit Summertown, Jericho, Headington, Cowley Road, or other nearby shops and hospitality venues.

Oxfordshire County Council has agreed to apply to the Government to take over responsibility for civil parking enforcement across the whole of the county. If the plans are approved by district councillors at the Vale of White Horse, South Oxfordshire and Cherwell, then the new measures could come into force across the county by November 2021.

The proposal, which was agreed by the county council’s Cabinet on Tuesday, October 13, would also lead to the creation of up to 168 new on-street pay-and-display car parking spaces in the Vale, South, and Cherwell districts.

The county council already enforces parking in Oxford City and West Oxfordshire, and could now take over responsibility from Thames Valley Police in South Oxfordshire, the Vale, and Cherwell, ensuring continuity across the whole county.

The aim is for the new arrangement to be self-funding, with the extra pay-and-display spaces helping to pay for enforcement costs, although there would be some limited funding from the three districts.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “This is not a way to make more money out of motorists, but to ensure our roads are safer and kept clear of obstacles to keep the traffic moving.

“The aim is to achieve 100% compliance of parking regulations. If that was to happen then there would be no income from penalty charges. However, if drivers choose to park illegally, they should expect to receive a fine.

“The ideal situation would be for there to be no fines because no-one was breaking the parking regulations,” she added.

“In addition, the creation of additional on-street parking would help our market towns in the recovery period as it would lead to a greater turnover of spaces, which is better for shops and businesses.”

Members of the public would be able to report areas and incidents of illegal parking through a dedicated email address and telephone line. Officers would investigate and take enforcement action as required.

Parking offences, which include overstaying in pay-and-display bays, double-parking, dropped kerb obstruction and yellow line infringements, would be enforced by the county council’s contractor Conduent. Penalty charges range from £50-£70, but would be reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days.

The charges were suspended during the coronavirus lockdown. But, with the Government allowing non-essential shops to reopen on Monday 15 June, the city and county councils have decided to restart parking charges, while making changes to create more space for cyclists and pedestrians within the city centre.

This means that from 15 June, parking charges will apply across Oxford. Parking charges will be in operation at Westgate from Monday 15 June. Parking enforcement will be carried out in council controlled on-street and off-street parking.

Funding for pedestrians and cyclists

With the Government recommending people not to use public transport at the moment unless there is no choice, the city council and county council are funding a series of improvements in Oxford city centre to enable pedestrians and cyclists to maintain social distancing.

This will include increased bicycle parking at Oxford’s park and rides and in the city centre, and improvements to cycle paths into Oxford, to enable drivers to park at the park and rides and carry out the rest of the journey by bike.

The city council has committed £234,000 to kick start work on the measures, with further funding announcements for improvements to Oxford – including from the county council – expected soon.

Reducing congestion and air pollution

Oxford’s medieval streets were not designed with car parking in mind, so and by charging more for city centre parking the council aims to encourage less traffic into the city and increased use of the park and rides for those who want to park and cycle.

Since the lockdown started, air pollution in Oxford city centre has dropped by a historic 64 per cent. To put the historic reduction into perspective, over the decade to 2019 air pollution levels in Oxford had decreased by 36.8 per cent.

The city council and county council are working together to maintain the reduction after the lockdown lifts.

Free parking for NHS staff and care workers

The city council and county council have worked together to ensure that NHS staff and care workers can continue to receive free car parking – on-street, in city centre car parks and at park and rides – in and around Oxford.

If you work for the NHS or as a care worker, you can park for free in all:

• council owned car parks (Oxford City Council) including the park and rides (park and ride)

• on street pay and display bays - https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/parking/where-park/street-parking

You must show proof that you're eligible in your windscreen. This can be a:

• photocopy of your work pass with sensitive information removed

• health, care and volunteer workers parking pass (also known as a universal government parking pass): get this from your healthcare employer or the Royal Voluntary Service

• letter of evidence from your employer

County Councillor Liam Walker, Cabinet member for Highway Operation and Delivery, said: “NHS staff and care workers are still central to the country’s response to COVID-19 and we are maintaining free parking for them to make their task easier.

“Sustainable transport will be a really important feature of life as we move towards restarting many of our old activities and the work we are doing with councils across Oxfordshire is going to bring about some noticeable changes soon."

Cllr Tom Hayes, City Council Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “The decision to suspend parking charges at the start of the lockdown was always intended to be a temporary one.

“With the Government starting to ease lockdown measures, and charges being re-introduced by neighbouring local authorities, we feel now is the right time to follow suit.

“The coronavirus crisis has provided a glimpse of a better city centre, one with fewer cars on our roads, choking our air and polluting our environment. Before the coronavirus, our medieval streets could not handle the volume of traffic. That’s even more the case now we‘re making physical changes to Oxford’s roads to ensure they’re safer for cyclists and pedestrians to socially distance.”

Parking payment

Motorists using the park and rides are asked, where possible, to use the Hozah or RingGo system to pay for parking. This removes the need to use the parking pay machines. Similarly in other city council car parks users are asked to use the RingGo system.

Anyone unable to use the contactless payment systems is encouraged use debit or credit cards in the on-site pay machines, though cash is still accepted, and to take precautions by wearing gloves, or washing or sanitising their hands after use.

The safety of the public and council staff is paramount, and car park arrangements will be kept under review in line with Government guidance.

For more details visit https://www.oxford.gov.uk/homepage/41/car_parks_in_oxford

The Government recently reviewed its coronavirus restrictions meaning that more people are visiting Oxfordshire’s beautiful countryside and green space areas.

Feedback suggests that on the whole people are respecting the countryside code and looking after the safety of themselves and others.

And, with the warm weather bringing increasing numbers to some of Oxfordshire’s smaller towns and villages, there’s a request to park responsibly.

County Councillor Liam Walker, Cabinet member for Highway Operation and Delivery, said: “From what I have seen people are still taking social distancing very seriously and it seems like more people are getting out and about on foot and on cycles, which is a really good thing.

“Many people are seeing some parts of the county that they may ever have seen before and I want to congratulate them for exploring open spaces considerately.

“Remember that many of our smaller towns and villages have very small roads and very limited parking. Check out parking before you go and don’t park on verges or in a way that makes roads too narrow – treat the communities you are visiting as if they were your own.”

Things to remember when you are out and about

The Government has published Frequently Asked Questions on what you can and can’t do, along with guidance on enjoying the benefits of being outside, while protecting yourself and others. There’s also videos on Twitter and Facebook.

If you are planning a visit to Oxfordshire green spaces, countryside and public rights of way:

· Please remember that 2m social distancing and hygiene rules still apply, even outdoors and in the countryside.

· Pay attention to your safety. Coronavirus restrictions have meant that less path and countryside maintenance work is being carried out, so do take care.

· Plan your route in advance and try to visit less popular sites. Where possible, check online to ensure that the car park you plan to use is open, and bear in mind that some paths will be narrow in places.

· Consider walking or cycling to your chosen destination and ensure you follow Government advice on traveling safely if you use public transport.

· Always follow the Countryside Code.

· Even on a warm day, the temperature of a body of open water can remain very cold. Jumping into water can result in a cold-shock response. Find out more about water safety here.

· The Oxfordshire countryside is a living, working landscape. Please don't block gates, passing places or paths which are often in day-to-day use by our farmers and local residents.

· Most local businesses will still be closed. This includes restaurants, cafes and most shops. Therefore, plan ahead by checking online and consider bringing food and drink with you.

· Toilet facilities may be closed. If this is important to you, please check before you travel.

· Dispose of your rubbish considerately and, take it home. Litter spoils our lovely countryside for others and can also be a danger to wildlife.

· Keep dogs under control and pick up their mess, don’t release sky lanterns and don’t have barbeques or bonfires.

· Tread carefully. During lockdown, nature has reclaimed space! Please be very careful not to disturb wildlife. This might include ground-nesting birds, wildflowers, or animals that may have moved into areas unexpectedly during lockdown.

Be kind, be patient, be safe. We are all adjusting to this situation. Please think about others to ensure a safe, welcoming place for everyone.

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council ran a major engagement survey to gather views from residents, employers and commuters. Both councils thanked everyone for taking part.

The proposals called ‘Connecting Oxford’ included new bus routes to the ‘eastern arc’ connecting areas like Summertown, Headington and Cowley to Witney, Kidlington and Abingdon; traffic restrictions on main routes into and around the city allowing buses to flow more freely, and improved walking and cycling provision. The scheme would be funded in part through a ‘levy’ on workplace parking spaces.

The survey responses will be considered by the Cabinets of the county and city councils in January 2020 when decisions on whether and how to go ahead with the project will be taken.

Eric Owens, Assistant Director of Growth and Place in Oxfordshire County Council said: “We would like to thank all the residents, employers and other organisations of Oxfordshire for taking the time and care to respond to our survey which will help us to determine the future of the city’s transport plans. We value the feedback which will now be analysed.”

Caroline Green, Assistant Chief Executive, Oxford City Council, added: “We are delighted that residents in Oxford and Oxfordshire have responded in such high numbers to our Connecting Oxford proposals. We all recognise that we need to make a change to how we travel in to and across the city. We will be using the feedback from this consultation to address the concerns that were highlighted by residents and to further strengthen the proposals in order to make travelling in and out of Oxford easier, quicker, and more reliable for all. We would like to thank everyone who took part and shared their views on our proposals.”

Two thirds (64%) of respondents travelled from within Oxford city or surrounding villages against 36% from postcodes beyond. 85% of those that responded work in postcodes OX1-4. Drivers, cyclists and bus users accounted for 78% of the responses.

Around 150 representatives from business and other organisations also took part.

The survey ran from 18 September until 20 October 2019 and was open to residents, employers and other organisations across the whole county.

Over the weekend there have been reports of people using the pay and display machines in Oxford being approached by individuals pretending to be an engineer, offering to help obtain parking tickets.

During the course of this, bank cards were stolen using the excuse that the pay and display machine retained their card.

The machines on Oxford’s park and ride sites and on street will not retain a bank card. Anyone approached by someone offering assistance should not hand over their bank card and immediately report the matter to Thames Valley Police.

If your do need help obtaining a parking ticket, we are more than happy to help and can be contacted on 0345 337 1138 option 3.

Oxford City Council took over the operational management – through its trading arm Oxford Direct Services - of Oxfordshire County Council’s Thornhill and Oxford Parkway (formerly Water Eaton) park and ride sites.

Previously the City Council ran three park and rides at Redbridge, Seacourt and Pear Tree. The county council was responsible for running Thornhill and Oxford Parkway.

Making better parking more attractive

Drivers will now notice that all five sites will have ticket machines supplied by the same manufacturer for paying on the day. It will make it easy for them to use any of the five sites and pay in much the same way regardless of the site they choose.

The cashless system RingGo was also introduced in August to all the park and rides to offer more ways of payment to the users. O

xford Direct Service’s Streetscene team are now responsible for cleaning the public buildings and will do so twice a day. In addition, the park and rides will be litter picked three times a week.

More flexible season ticket options

Earlier this year the County Council introduced new lower season ticket prices at Thornhill and Oxford Parkway park and ride sites with the new tickets being valid at all park and rides.

The result has been not only a better deal, but also a more flexible scheme for season ticket holders.Revenue from Thornhill and Oxford Parkway will still go to the County Council.

One service with a focus on reducing congestion

The two councils will be working together to ensure that the sites contribute to reducing congestion in the city by continuing to be an attractive option for people visiting and working in Oxford.

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Traffic, congestion and parking are big issues for Oxford. By working together with the city council we believe we can provide a better service for users and attract more people to the park and ride sites.

"There are also savings and efficiencies for the county council, which will allow us to continue to focus on reducing congestion and improving air quality in the thriving city of Oxford and beyond.

“We will continue to focus on the park and rides and seek improvements wherever possible.”

Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Oxford City Council’s Cabinet member for Planning and Sustainable Transport, said: “Bringing all Oxford’s park and rides together under single management means that the service will be easier for customers to use and more efficient for the councils to run. Season tickets will now work on every site, meaning that users can pick whatever car park suits them best, making it even easier and more convenient to use the park and rides instead of driving into the city.”

Simon Howick, Managing Director of Oxford Direct Services, said: "This initiative will create a single, uniform, park and ride service across the city, making the facilities easier to use and more attractive to visitors to Oxford.“This change to the way the locations are operated aims to further reduce the number of vehicles that need to come into Oxford and so help reduce vehicle emissions in the city centre."

Using the new machines

All the new machines will take contactless payments. The user needs to enter their full registration number and then proceed to make payment to get a ticket. Payment must be made within ten minutes of arrival.

Anyone experiencing problems or needing can contact the Oxford Direct Services car park office on 01865 252489. This number will be displayed on the notices at the point of payment.

Parking season tickets, which for many users can represent the best value for many users, can be purchased via https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20159/park_and_rideFull details of the park and ride site is available at www.oxford.gov.uk/parking

From September Oxford City Council could take over the operational management – through its trading arm Oxford Direct Services - of Thornhill, Oxford Parkway (formerly Water Eaton) park and ride sites.

Currently the city council runs three park and rides, at Redbridge, Seacourt and Pear Tree. The county council has been responsible for running Thornhill and Oxford Parkway.

Making better parking more attractive

Earlier this year the county council introduced new lower season ticket prices at Thornhill and Oxford Parkway park and ride sites with the new tickets being valid at all park and ride sites. The result has been not only a better deal, but also a more flexible scheme for season ticket holders.

The two councils have explored ways to make the site management more efficient and the result has been a move to bring in new arrangements that will see the city council undertake the day-to-day running of all of the sites, providing a sustainable option that will encourage more motorists to use them.

Revenue from Thornhill and Oxford Parkway will still go to the county council. Oxford City Council, through Oxford Direct Services, will receive £299,800 a year for the initial contract term 1 September 2019 to 30 August 2024.

One service, and a focus on congestion

Owen Jenkins, Director of Community Operations for Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Traffic, congestion and parking are big issues for Oxford. By working together with the city council we believe we can provide a better service for users and attract more people to the park and ride sites.

"There are also savings and efficiencies for the county council, which will allow us to continue to focus on reducing congestion and improving air quality in the thriving city of Oxford and beyond.

“We will continue to focus on the park and rides and seek improvements wherever possible.”

Simon Howick, Managing Director of Oxford Direct Services, said: "This initiative will create a single, uniform, park and ride service across the city, making the facilities easier to use and more attractive to visitors to Oxford. This change to the way the locations are operated aims to further reduce the number of vehicles that need to come into Oxford and so help reduce vehicle emissions in the city centre."

Prices for on-street parking will be increasing in Oxford for the first time since 2015 to encourage more motorists to use one of the five park and ride sites or one of the dedicated city-centre car parks.

While the new regulations will hopefully contribute towards reducing congestion, there will still be the same amount of on-street pay and display parking available for those who want to use it.

The 30-minute on-street parking band will also be removed – this accounts for only 9% of on-street parking usage and encourages driving into the city for very short stays. Cancelling this band reduces the impact on congestion and air pollution by removing

People with Blue Badges will be able to park as normal and are unaffected by the changes.

Funding transport improvements and encouraging better parking choices 

Income from on-street fees goes towards running the service and any surplus is used to fund transport-related improvements within the city, which includes the park and ride sites.

Until now there have been a range of different on-street charges in different locations in the city and it has also been cheaper in some instances to park on-street than off.

The introduction of new zones and charges deal with these anomalies and encourage greater use of more sustainable parking options.

Charges reduced for regular park and ride users

Although on-street charges have been increased, there are reductions for parking elsewhere.

Motorists are now benefitting from better value and more flexible parking on Oxfordshire County Council’s Park and Ride sites.

The cost of parking at Oxford Parkway and Thornhill has come down significantly for anyone purchasing monthly, quarterly or yearly Season Tickets.

And, as an added bonus, the passes can be used across all five of Oxford’s park and ride sites including Oxford City Council’s Peartree, Redbridge and Seacourt facilities.

The full list of prices for monthly, quarterly and yearly tickets can be found on this page by clicking the Season Ticket Information link: https://bit.ly/2FtgM5l

Proactive parking management in Oxford

Rikke Hansen, Head of Integration and Improvement, said: “Traffic, congestion and parking are big issues for Oxford and the county and city council work together very closely to try to improve matters where we can.

“Proactive and responsible management of the roads and parking are positive features of any city. By bringing our parking charges more into line with those for off-street car parks we are doing our bit to encourage more sustainable travel while making sure that city-centre parking is available for those who really want or need it.”

The new on-street charges

The new charges and time bands for each zone will be displayed on all the on-street machines and online.

Zone 1 – City centre (Beaumont Street, Broad Street, Wellington Square, Blackhall Road, Cromwell Street, Keble Road, King Edward Street, Longwall Street, Merton Street, Museum Road, Parks Road, St Giles, Mansfield Road, Savile Road, Woodstock Road)

Sunday to Friday

8.00am - 6.30pm

Up to 1 hour - £4.00

Up to 2 hours - £6.00

6.30pm - 10.00pm

Evening rate - £4.00

Saturdays

8.00am - 6.30pm

Up to 1 hour - £4.50

Up to 2 Hours - £7.30

6.30pm - 10.00pm

Evenings - £4.50

Zone 2 – Outer city sites (Great Clarendon Street, Walton Street, Norham Gardens, Norham Road, Benson Place, Bradmore Road, Crick Road, Fyfield Road)

Monday to Saturday

8.00am - 6.30pm

Up to 1 hour - £3.00

Up to 3 hours - £4.00

6.30pm - 10.00pm

£3.00 for any length of stay

Sunday

All day

£3.00 for any length of stay

Zone 2 – Outer city site (Hythe Bridge Street)

Monday to Sunday Evenings only

6.30pm - 10.00pm

£3.00 for any length of stay

Charges reduced for regular park and ride users

From 1 April motorists are set to benefit from better value and more flexible parking on Oxfordshire County Council’s Park and Ride sites.

The cost of parking at Oxford Parkway and Thornhill is to come down significantly for anyone purchasing monthly, quarterly or yearly Season Tickets.

And, as an added bonus, the passes can be used across all five of Oxford’s park and ride sites including Oxford City Council’s Peartree, Redbridge and Seacourt facilities.

The full list of prices for monthly, quarterly and yearly tickets can be found on this page by clicking the Season Ticket Information link: https://bit.ly/2FtgM5l

Encouraging sustainable parking and tackling congestion and poor air quality

There will also be changes to costs and time limits for parking on-street in Oxford from 8 April 2019.

Prices for on-street parking will be increasing in Oxford for the first time since 2015 to encourage more motorists to use one of the five park and ride sites or one of the dedicated city-centre car parks.

While the new regulations will hopefully contribute towards reducing congestion, there will still be the same amount of on-street pay and display parking available for those who want to use it.

We have further reduced the impact on congestion and air pollution by removing the 30-minute on-street parking band – this accounts for only 9% of on-street parking usage and encourages driving into the city for very short stays.

People with Blue Badges will be able to park as normal and are unaffected by the changes.

Funding transport improvements and encouraging better parking choices 

Income from on-street fees goes towards running the service and any surplus is used to fund transport-related improvements within the city, which includes the park and ride sites.

Until now there have been a range of different on-street charges in different locations in the city and it has also been cheaper in some instances to park on-street than off.

The introduction of new zones and charges deal with these anomalies and encourage greater use of more sustainable parking options.

Rikke Hansen, Head of Integration and Improvement, said: “Traffic, congestion and parking are big issues for Oxford and the county and city council work together very closely to try to improve matters where we can.

“Proactive and responsible management of the roads and parking are positive features of any city. By bringing our parking charges more into line with those for off-street car parks we are doing our bit to encourage more sustainable travel while making sure that city-centre parking is available for those who really want or need it.”

The new charges and time bands for each zone will be displayed on all the on-street machines and online.

Zone 1 – City centre (Beaumont Street, Broad Street, Wellington Square, Blackhall Road, Cromwell Street, Keble Road, King Edward Street, Longwall Street, Merton Street, Museum Road, Parks Road, St Giles, Mansfield Road, Savile Road, Woodstock Road)

Sunday to Friday

8.00am - 6.30pm

Up to 1 hour - £4.00

Up to 2 hours - £6.00

6.30pm - 10.00pm

Evening rate - £4.00

Saturdays

8.00am - 6.30pm

Up to 1 hour - £4.50

Up to 2 Hours - £7.30

6.30pm - 10.00pm

Evenings - £4.50

Zone 2 – Outer city sites (Great Clarendon Street, Walton Street, Norham Gardens, Norham Road, Benson Place, Bradmore Road, Crick Road, Fyfield Road)

Monday to Saturday

8.00am - 6.30pm

Up to 1 hour - £3.00

Up to 3 hours - £4.00

6.30pm - 10.00pm

£3.00 for any length of stay

Sunday

All day

£3.00 for any length of stay

Zone 2 – Outer city site (Hythe Bridge Street)

Monday to Sunday Evenings only

6.30pm - 10.00pm

£3.00 for any length of stay

That’s why Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with Oxford City Council’s anti-fraud team and Cherwell District Council, undertook an on-street operation to detect and prevent abuse of the Blue Badge scheme in Oxfordshire last week.

During the operation, it was estimated that 1,000 Blue Badges were checked across Oxfordshire, with 21 seized. In Oxford, 600 were checked, 12 seized.

Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. A Penalty Charge notice will also be issued to anyone misusing a disabled parking bay.

County Councillor Judith Heathcoat

County Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, which also includes the Blue Badge service, said: “People should be aware that we are determined to enforce the law in this area.

“The Blue Badge system needs to operate with integrity and we are prepared to act to make sure it does. That message should be heard loud and clear by those who think it is acceptable to abuse this service. It’s not!”

City Councillor Ed Turner

Councillor Ed Turner, Oxford City Council's Board Member for Finance and Asset Management, said: "Over the last few years the City Council’s award-winning Investigations team has established itself as one of the country’s leading teams in countering public sector fraud – including the misuse of Blues Badges.

“Those who misuse the badges may not think it is a big deal, but for those genuine badge holders who lose out on a parking space, it can be. This is the fourth time that the City Council has partnered the County Council in an initiative to clamp down on Blue Badge misuse and I’m confident it won’t be the last.”

Cherwell Councillor Andrew McHugh

Councillor Andrew McHugh, Cherwell’s lead member for health and wellbeing, said: “It is vital that the right of people living with disabilities to park in allocated bays be respected and protected. People who think they can misuse the Blue Badge parking system are reminded that there can be a high price to pay, as this enforcement operation shows.”

Why Blue Badges are important

As well as removing Blue Badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, the operation was used to raise awareness of the importance Blue Badges have for people who really need them.

Many Oxfordshire residents rely on their Blue Badge to remain mobile and independent, enabling them to access goods and services that many of us take for granted.

The operation also targeted misuse of disabled parking bays. When a disabled bay is being used by someone who does not have a legitimate Blue Badge, this can have serious implications for those who genuinely need to use the space. Inappropriate use of disabled parking bays can result in Blue Badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food, or get to work. Every space really does matter.

Targeted

Hospitals, shopping centres and supermarkets were among the locations targeted across Oxfordshire.

Last month, the county council ran an amnesty for people to hand in any bogus or out of date Blue Badges. Over 200 were handed in. It is hoped that the amnesty and the enforcement will make people more aware that they should not be abusing the Blue Badge scheme.

Returning old badges

Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City and Cherwell are appealing to badge holders to return their old badges when they are issued with a new one or when the badge is no longer needed.

If the badge holder has died or the badge is no longer needed, please return it to County Hall, or at any library around the county, or send it to: Blue Badge Service, PO Box 873, Oxford, OX1 9NY.

For further information about the Blue Badge scheme, including how to apply using the County Council’s new application service, visit the website: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/disabledparking

Encouraging better parking choices 

At present there are a range of different on-street charges in different locations in the city and it is also cheaper in some instances to park on-street than off.

The proposed new charges deal with the anomalies and encourage greater use of more sustainable off-street parking such as park and rides, or pay and displays, while ensuring those who do need to visit and park on-street for limited periods can do so.

The 30-minute on-street parking band will also be removed – this accounts for only 9% of on-street parking usage and encourages driving into the city for very short stays, with the associated impact on congestion and air pollution.

Funding transport improvements

Income from on-street fees goes towards running the service and any surplus that remains is used to fund transport-related improvements within the city, which includes the Park and Ride sites.

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said:

“Traffic, congestion and parking are big issues for Oxford and the county and city council work together very closely to try to improve matters where we can.

“The county council has not put up parking charges since 2015 in Oxford and we needed to look at them partly due to inflation but also in the wider context of how parking works in the city and can make a contribution to reducing congestion and encouraging thriving communities.

“Proactive and responsible management of the roads and parking are positive features of any city. By bringing our parking charges more into line with those for off-street car parks we are doing our bit to encourage more sustainable travel while making sure that city-centre parking is available for those who really want or need it.”

Documents giving more details of the proposals are available for public inspection online by visiting: https://consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk, or in person at County Hall, New Road OX1 1ND from 8.30am to 4.30pm weekdays.

Oxfordshire County Council is continuing its tough stance against bogus use of Blue Badges. It is introducing a temporary amnesty – between 11 and 22 February – to allow people to hand-in badges they’re not entitled to – No questions asked.

But, the council has warned there will be tough action, following the amnesty, against anyone continuing to abuse the scheme.

The Blue Badges could have expired, belong to another person or no longer be necessary. Motorists can hand them in at County Hall, or at any library around the county, or send them to: Blue Badge Service, PO Box 873, Oxford, OX1 9NY.

County Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, which also includes Customer Services, said: “The Blue Badge Service is a lifeline for many disabled people who cannot travel far from their vehicle. However, the system is sometimes sadly abused by a minority, which affects those who rely on it. We would like to give the opportunity to people who may be misusing Blue Badges to dispose of them and avoid the risk of prosecution.”

Oxfordshire County Council provides services that enhance the quality of life in our communities and protect the local environment.

Over 21,000 citizens in Oxfordshire have a Blue Badge issued by the county council. This service is highly valued by people who struggle with mobility. It is designed to help them remain independent and reduce loneliness.

The badge holder can use it whenever they travel as a driver or a passenger. However, the Blue Badge should never be used by anyone else if the badge holder is not present on the journey.

Busting Blue Badge abuse

Councillor Judith Heathcoat added: “Whilst the national performance is mixed, Oxfordshire has a very strong track record of taking Blue Badge enforcement seriously.

“Where the scheme is misused or abused, we will take a strong stance to ensure only those who need, and qualify for a Blue Badge benefit from it. If people are misusing or abusing the scheme, the council takes appropriate action to protect genuine badge holders against fraud.

“Misusing a Blue Badge is a serious offence that can result in removal of the badge, a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record. We will not stand for the abuse of this scheme. I would like to remind anyone misusing a Blue Badge that we carry out regular enforcement campaigns.”

Last year, 650 Blue Badges were checked and 18 removed. 2,157 Penalty Charge Notices were issued to people parked in a disabled bay without a Blue Badge during these enforcement operations.

For further information about the Blue Badge scheme, including how to apply online, visit the website:

www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/disabledparking

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment Cllr Yvonne Constance, has approved a programme of work which will would see a number of controlled parking zones progressed.

Controlled parking zones (CPZ) help reduce congestion and pollution and encourage use of sustainable transport by removing free on-street commuter parking.

They also improve the street scene and can make streets safer and more accessible for all road users by removing obstructive parking.

Increasing demand due to growth

Cllr Yvonne Constance said: “Increasing demand for parking due to growth and development places stresses on local communities and so I am pleased that we are able to work with the city council to tackle it.

“Setting them up costs a great deal and the fees people pay to park in them cover the ongoing costs of running them. However most people who live in areas with controlled parking zones value them quite highly and this is something we want to be able to extend to other communities.

“Both councils are keen to work towards establishing a programme for developing new CPZs and together we are identifying the funding necessary. Much of this funding would come through the planning process which places a responsibility on developers to fund measures to mitigate the impact of their developments.”

Protecting residents and reducing pollution

Cllr Alex Hollingsworth, Oxford City Council’s board member for planning and transport, said: “We’ve been working closely with the county council to identify the highest priority areas for new parking zones and are ready to release the funds needed to help implement them.

“Parking zones not only protect residents from having their streets turned into commuter car parks, they help to reduce levels of traffic and pollution across the city.”

Three new zones (Iffley Fields, Magdalen South and Wood Farm) are already in the county council’s capital programme and are at various stages of development.

Money identified for new zones

The county council has identified around £661,000 for new CPZs - £250,000 from its own capital programme (agreed in previous years) and £411,000 from held or secured planning (S106) or highways (S278) agreements linked to new developments.

Oxford City Council has provisionally earmarked £200,000 from its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds to contribute to this programme.

Some of these planning and highways agreements are subject to completion of legal agreements, or will only be received if and when developments actually start on site. The £411,000 total should therefore be treated as a guide.

Further funding is expected from developments across the city over the next few years, through S106/S278 agreements and/or CIL.

The two councils have agreed to fund a four-month trial which will see a Civil Enforcement Officer stationed in the St Giles coach area between 10am and 6pm each day.

The officer will enforce and manage the set-down and collection points and help to collect information such as arrival times, routes in and out of the city and the operators, that will help the two councils work together on a long-term solution for tourist coach parking.

Owen Jenkins, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director for Infrastructure Delivery, said: “This trial will help to address some of the problems that both councils have been keen to solve for some time.

“Clearly tourists are very welcome in Oxford and we want to see that the drop-off and pick up area operates safely for the tourists and all road users, and that all coaches are able to drop-off and pick up easily. To achieve this we need to ensure that drivers move off and park up at Redbridge rather than staying in the city centre.

“The information that we gather should help us to devise a longer-term strategy which works for everyone.”

Tim Sadler, Executive Director for Sustainable City, said: “Oxford is a welcoming city to visitors, but our aim has always been to get the balance right and ensure that tourism does not impact unfairly on residents or damage the historic heart of Oxford. Our existing system to manage tourist coaches – with the County Council offering three coach drop-off points in the city centre and the City Council offering a coach park at Redbridge Park and Ride – had not always been working, and the new enforcement officer aims to address that this summer.”

The trial will start on 30 April.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment and Economy, County Councillor Yvonne Constance, has today approved the proposals which will see the roads to the west of the A4158 Iffley Road between Jackdaw Lane and Fairacres Road reserved for residents and visitors parking.

County Councillor Constance said: “Concerns from residents over parking pressures in the area have increased significantly in recent years and so I am pleased that we are able to help.”

Funding has been allocated by the county council for the design of the scheme which aims to address the needs of the residents and businesses in the area, and – subject to consultation on more detailed proposals expected later in the year – its implementation.

During the operation, we checked over 650 badges, removing 18 for various offences and issuing seven Penalty Charge Notices to people parked in a disabled Bay without a Blue Badge. Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £1000 and a criminal record.

In 2017 the County Council conducted its first blue badge related prosecution. This resulted in the person abusing the blue badge (using a badge belonging to a deceased person) receiving a fine, paying court costs and receiving a criminal record.

Cllr Judith Heathcoat, Cabinet member for Customer Services said: “People should be aware that we are determined to enforce the law in this area. The blue badge system needs to operate with integrity and we are prepared to act to make sure it does. That is the message that should be heard loud and clear by those that think it is ok to abuse this service. “

Cllr Ed Turner, Oxford City Council's Board Member for Finance and Asset Management said: "Our anti-fraud team is once again working with the County Council to cut down on the misuse of blue badges. This is not a victimless crime: abuse of a blue badge can have a serious impact on those legitimate users who need a parking space. I am glad we are working together to clamp down on this fraudulent activity, and it is another example of how our anti-fraud team can have a positive impact.”

Blue badge abuse hotspot: Oxford centre

As well as removing Blue Badges from people who are misusing and abusing the scheme, the operation was also to raise awareness of the importance Blue Badges have for people who really need them. Many Oxfordshire residents rely on their Blue Badge to remain mobile and independent, enabling them to access goods and services that many of us take for granted.

The operation also targeted misuse of Disabled Parking Bays. When a disabled bay is being used by someone who does not have a legitimate blue badge, this can have serious implications for those who genuinely need to use the space. Inappropriate use of Disabled Parking Bays can result in Blue Badge holders missing medical appointments, not being able to get out to buy food, or not being able to get to work. Every space really does matter.

The operation targeted locations across the County including Hospitals, shopping centres and supermarkets. The greatest number of badges seized was Oxford centre and John Radcliff hospital.

Last month for the first time, we ran an amnesty for people to hand in their bogus or out of date blue badges and received only four. We hope that the amnesty and the enforcement will make people more aware that they should not be abusing the blue badge scheme. Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City are appealing to badge holders to return their old badges when they are issued with a new one or when the badge is no longer needed.

If the badge holder has died or the badge is no longer needed, please return it to the Blue Badge team at Blue Badge Administration, PO Box 873, Oxfordshire OX1 9NY explaining why it is being returned so we can update our records.

For the first time, Oxfordshire County Council is offering a 10-day amnesty starting on Sunday 3^rd December for drivers to hand in blue badges they have been misusing. No questions asked.

The Blue Badges could have expired, belong to another person or be no longer necessary. Motorists can hand them in at County Hall, or at any library around the county or send them to: Blue Badge Service, PO Box 873, Oxford, OX1 9NY.

Councillor Judith Heathcoat Deputy Leader of the Oxfordshire County Council and Cabinet Member for Customer Services said: “The Blue Badge Service is a lifeline for many disabled people who cannot travel far from their vehicle. However, the system is sadly abused, which affects those who rely on it. We would like to give the opportunity to people who may be misusing blue badges to dispose of them and avoid further prosecution.”

Over 22,000 citizens in Oxfordshire have a Blue Badge issued by the County Council. This service is highly valued by for people who struggle with mobility and is designed to help them remain independent and reduce loneliness. The badge holder can use it whenever they travel as a driver or a passenger.

Busting Blue Badge abuse

Where the scheme is misused or abused, Oxfordshire County Council takes a very strong stance to ensure that only those that need, and qualify for a Blue Badge benefit from it. If people are misusing or abusing a Blue Badge, the council takes appropriate action to protect genuine badge holders against fraud.

That's because misusing a Blue Badge is a serious offence which can result in removal of the badge, a fine of up to £1000 and a criminal record. Oxfordshire County Council continue to investigate and prosecute people abusing and using this service fraudulently, working in partnership with City Council.

Last year, 600 blue badges were checked and 12 removed, with 10 warnings issued that resulted in 2 prosecutions.

Oxfordshire County Council is now offering the chance for drivers who are not genuine Blue Badge holders to do the right thing. Examples of abuse are using someone else’s badge, having an out of date badge, a deceased person’s badge, having improved mobility or using a badge when the badge holder is not travelling in the car.

Just do the right thing and hand in your bogus Blue Badge. The amnesty runs from 3^rd to 13^th December (12th is the last day).

More information about eligibility here: 

Due to development on the east side of King James Way double yellow lines will be put in place and paid for by the developers.

The decision to approve the restrictions was made by County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, today.

The county council is investing £350,000 in brand new machines which will make paying for parking easier – drivers will be able to pay with cash or card.

There are currently 120 old machines being replaced with 85 new ones in Oxford, Abingdon, Wallingford and Henley. All machines will accept card payments while some will accept card and cash. Reducing the number of machines that hold cash will reduce overheads and improve security while ensuring everyone is able to pay regardless of where they park.

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “All of our on-street machines are being replaced – a major undertaking that we wanted to get right in terms of the function and location of the new machines.

“On-street parking is a short-term option for those needing to make quick visits, particularly to Oxford – the county council has convenient park and ride facilities for people wanting to spend longer in the city – using these helps to reduce congestion.

“We couldn’t upgrade the components in the existing machines as they were simply too old and were bought second hand in 1994. Regardless of the new coins, they were in need of replacement having given decades of service.

“Old £1 coins cease being legal to tender on 15 October 2017. All of our new machines are expected to be in place by the end of September.

“Until the machines are replaced and fully operational an appropriate message is displayed on old machines telling people those machines are not able to accept the new one pound coins.”

For the time being drivers are advised to use other denominations of coins as the machines accept 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p pieces. Old £1 coins are still in circulation and can be used. There is a machine on St Giles that accepts card payments and this could also be an option for people parking there.

However similar proposals for nearby Merton Street in Banbury will not proceed after residents there objected.

The changes were approved on April 27 and will be implemented in the coming months.

The project is the result of a successful Oxfordshire County Council bid for almost £240,000 of government and will use big data and smart technology to guide vehicles towards available parking.

Called CASPAR (CollAborative Smart PARking project), the scheme will help provide up to the minute information showing the occupancy of Blue Badge spaces, carparks and some city centre pay and display spaces, as well as any new electric vehicle charge points.

Now that the money has been awarded the county council will look closely at the best ways to deliver the information and the infrastructure that would be needed.

It is likely that the information would be sent to a smartphone app that would be versatile enough to show users not only where there was a Blue Badge space available near their destination, but also to reroute them to the next nearest one if that space was taken before they got there.

The county council hopes that the scheme will help reduce stress for people trying to find somewhere to park as well as reducing congestion. Improved access to information effectively helps people to look ahead and plan journeys according to where facilities are available.

Llewelyn Morgan, Service Manager Infrastructure, Innovation & Development for Communities at the county council said: “Oxfordshire County Council is working at the cutting edge of transport at the moment and is helping a range of visions such as driverless cars and intelligent transport smartphone apps get off the ground. The way we travel continues to change, and technology has a valuable role to play through intelligent transport systems.

“The work being done now is great news especially for people who are seeking Blue Badge spaces or to charge their electric vehicle. Looking to the future there is also the prospect of the information collected by the system being pushed out to the next generation of ‘connected vehicles.”

A total of £238,928 for the project, which will start in April 2017, has been awarded from the DfT’s Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems fund following a bid submitted by Oxfordshire County Council.

There are currently just over 22,500 Blue Badge holders across Oxfordshire. During December and January, Oxfordshire County Council will be working with Oxford City Council’s Investigations Team to carry out anti-fraud and investigative work across the county and raise awareness of how Blue Badges should be used, to help free up spaces for disabled drivers.

Those caught misusing Blue Badges risk having it taken off them or fined. Strict rules govern the use of a Blue Badge and people shouldn't use one if:

• it doesn't belong to them − it must not be borrowed or used after the genuine badge holder has died

• the badge holder is not in the car, including when the car is being parked

• the holder no longer qualifies for the badge or it is out of date.

Blue badges are a vital lifeline

Councillor Nick Carter, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for Business & Customer Services said: “Illegally using a blue badge is not a victimless crime. For disabled people, blue badges are a vital lifeline that helps them maintain their independence and get out and about.

“It's really important to us and to genuine Blue Badge holders that people don't misuse the scheme and take up spaces needed by someone with genuine mobility problems. It's extremely inconsiderate and in some cases can make the difference between someone being able to get out and be independent and just turning round and going home.”

Blue Badge misuse is a criminal offence which can lead to a £1,000 fine, confiscation of the badge and a criminal record.

Anyone who suspects that a blue badge is being misused can report their concerns at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/bluebadge

Don't risk a criminal conviction

Cllr Ed Turner, Oxford City Council’s Deputy Leader and Board Member for Finance, Asset Management and Public Health said: “Abusing a Blue Badge is a crime – pure and simple. Some people may be tempted to use someone else’s genuine badge to run errands for them. They incorrectly think that what they are doing is not fraud - but it’s still a criminal offence and like all other badge abuses can lead to prosecution, a £1000 fine and a criminal conviction.

“Fraudulent use of Blue Badges stops genuine users being able to access parking when and where they need it most as well as being a significant loss in revenue to public parking providers. So the message is, if you’re thinking of misusing a Blue Badge, please think again – you may deprive a genuine Blue Badge holder of a space needed, and risk a criminal conviction.”

A study is to be carried out to look at ways in which an ambitious package of transport measures for Oxford could be funded.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet has approved a report which gives the go ahead for work to begin on an outline business case for a workplace parking levy scheme and investigate the opportunities for a congestion charging scheme – the first step in a process that will be kept under review and consulted widely on before any final decisions are taken.

Local transport improvements

Workplace Parking Levies (WPL) and congestion charging can help raise money to fund major local transport improvements. Workplace Parking Levies (WPL) raise funding through charging for parking spaces designated by employers for employees.

Councils are able to introduce WPLs and decide how the scheme would operate, subject to consultation with employers and employees and then approval from the Secretary of State for Transport.

Revenue from a workplace parking scheme in Oxford could only be used to fund transport measures included in the Local Transport Plan – it won’t be used to ‘top up’ budgets for other things.

Further investigation will take place this year, to understand whether a congestion charging scheme is appropriate and how this could work in conjunction with, or independently of, a WPL.

It is estimated that if nothing is done car journey times from the surrounding Oxfordshire towns are anticipated to increase by 15% by 2031, at an annual cost of £150m to the economy of the city.

Trams, railway and buses

In the UK, only Nottingham City Council has so far implemented a WPL, which came into effect in April 2012.

Nottingham’s WPL has raised money for public transport improvements, including extending their existing tram network, the redevelopment of Nottingham’s railway station and providing sixty 100% electric buses.

Ambitious transport package proposed for Oxford

A visionary package of transport improvements is proposed for Oxford in the Local Transport Plan, including:

• Rapid transit lines connecting all major employment areas in the city to P&R sites and the county towns
• Five new outer park and ride sites, and extensions to two existing sites, doubling the city’s park and ride capacity
• A comprehensive redevelopment of Oxford railway station including additional platforms, track, new building and interchange facilities
• Reintroduction of passenger services on the Cowley branch line
• A zero emission zone to dramatically reduce pollutant emissions in the city
• Super cycle routes, premium cycle routes, and public realm improvements in the city centre and district centres
• Smart City transport initiatives, including fully integrated ticketing systems.

A thriving and dynamic city

County Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxford is a thriving and dynamic city where people and businesses from around the world want to live and locate. It is also a city where congestion and accessibility are significant barriers to a more competitive economy.

“Future growth depends on better connected, reliable and more efficient transport networks to ensure Oxford and Oxfordshire’s economy, communities and environment continue to prosper and thrive.

“Oxfordshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan is an ambitious strategy to support the local economy and environment. And while we have been hugely successful in drawing in Central Government and other external funding, the reality is Oxfordshire needs to be more self-reliant and innovative in finding ways to fund and resource its transport infrastructure needs.

“Opportunities to generate revenue to develop Oxford’s transport system Oxford is being considered because a substantial, predictable and locally controlled source of transport funding is needed. We also need to be able to manage peak-time congestion if we are to develop and deliver the transport system the city needs to thrive.

“I would like to stress that we are at an early stage and no final decisions are being made now. Before anything can happen we will need to better understand how it could impact on employers and employees.”