From 21 September, Oxfordshire County Council will be carrying out traffic signal installation and improvement work to Islip Bridge to keep it safe, improve pedestrian access and reduce unsuitable through‑traffic in the village.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: “The work is needed because the bridge has deteriorated due to higher traffic volumes, including heavier vehicles. Action is required to protect the bridge and ensure safe use for everyone.

“We appreciate that the scheme is likely to cause significant disruption, but we will endeavour to complete the work as safely and quickly as possible.”

The first phase, from 21-25 September, will involve temporary traffic signals for preparation works.

Phase two, from 28 September - 20 November, involves the full closure of Islip Bridge to all motor vehicles, including buses. A signed diversion route will be in place, although pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained at all times.

The work will include the installation of permanent three-way traffic signals controlling vehicle movements across Islip Bridge; narrowing the carriageway to three metres to protect the bridge structure; installing a new 1.5 metre-wide footway on the west side of the bridge; and traffic calming on the southern approach.

Drainage repairs, resurfacing, footway improvements and new road markings will also be carried out, while Mill Street will be made one-way in advance of the scheme.

Staff will be present at either end of the bridge during the closure to manage safety and provide assistance.

Access to nearby properties and businesses will be accommodated where possible, although short delays may occur.

During the bridge closure, the H5 bus service between Bicester and the John Radcliffe Hospital will serve Islip from the north and then follow the diversion via Kidlington Road, Bicester Road, A40, to Barton and vice versa. 

A shuttle service will operate between Barton and the bus stop on the south side of the bridge.

The work was scheduled to take place after the summer harvest period, when agricultural traffic flows are lower. This helps reduce the impact on the surrounding road network, supports local communities and helps reduce the risk of delays.

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As highways authority, the council said it would issue fines and other fees – likely to total tens of thousands of pounds – against the company for closing the slip road in Marston without a valid permit, leading to an increase in heavy traffic travelling through the villages of Elsfield and Woodeaton.

By failing to obtain the necessary permit and working outside the agreed statutory process, the company prevented the council from managing the wider impact of the roadworks to minimise disruption.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “It’s completely unacceptable that they did this unilaterally and without agreement.

“We, as highways authority, need to agree and schedule roadworks in a planned and considered way and I will be challenging this company about why this happened.

“It has caused immense disruption to residents who have seen heavy goods vehicles, double decker buses and a huge amount of traffic diverted on to a single-track road through their tiny villages.

“This must not happen again, and we will be making that perfectly clear to the utility company involved while also making sure that this work is completed as soon as possible.”

The council has taken formal enforcement action in relation to the permit breach. A fixed penalty notice has been issued in accordance with national regulations – the highest level of penalty ordinarily available for this category of permit offence.

In May, the council’s lane rental scheme came into force – a system which allows it to charge companies up to £2,500 per day for working on the busiest roads at peak traffic times.

As the work took place on a designated lane rental road during periods where charging applies, the firm is expected to face fees of around £60,000.

Council officers will continue discussions with the company to ensure that appropriate improvements are made and that a similar situation does not arise again.

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Oxfordshire County Council will carry out drainage improvements on Buttercross Lane from 3 – 28 August. The road will be shut from its junction with Willowbank while the work is carried out.

As the route is the only means of vehicular access, traffic management including marshals will be in place to manage the movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: “Residents have had to put up with flooding at this location for far too long due to a lack of proper maintenance by the developer prior to the road’s adoption by the council as highways authority.

“Officers have worked hard to come up with a solution to this problem, which was far from straightforward to resolve. Once completed, this should significantly reduce the risk of the road flooding whenever there is heavy rain.

“Although marshals will be present while the work takes place, there may be times when it is not possible for people to gain immediate passage through the site. When this happens, we would ask for patience and co-operation from the public.”

Before the project begins, survey work will take place to identify the depth of underground apparatus throughout the site. This element could result in some delays for those wishing access through the site.

Warning signs will be installed at the junction of Station Lane and Buttercross Lane two weeks before the start date.

During the work, one side of the carriageway will be left open, when feasible to do so, to allow residents to move through the site.

Temporary ramps will be installed on the kerb line to assist larger vehicles that need to travel through the site. This operation will be done under the guidance of one of the marshals.

Overnight barriers will be installed at the site while the work takes place, although one lane will be left open to enable the public to exit and enter Buttercross Lane.

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Utility firms such as water, electricity, gas and broadband providers, plus developers and other companies, often intervene on road networks, leading to delays and congestion.

A lane rental scheme, which Oxfordshire County Council applied for in 2023 and was approved by the government last November, allows a highway authority to charge up to £2,500 per day for work on the busiest roads at peak traffic times.

Roads included in the Oxfordshire scheme, which begins on 5 May, are listed on the council’s website.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “It is in everyone’s interests for utility companies to minimise the impact their work has on our highway network, and a lane rental scheme is one way to achieve this.

“If they know they are going to be charged for the length of time they spend there, it is an incentive to complete the job as swiftly as possible. We look forward to being able to implement it and reap the benefits for everyone in Oxfordshire.”

Charges will apply during peak periods, including weekends and bank holidays, except on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Emergency safety repairs are granted a 48 hour grace period.

The LRS incentivises those working on the highway to prioritise off peak hours and to complete the work as quickly as possible to reduce their costs.

It also encourages greater use of new technology to speed up the work and more collaboration between promoters where costs can be shared.

Any surplus money raised by the council will be used to help manage and improve the highway network.

The council has been operating a permit scheme for road and street works since 2020 and receives about 30,000 requests a year. These requests are coordinated, inspected and enforced to reduce the impact on the travelling public.

However, the permit scheme – which will continue to operate – only allows council costs to be recovered and, unlike LRS, doesn’t allow the council to impose specific charges to discourage those requesting to work on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

The council’s own roadworks will not be exempt from the charges.

Roughly nine per cent of the highway network is liable for charges, based on factors such as traffic volume, pedestrian flow and bus frequency.

Similar schemes already operate in London, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex and government evaluations have shown each to be an effective way to reduce the duration of work and the impact of resulting congestion on the busiest parts of road networks.

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Utility firms such as water, electricity, gas, broadband providers, plus developers and other companies often intervene on road networks in Oxfordshire and elsewhere leading to delays and congestion. A lane rental scheme allows a highway authority to charge per day for work, restricted to the busiest roads at the busiest times.

Such schemes already operate in London, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex and government evaluations have shown each to be an effective way to reduce the duration of work and the impact of resulting congestion on the busiest parts of road networks.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Whether as pedestrians, cyclists, motorists or nearby residents, we are all familiar with the frustration of the sudden arrival of utilities companies to dig up the roads and create severe problems on the network.

“The work is very often emergency-related and councils have no option to agree to it given that otherwise people’s homes and businesses would potentially be cut off from water, electricity or other essentials.

“However, it is in everyone’s interests for these utilities to minimise their impacts and a lane rental scheme is one such way. If they know they are going to be charged for the length of time they spend there, it is an incentive to complete the job as expeditiously as possible.

“This type of scheme has been seen to work elsewhere. We were told in late October by the Department for Transport that we could implement a lane rental scheme of our own and we are now eager to implement it and reap the benefits for everyone in Oxfordshire.”

The LRS would encourage those working on the highway to prioritise off-peak hours and to complete the work as quickly as possible to reduce their costs. Any surplus money raised by the council would be used to help manage and improve the highway network.

The council has been operating a permit scheme for road and street works since 2020 and receives about 30,000 requests a year. These requests are coordinated, inspected, and enforced to reduce the impact on the travelling public.

However, the permit scheme charges only allow council costs to be recovered and, unlike LRS, doesn’t allow the council to impose specific charges to discourage those requesting to work on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

The benefits of an LRS include:

• encouraging collaborative working between works promoters
• improving the quality of work (to avoid return fees)
• works are undertaken outside of key times
• working smarter will reduce the time taken to complete works, including better use of technology.

Core principles of the scheme will include charging for working during peak hours. The council’s own roadworks will not be exempt from the charges.

Roughly nine per cent of the highway network would be liable for charges, based on factors such as traffic volume and bus frequency.

Any surplus income arising from the scheme must be invested back into the highway network to help improve the operation and management of it.

Investments can be delivered by both the county council and works promoters who have paid into the scheme and will be determined by a joint panel spanning both local authority and utility companies with an independent chair in line with Department for Transport regulations.

Minister for Roads and Buses, Simon Lightwood said: “This Government is pushing for smoother and faster journeys, which is why I’m delighted to approve Oxfordshire County Council’s lane rental scheme.

“We know just how frustrating roadworks are, but this scheme will finally hold utility companies to account and incentivise them to get on with works faster. That means less time stuck in traffic, helping get people get from A to B quicker and growing the economy as part of our Plan for Change.”

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Road users are now being asked to watch out for the next stage, which will involve highway crews repainting the lines and markings, and installing reflective road studs in the coming weeks.

Phase one of Oxfordshire County Council’s £7.4 million surface dressing programme, delivered by its highway contractor M Group, began in April and finished on 15 June. Around 70 towns and villages were visited, with 938,336sq m of carriageway treated.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We were very lucky with the weather this spring and early summer. Surface dressing is extremely weather dependent, and we only had to rearrange a handful of shifts due to rain.

“We are grateful for the cooperation of road users during this time and ask them to be patient during the repainting process too. I hope they are noticing the improved quality of many of these roads.”

The road markings programme began earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed by mid-July. It can only be started around four weeks after the surface has been treated.

The second phase of the surface dressing programme will take place from 30 August - 8 September. This followed requests to avoid disruption to two key locations during the main phase and will take the total amount of carriageway treated to over a million square metres.

Updated details about the programme, including a map showing where and when the work will be taking place, will be available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “We’re very pleased to be supporting Oxfordshire County Council to deliver another widescale surface dressing programme.

“A programme of this scale and complexity requires exemplary collaboration across all partners from the council to our sub-contractors Hazell and Jefferies and Wilson and Scott. Thanks to all involved, especially the teams who have been working in sometimes gruelling heat to get the programme completed to schedule in order to minimise disruption to the public.”

Surface dressing is a cost-effective highway maintenance measure which, on average, extends the service life of a road by eight to 10 years. It seals the road surface to keep out water, one of the major causes of deterioration and potholes.

It involves applying bituminous emulsion on to the road as a binder. This is followed immediately by the application of chippings to dress the emulsion layer.

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Proposed options to manage congestion in and around Oxford will be discussed by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet on 17 June. Options will include a temporary congestion charge for the city.

The council has committed to addressing congestion in the short-term, after its plan to implement six trial traffic filters was postponed due to the ongoing closure of Botley Road, now expected to reopen in August 2026.

The council’s cabinet will be asked to approve the start of a public consultation on a temporary congestion charge. The scheme would improve bus services and make it easier for those with permits, including carers, traders and blue badge holders, to travel by car into and around the city.

If approved, a public consultation would start on 23 June, with a view to implementing the temporary scheme in autumn this year.

Cllr Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We urgently need to see improvements to travel around the city; better bus services and less traffic overall, to help people get around.

“We must take action for our residents, businesses and visitors while Botley Road remains closed and I look forward to discussing the options with cabinet colleagues.”

The council has been exploring measures to alleviate traffic congestion until the traffic filters trial can start. A temporary congestion charge could make use of the existing infrastructure and back-office systems intended for traffic filters. Any surplus income from the proposed scheme could be used to fund travel improvements like cheaper bus tickets and parking at park and ride sites. 

Subject to approval, a six-week public consultation on the introduction of a temporary congestion charge would start later this month. The consultation would gather feedback on the proposed scheme's impact and details. It would include a survey on the council’s digital engagement and consultation platform, Let’s talk Oxfordshire. Paper copies of information will be available in main libraries and at County Hall. A series of online information and Q&A events for the public would take place. 

See the Traffic Filter Trial Delay - Mitigation Proposals report

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Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, yesterday approved the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at locations including Oxford, Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot and Witney.

The cameras will be used to enforce existing moving traffic violations, such as no entry or one way restrictions, bus gates, bus lanes and bans on making certain turns. Motorists caught breaking the rules face a £70 fine, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

Cllr Gant said: “Residents want us to tackle law breakers on our roads, and they are frustrated that a minority of drivers are getting away with dangerous or antisocial behaviour.

“This decision is not about bringing in more traffic restrictions, it is about finding a more effective way of enforcing measures that are already in place. These cameras will play key role in improving the efficiency and safety of journeys for all road users.”

The new sites for ANPR camera enforcement are:

• Abingdon: Bath Street (right turn)
• Abingdon: Stratton Way (right urn)
• Banbury: Rother Road (no entry)
• Bicester: Sheep Street (no entry)
• Bicester: Sheep Street (pedestrian one)
• Didcot: Lydalls Road (no entry)
• Didcot: Lydalls Road (one way)
• Didcot: Station Road (bus gate)
• Faringdon: Market Place (no motor vehicles)
• Kidlington: A44 (U-turn)
• Kidlington: High Street (pedestrian zone)
• Marsh Baldon: Baldon Lane (no motor vehicles)
• Oxford: A420 into St Clements (bus lane)
• Oxford: Barracks Lane (no motor vehicles)
• Oxford: North Way (U-turn)
• Oxford: North Way (left turn)
• Oxford: Rectory Road (no entry)
• Oxford: St Clements (bus lane)
• Oxford: West Way/Botley Road (bus lane)
• Witney: Market Square/High Street (no motor vehicles).

In 2022, the government gave the council permission to use ANPR cameras to enforce traffic regulations to improve safety, ease congestion and reduce inconsiderate and dangerous driving.

The policy allows Oxfordshire County Council to manage specific problem areas through ANPR camera enforcement, similar to how bus gates operate.

Money received from fines is ringfenced under legislation and is used to offset administrative and enforcement costs. Any surplus can only fund approved transport related improvements.

The latest sites were selected using information provided by Thames Valley Police, plus traffic and congestion monitoring data. More locations around the county will be considered in the future.

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The road, north of Wardington, was closed by Oxfordshire County Council on Monday after the sinkhole appeared in the centre of the carriageway. Emergency diversion routes were immediately put into place.

Following visits to the site by inspectors, the council’s contractors are planning to begin repair work today. It is hoped that the road can be opened and the repairs completed by the end of the month, depending on what is found once water is pumped out and excavation work starts.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This is an extremely busy road, which is why we have made it a priority to have a repair programme in place within days.

“We will reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so. We hope this will be by the end of December but, unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to work of this nature. In the meantime, we would urge motorists to follow the diversion routes that are in place to ensure everyone’s safety.”

The suggested diversion route is between A423 Southam Road and the A425 Daventry Road.

It is believed that the sinkhole is a result of the recent flooding of the River Cherwell, causing washout of fill to affect a brick water pipe (culvert) running under the road. The most recent inspection of the culvert by the council’s highways teams, carried out before the flooding, showed no cause for concern in the culvert’s condition.

The washed out material has blocked the watercourse, submerging the culvert. The water will be pumped out to enable the culvert to be inspected, so that the full extent of required repairs can be determined.

The culvert may need to be temporarily replaced by a pipe to enable the sinkhole to be backfilled and the road reopened while a longer term repair is planned.

Cllr Gant added: “This is a pretty stark example of the kind of pressure our large and rural road network is experiencing from extreme weather. I am very grateful to our officers and contractors for getting out on site as soon as possible to put a plan in place for mitigation and repair.”

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Diversions will be in place between 8pm on Friday 2 August and 6am on Monday 5 August while the roundabout is closed.

Motorists are asked to be aware of the closure and to use the suggested alternative routes.

There will be no travel along the eastern bypass between the Heyford Hill roundabout and the B480 Cowley Road interchange in both directions during the closure.

Westbound traffic travelling along the eastern bypass will be reduced from dual carriageway to a single lane, with traffic then taken off at the B480 Cowley interchange to join the signed diversion route.

Eastbound traffic travelling along the eastern bypass will be subject to a similar lane closure as well as a speed reduction, so traffic arrives at the Heyford Hill roundabout in a single lane at safer speeds. From there, traffic will be diverted around the diversion route.

The Sandy Lane West slip road will also be closed where it joins the eastern bypass heading west towards Littlemore roundabout.

Bus companies will still operate a service between Sandford-on-Thames into the city. This will utilise Oxford Road, Cowley Road, and Church Cowley Road before resuming its usual route.

Arrangements are in place for residents in the affected area to continue to access their homes while the closure is in place.

By carrying out the work over a single 24/7 closure, the resurfacing can be completed quicker and more cost effectively with as little disruption as possible.

There will be separate crews working both day and night to ensure continuous working throughout.

The alternative approach would have seen the work taking place over 11 separate nights of closures, causing more disruption to residents and businesses, increasing the cost, and leading to a potentially poorer standard of work due to more opportunities for water to enter the road surface.

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The southern side of Banbury Road, from the roundabout to Lodge Close, will be closed for three months from today (Monday 22 July). The closure will be in effect for 24 hours a day, seven days a week with narrow lanes in place on the northern half of the road to manage traffic. The closure has been planned in the school summer holidays when fewer vehicles are expected on local roads. However, journeys may take longer. 

The Banbury Road will reopen to all road users at the end of October 2024. 

Councillor Judy Roberts, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, said: “I want to thank Bicester residents, commuters, and businesses for their patience as we reach the halfway point on this work. 

“We are now entering the busiest phase of this project and are asking people to plan their journeys in advance and follow diversion signs. The Banbury Road will reopen to all road users at the end of October.” 

During the closure, traffic towards Bicester will be diverted both ways using the ring road. Drivers should follow all diversion signs. The Fringford Road will be reopened. 

Pedestrians and cyclists will be diverted along Southwold Lane and the Banbury Road. Residents can access their properties during the closure using the vehicle and footpath diversions. Buses will be diverted using the Buckingham Road, with two new temporary bus stops provided for the 500 bus route. 

During the road closure, work will take place to: 

• create a new island on Banbury Road south 
• install a new central island adjacent to the Fringford Road and on the roundabout east and west approaches 
• complete the second half of the toucan crossing on the A4095 
• construct new drainage and footways 
• surface the Banbury Road south up to the roundabout approach splitter island

The new junction has been designed to safely increase vehicle capacity, using traffic signals, while also providing better pavements and cycle paths and safer crossings. When finished, it will help Bicester to manage the increase in traffic as new houses continue to be built in the area.  

More information

The work is fully funded by central government, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government providing £5.5 million and £5.9m secured from the Growth Deal. 

Oxfordshire County Council is working with Galliford Try to construct these improvements. 

The signalised junction will include: 

• adding new traffic signals to each arm of the junction 
• reducing the speed limit from 40 to 30 miles per hour 
• maintaining access for drivers to turn right from Fringford Road 
• separate crossings and paths for pedestrians and cyclists at the western and southern arms of the junction 
• buffer zones between the cycle track and the carriageway along three of the junction arms

Stages of work 

Work began in February 2024 on the Fringford Road, with the removal of the existing roundabout island. Work on the B4100 northbound followed in the spring. 

When phase three finishes, work will take place on the A4095 westbound from October 2024 through to January 2025. 

Construction is scheduled to finish with road surfacing on the B4100 in January and electrical works in early February 2025. 

More information can be found online at oxfordshire.gov.uk/banburyroadroundabout. 

Oxfordshire County Council is planning to make minor changes near the junction to create a separate lane for vehicles travelling to the city centre, accompanied by more road markings. A two-lane northbound approach to the Church Cowley Road junction will be reinstated. This will include the removal of a small number of the cycle lane wands.

This follows local feedback and a review of recent accidents – several of which have involved a motor vehicle and a person cycling.

Bill Cotton, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director for Environment and Place, said: “We are very concerned that there have been several serious road traffic collisions in this area. The works are an important safety action to protect road users and local residents in Rose Hill.

“The works are intended to improve the visibility of vulnerable road users, reduce incidents in this location, and address concerns that vehicles are using the adjacent Rose Hill slip road to bypass the junction.”

During the works it is expected that there will be a single lane closure on the road, therefore, they will be carried out in the evening to minimise disruption.

These works form a part of wider highways review and safety improvements being carried out through the city and county, and the location will continue to be closely monitored. There are no other changes proposed near the junction as part of these works.

Ends

For more information about this release contact the Oxfordshire County Council communications team on 01865 323870 or email press.office@oxfordshire.gov.uk

The first Respect our Workforce Week runs from 11 - 15 March. It is organised by campaign group Stamp it Out and is supported by Oxfordshire County Council, its highways contractor Milestone and has the backing of Thames Valley Police.

The past decade has seen a rise in reported incidents, with a minority of motorists or residents taking their frustration out on roadworkers over delays as improvements are made to the network.

In Oxfordshire, some workers have been confronted with a knife, racially abused, physically manhandled and even threatened with shooting.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “It is completely unacceptable for people to act in this way against those who are working in dangerous locations in all sorts of weather conditions to improve the condition of our roads.

“I was shocked to learn that 70 per cent of roadworkers are the victim of verbal or physical abuse every month, while half say they have been verbally abused in the last seven days. That’s why we are supporting the Respect our Workforce campaign and urge everyone to treat those working on our roads with common courtesy.”

Milestone has formed a roadworker safety group as part of its commitment to ensuring the health and safety of everyone working on the highways and created an app for employees to report verbal threats or assault.

Jim Daughton, Milestone Operations Director, said: “No one should face abuse simply for doing their job. At Milestone we are committed to ensuring the safety of everyone on the road network – and that includes our staff.

“Our teams are now equipped with body worn cameras and site CCTV is in place, where necessary. The message today is clear: abuse to highways operatives will not be tolerated.”

Kevin Robinson, Founder and Campaign Director of Stamp It Out, said: “Respect our Workforce Week marks a vital point in this campaign. It is not acceptable to abuse a doctor, nurse, teacher, or retailer worker, so why should those working on the public highway accept this too?”

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The technique, known as in-situ cold recycling, also allowed the road to be reopened eight days quicker than by using conventional resurfacing techniques.

Oxfordshire County Council carried out the scheme on a road north of Berrick Salome, near Wallingford, with its contractor Milestone Infrastructure and its partner Stabilised Pavements Limited.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We know how important the quality of our roads is to our residents, as well as the need for the county council to reduce the embodied carbon of its highway maintenance work. That is why we’re delighted to be delivering this scheme to make our residents’ money go further and reduce disruption.

“Innovation is at the heart of what our highway teams do. This new technique could be another weapon in our armoury to help ease the burden on highways budgets and cut carbon emissions in our projects.”

In-situ cold recycling involves pulverising the existing carriageway in its original place and then mixing it with foamed bitumen and cementitious powder to create a new 300mm-deep strengthened carriageway.

The material is then compacted to return the recycled layer back to the required road level before a thin surface layer, known as surface dressing, is applied to seal the surface and provide the required skid resistance.

As the technique does not require the material to be heated and involves a lot less import of virgin materials, it is an environmentally friendly technique. It is estimated to reduce carbon by approximately 71 per cent compared to conventional surfacing of the same depth.

On this scheme alone, this is the equivalent of 227 tonnes of carbon – roughly the same as taking over 100 petrol cars off the road for a year.

The new road surface is expected to last for at least 20 years, with routine maintenance. It also has the benefit of cutting 564 lorry movements to and from site, reducing the impact on local communities.

This Berrick Salome project is the latest in a series of innovations on the county’s roads, following:

• A third trial involving the longer lasting Graphene Plus-enhanced asphalt Gipave in Middle Barton in August.
• A trial of new lower carbon materials at a Wantage access road scheme in August.
• The testing of seven different pothole repair methods on a road in Steventon in July.

Phil Raven, Head of Technical Design for Milestone on the Oxfordshire Contract, said: “As we look for new ways to reduce carbon emissions within highways maintenance, increasing the use of recycled materials in our surfacing materials is an important tool in Milestone’s plan towards achieving net zero by 2040.  This is the first time we have been able to use this particular technique on our Oxfordshire network.

“Not only can this lead to carbon reduction and a cost-effective way to repair a rural highway, it can reduce disruption to road users and reduce lorry movements in local communities. This project is a good example of Milestone and Oxfordshire County Council being at the forefront of using innovative techniques to maintain the county’s roads.”

The Berrick Salome scheme is a £740,000 project, which also includes significant drainage repairs. The scheme started on 21 August and is planned to last for five weeks. The 1,650-metre length of surfacing work was completed in six days.

The work is being carried out under a full road closure due to the narrow width of the road to ensure the safety of road users and the workforce. A signed diversion route is in place.

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Oxfordshire County Council is carrying out the trial in North Street, Middle Barton, with its contractor Milestone Infrastructure and their partner Aggregate Industries to develop the use of Gipave – a Graphene Plus-enhanced asphalt.

North Street is the third Oxfordshire site to trial the innovative material. A 725-metre stretch of the road will be laid with Gipave, while an adjacent length of road will be resurfaced using conventional high performance asphalt, so that the two surfaces can be compared accurately.

It follows a successful pilot scheme in Curbridge in 2019 – the first use of the product in the UK – and a trial on Oxford’s Marsh Lane in March 2022.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We know how important the quality of our roads is to our residents. That is why we’re delighted to be involved in this latest trial to see how we can make our residents’ money go further and make our road surfaces stay in good condition for longer.

“Innovation is at the heart of what our highway teams do, as we have shown with previous Gipave trials and our recent event in Steventon where Milestone tested seven different pothole repair methods on the same road. Increasing the lifespan of road surfaces will reduce the need for resurfacing work, ease the burden on highways budgets, and cut carbon emissions for the life cycle of a stretch of road.”

Phil Raven, Head of Technical Design for Milestone on the Oxfordshire Contract, said: “This is another significant step to test the benefits that this innovative material can bring. As we look for new ways to reduce carbon emissions within highways maintenance, developing materials that last longer is an important part of Milestone’s plan towards achieving net zero by 2040.

“Not only can this lead to longer term carbon reduction, it has the potential to reduce disruption to road users and achieve long term savings for highway authorities. This trial project demonstrates the benefits of international industry collaboration with a highway authority that is committed to trialling new innovations.”

Gipave, which has been developed by Iterchimica, also uses waste plastics which would not normally be recycled. Meanwhile the asphalt containing Gipave can itself be entirely recycled – promoting the ‘circular economy’ which reduces waste and the need for new materials.

Recent in-service testing and analysis of the original 2019 trial site showed the new asphalt material is forecast to increase the lifespan of the asphalt pavement by approximately 165 per cent compared to conventional resurfacing methods, with a corresponding carbon saving of 40 per cent over 20 years.

The Middle Barton scheme is a £450,000 resurfacing project which also includes kerb and drainage repairs. The scheme started on 17 July and is planned to last for four weeks.

The surfacing works are being carried out under full overnight road closures to reduce the disruption to road users and local businesses and residents.

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Work will be carried out on the A4144 Woodstock Road, between the Wolvercote roundabout and St Anne’s College, just north of St Giles, 10 – 25 August.

To minimise disruption, the work is taking place between 8pm and 5am, and two-way temporary traffic lights will be in operation over a short section to avoid closing the road. Side roads will be closed if they fall within the traffic lights while the work is taking place.

All traffic management will be removed outside of the working hours and at weekends and marshals will be in place to help manage the flow of vehicles and assist motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and residents.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This is a key road into Oxford and so it is important that this vital work is carried out to improve the carriageway.

“Because of the closure of the Botley Road due to Network Rail’s redevelopment of Oxford Station, this work is taking place overnight and during the school holidays to reduce the impact on the rest of the network.”

Bus services will continue as normal along the Woodstock Road although some stops will be suspended if they fall within the extent of the traffic management.

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Oxfordshire County Council will ask the government to allow it to introduce a lane rental scheme (LRS) which allows organisations working on the county’s busiest roads at the busiest times to face extra charges.

If approved, the LRS would encourage those working on the highway to prioritise off-peak hours and to complete the work as quickly as possible to reduce their costs. Any surplus money raised by the council would be used to help manage and improve the highway network.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We know only too well that roadworks during peak hours can have a huge impact on Oxfordshire’s road network. LRS would put the onus on the organisation causing the disruption to plan their projects carefully and consider other road users or face financial penalties.

“Only a handful of other authorities around the country have adopted this, so Oxfordshire County Council would be at the forefront of this policy, which has already successfully led to behaviour change from those carrying out roadworks in other parts of the country.”

The council has been operating a permit scheme for road and street works since 2020 and receives about 30,000 requests a year. These requests are coordinated, inspected, and enforced to reduce the impact on the travelling public.

However, the permit scheme charges only allow council costs to be recovered and, unlike LRS, doesn’t allow the council to impose specific charges to discourage those requesting to work on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

Benefits of the LRS include:

• encouraging collaborative working between works promoters
• improving the quality of work (to avoid return fees)
• works are undertaken outside of key times
• working smarter will reduce the time taken to complete works, including better use of technology.

Although specific details of the scheme would need to be developed if approval is given, core principles could include no charge for the first two days of a project, off-peak hours operating from 9.30am to 3pm, and the council’s own roadworks would not be exempt from the charges. Roughly five per cent of the highway network would be liable for charges, based on factors such as traffic volume and bus frequency.

Any surplus fees arising from the scheme must be invested back into the highway network to help improve the operation and management of it.

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Network Rail has issued an update about its plans to replace the rail bridge over Botley Road in Oxford, as part of its wider project to expand the station on the western side. It will involve full closures of Botley Road to through traffic for several months at a time in 2023 and 2024.

Network Rail has had detailed discussions with the government and Oxfordshire County Council and is now working to a new approved project timeline:

• 11 April 2023 to the end of October 2023: Botley Road closure for through traffic for utility diversion work.
• March 2024 - October 2024: Botley Road closed to through traffic for highway work.

Network Rail originally planned for a 12 month closure starting in January 2023, but this had to be amended due to the complexities involved.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “It is great to hear we have confirmed dates from Network Rail for work to start to redevelop Oxford Station. It will improve capacity for passengers and freight and is vital for the development of projects such as East West Rail and other improvements.

“As with any project of this scale, it will inevitably mean disruption – in this case the closure of Botley Road for two significant periods. While this cannot be avoided, we will do all we can to minimise the impact on the rest of the road network. We will work closely with Network Rail and our other partners, such as the bus companies, to keep the city moving during this period.”

The county council is assessing the impact this may have on the timing of its own schemes in and around Oxford. The traffic filters trial in Oxford, approved by the council’s cabinet, will now be delayed. It cannot start until after Botley Road has fully reopened to traffic in autumn 2024.

It is expected that the other main routes into Oxford will get busier. Limited roadworks on these roads will be allowed to help mitigate this. Further parking/loading restrictions may also need to be considered. Use of bus and park and ride services will be strongly promoted for those visiting Oxford.

Between 11 April and October 2023 while the first closure is in place:

• Motorists who usually use Botley Road to get into the city are advised to use the Seacourt Park and Ride or take an alternative route.
• Buses will turn around just before the rail bridge allowing passengers to continue their journey into the city centre on foot.
• Pedestrians and cyclists will have access throughout the work.
• Network Rail is working with emergency services on access arrangements.
• Residents’ access to their homes will remain at all times, with some diversions in place.

Work is continuing to take place to look at how to ease the pressure on the rest of the road network and further details will be released as soon as they are available.

Claire Mahoney, Programme Director for Oxfordshire Connect at Network Rail, said: “Replacing the bridge at Botley Road near the station in Oxford is a critical part of the works required to improve the station for the city, increase rail traffic in Oxfordshire and improve the highway for buses into the city. There was never going to be an easy way to do this work, it’s extremely complex and needs to be carefully coordinated with multiple utility companies.

“We’ve split the work into two parts this year and next year, so that we reduce the impact on the city’s residents. We’re working closely with the city and county councils, and transport providers, so it’s easier to work and move around during the closure, but we know this is going to inevitably cause disruption. We urge residents and businesses to understand the impact on them and plan ahead whilst the works are in place.”

It is hoped that work to repair a water main on Osney Bridge on Botley Road, involving Thames Water and the Environment Agency, can be arranged during this year’s closure to avoid further disruption for road users in the future.

For information on the project visit networkrail.co.uk/oxfordshireconnect or for the latest highways information www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/oxfordstation

Anyone wishing to get the latest information on the project can sign up to receive e-mail updates at lineside.networkrail.co.uk/oxfordshireconnect

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today adopted the plan, which includes hierarchies of road users and priority for roadworks in line with its Local Transport and Connectivity Plan and its commitment to climate action.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We face a huge challenge in meeting residents’ travel needs as the population and associated infrastructure grows, while avoiding the economic damage caused by severe congestion and enabling a zero-carbon Oxfordshire by 2050.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to make a significant shift away from private car use, towards more flexible working patterns and greener travel choices – reducing pressure on the road network and creating the space for local traffic improvements.

“Essential to achieving our priorities and policies is a transport system that enables the efficient movement of people and goods, while promoting greater use of sustainable travel modes.

“This network management plan explores the challenges that we face and explains how we will manage Oxfordshire’s highways to deliver an effective, sustainable transport system for people and businesses.”

Key objectives of the plan include minimising disruption, providing quality information to the travelling public, supporting active travel, improving journey time reliability, and maximising the effective use of road space.

The user hierarchy prioritises walking and wheeling, cycling, riding and public transport ahead of motorcycles, shared vehicles such as car clubs, and cars, vans, and lorries.

Network management will also make decisions to support road safety, especially following the council’s adoption of the vision zero strategy to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from road traffic collisions in Oxfordshire by 2050.

There are approximately 30,000 accidents on Oxfordshire’s roads, 1,700 reported injuries – including 300 of a serious nature – and 30 deaths, with a higher proportion of serious incidents than many local authority areas due to a higher amount of rural road links on the network.

The hierarchy for the priority of roadworks is:

• emergency repairs
• works of national importance (such as HS2 and East West Rail)
• county council new and improved infrastructure projects
• digital connectivity infrastructure projects
• large public events
• major utility infrastructure and works
• small scale utilities
• highway maintenance activities.

The county council receives more than 35,000 applications to work on the roads each year – 87 per cent of which come from utility companies – with approximately 600 live sites on the network at any one time.

The county council is responsible for the maintenance of more than 4,500km of roads in Oxfordshire. As in other parts of the UK, the condition of the road network has deteriorated over recent years as government funding has not kept up with need.

The report warns that the potential impact of housing and jobs growth on the county’s transport networks could see traffic on many junctions exceed capacity by 2031, with severe delays on many routes, especially the A34, A40, A338 and A4074.

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Detailed discussions with the county council had led to the conclusion that there should be a 12-month closure of Botley Road to traffic for the duration of the work, which will include replacing the rail bridge over Botley Road. However, Network Rail has now said it is not in a position to meet this start date.

In a statement, Network Rail said: "Replacing the bridge over Botley Road to facilitate a new platform, western entrance and road improvements is an incredibly complex project, which needs to be completed by the end of 2024 in time for the start of East West Rail services.

"We are working with partners to refine our plans for the delivery of the works to enhance the station and do not now need to start the full closure of Botley Road in January. Part of this review is looking at how to reduce the impact of our work on the local community. Further details will be confirmed in the coming weeks."

Due to the scale and nature of the works on the highway, including the need to divert vital utility services such as water, gas and electricity, the impact on Botley Road will be significant. The council, Network Rail and others are discussing a new way forward.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Although we were disappointed to learn about the need to delay the start of works for Oxford Station, as the highways authority, Oxfordshire County Council will continue to work with Network Rail and discharge our duty to manage the highways network effectively.

“Once any new arrangements have been confirmed, we will work with Network Rail and other partners to make sure the details are communicated clearly and accurately to everyone who might be affected.”

The county council will assess the impact the change of timing from 9 January will have on the timing of its own schemes in and around Oxford, including the six trial traffic filters.

Further announcements will be made once discussions with Network Rail have developed further in the coming weeks.

More information about the project can be found at www.networkrail.co.uk/oxfordphase2

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Oxfordshire County Council has been exploring ways of improving safety at The Plain since the death of a young woman on her bike at the junction in a collision involving a lorry on 1 March 2022.

It was one of several tragedies that prompted the council, in June, to adopt the Vision Zero strategy – an ambition to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

Roadworks at The Plain roundabout, Cowley Road, Iffley Road, Cowley Place and St Clement’s Street will begin on 21 November and are expected to finish by 25 November. Work will be carried out through the night (8pm to 5am) to minimise disruption.

The changes to The Plain include:

• amendments to road markings and traffic signs
• installation of road studs, bollards and cycle stands
• installing light cycle lane segregation units
• vegetation clearance.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “We have spent a considerable amount of time investigating ways of improving safety at The Plain roundabout. These changes were drawn up in collaboration with cycling groups and we are grateful for their help in this process.

“Our commitment to Vision Zero means we will continue to work with local cycling groups to help ensure new cycling infrastructure is designed and delivered to maximise safety. We want people to feel safe and secure when travelling around the city and county by bike and it’s clear that we need to continue to improve.”

The work will involve temporary traffic lights on The Plain with the Cowley Road arm closed to vehicles. Vehicles greater than 7.5 tonnes and buses will be diverted down Iffley Road and Between Towns Road.

Vehicles under 7.5 tonnes travelling towards Cowley will be diverted along Iffley Road then Temple Street. Vehicles travelling towards the city centre will be diverted to Stockmore Street then Iffley Road.

For the duration of the closure, each night, both Temple Street and Stockmore Street will operate one way systems and the low traffic neighbourhood bollards will be removed.

The Plain roundabout has the highest cycle flow of any roundabout in Oxfordshire – and one of the highest in the UK – with around 12,000 bike journeys per day during university term times. It is also a critical junction for many of the city’s bus services.

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Network Rail has issued an update about its plans to replace the rail bridge over the Botley Road in Oxford, as part of its wider project to expand the station on the western side.

Detailed discussions with the county council led to the conclusion that there should be a 12-month closure of the Botley Road to traffic for the duration of the work.

Due to scale and nature of the works on the highway, including the need to divert vital utility services such as water, gas and electricity, the impact on Botley Road will be significant. Network Rail plans to publicise further details in mid-November.

During discussions with Network Rail, the county council fully explored a traditional approach of a series of lane closures under temporary traffic lights. However, a condensed 12-month programme with a point closure of Botley Road for the duration of the work is considered preferable as it reduces risk to timeframe/programme.

This method of accommodating the railway work would preserve access to businesses and services along Botley Road and minimise the likelihood of the substantial queueing that would occur with just lane closures. Such queues would then ultimately impact on the A34 and bus journey times.

The currently proposed start date for the works and closure is 9 January 2023.

Pedestrian and cycle access through the closure points is planned to be maintained throughout – although the specific route through may change. It is planned that buses will operate to either side of the closure so those on through-journeys will need to do a short walk and change buses.

Emergency Service access will be provided with the specific arrangements likely to vary depending on the stage of works. 

It is expected that the other main routes into Oxford will get busier. Limited roadworks on these roads will be allowed to help mitigate this. Further parking/loading restrictions may also need to be considered. Use of bus and park and ride services will be strongly promoted for those visiting Oxford.

More detailed information on all of this will be communicated by Network Rail to local communities from November via letters, briefings and drop-in sessions. Further information about the project can be found at www.networkrail.co.uk/oxfordphase2

People can sign up to receive e-mail updates about the work via https://lineside.networkrail.co.uk/oxford-phase-2

The county council is assessing the impact this may have on the timing of its own schemes in and around Oxford.

The council recognises that there would be challenges implementing the six trial traffic filters during the works for the replacement of the rail bridge and the closure of Botley Road as a result. If the council’s cabinet agrees to implement the trial filters, there would be a further recommendation that this should happen after the Botley Road reopens.

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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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Working together, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach have made the changes to encourage more people to choose the Park and Ride over car travel and so help reduce traffic congestion in the city, while supporting the city centre’s economic recovery.

A new combined parking and bus ticket is now in place at all Park and Ride sites in and around Oxford. These are:

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

As part of the offer, passengers can now 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 1 adult and £5 for a car and 2 adults. With both options, up to three children under 16 can travel for free.

The combined ticket at a reduced price offer is part of a six-month trial, which is taking place until 31 March 2023 and is subject to review by both councils and the bus operators. However, the combined parking and bus ticket approach is a permanent change.

The trial offers a saving of £1 per person (20%) for an individual ticket, and £1.80 per two people travelling together (26%). Previously, other than a combined £6.80 family ticket, drivers had to pay separately for both parking and bus travel. The new combined ticket also provides a lower cost alternative to the existing £6.80 family ticket.

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

RingGo users are able to purchase 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 annual, quarterly, or 28 day permit holders, and free parking remains for blue badge holders.

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

In addition, a permanent change has been made to the parking periods at all Park and Ride sites around Oxford, so that customers needing to park for longer, such as those working longer shifts, pay less.

The changes, which came into effect from 30 September, mean:

• the £2 tariff will now cover 1-16 hours (extended from 1-11 hours)
• the £4 tariff will now cover 16-24 hours (extended from 11-24 hours)
• The change follows discussions with major employers, including city centre retailers, which identified that the 11-hour time charge created a ‘cliff-edge’ for shift workers. The change aims to better support these drivers to continue to use the park and ride services.

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

The Park and Ride financial incentive was agreed by cabinets at Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council. As part of an Enhanced Partnership agreement the councils and bus operators Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and Stagecoach are working together on initiatives to bring bus passenger numbers back to pre-pandemic levels.

Park and Ride passenger numbers have not fully recovered post COVID-19 following changes in passenger habits. The six-month pilot scheme is designed to encourage people to use the service, as a cost-effective and sustainable way to visit Oxford.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This new deal will 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, Oxford City Council, said: “Park and Ride services are essential for travelling into and across our city. In partnership with the bus operators and the County Council. We are working to ensure services are easy to use and affordable for as many people as possible. We hope that the combined ticket offer and amended parking tariff will encourage more people to travel into the city by Park and Ride for work, leisure, and tourism. It takes the worry out of trying to find a parking space in the city centre and it’s much easier to leave your car at the Park and Ride and hop on a bus instead.”

Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Interim Managing Director, said: “This is 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. We are committed to making bus travel as accessible and convenient as possible and the joint ticket combined with extended parking times and reduced prices is a big step forward in our strategy. The Park and Ride service is a sustainable and cost-effective way to travel into Oxford and can be a vital part of the city’s vision to reduce congestion and carbon emissions.”

Rachel Geliamassi, Managing Director at Stagecoach West, said: “We’re really pleased to be introducing this Park and Ride ticket offer to 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, with extended parking times.” 

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Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved the adoption of the updated policy statement on Tuesday 20 September.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “The highway network is the lifeblood of the county and is the most valuable asset under the council’s control.

“Updating our approach to highway maintenance and asset management enables us to make sure it is more closely aligned with our policies and priorities. It means more active and sustainable modes of transport can be supported to offer a realistic alternative to private car use.

“We want to improve footways, cycleways and the facilities that better allow all network users to share the available space. This new approach will help to support our climate emergency work and improve access to nature and green spaces.”

The changes could involve adopting working practices, which have a lower carbon footprint, do more to support biodiversity and contribute to improved environmental conditions.

It could also mean prioritising a greater proportion of resources towards a strategy of preventative maintenance to reduce the need for reactive repairs.

In the last decade, there has been a growing national move by highway authorities towards managing their networks to achieve specific strategic objectives, rather than simply maintaining and operating them to meet their legal requirements. It is widely recognised that the highway network, if managed effectively, can enable economic, societal and environmental benefit and change.

The updated approach does not adversely affect the council’s ability to fulfil its other legal obligations. These include a duty to maintain roads in a safe condition, a duty to keep the traffic moving on the road network and the management of flood risk associated with extreme weather.

Oxfordshire’s highway network assets, which are valued at more than £6 billion, include:

• 3,000 miles of road
• 160,000 roadside drains
• 2,000 miles of footway
• 435 traffic signal junctions
• 1,200 bridges
• 400,000 highway trees
• 80,000 streetlights
• 2,600 miles of countryside rights of way
• 50,000 traffic signs.

The updated approach is intended to be more aligned to the policies set out in the emerging Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP). It will also support the council’s commitment to Vision Zero – an ambition to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

The LTCP was adopted by Oxfordshire County Council earlier this year. Its ambition is to create a net zero transport system by 2040, improving health and wellbeing, tackling the climate emergency, reducing private vehicle use and prioritising walking, cycling and public transport.

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People who live, work in, or visit Oxford can have their say on proposals to introduce six trial traffic filters in the city. Traffic filters are part of Oxfordshire County Council’s central Oxfordshire travel plan and are supported by Oxford City Council.

The proposed traffic filters are expected to reduce traffic levels by more than a third within the city centre, reduce overall accidents by up to 15 per cent and significantly improve air quality in Oxford.

The consultation, which launches at 12 noon today (5 September) will run until 13 October. People can have their say on the proposals until 13 October by visiting letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/traffic-filters-2022. 

If approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet, the trial will start as an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) for a minimum of six months. The ETRO will allow Oxfordshire County Council to test the scheme and make any changes if needed. A second consultation will run alongside the trial period where people can submit their feedback based on their experience of driving through the traffic filters.

When they are operating, private cars will not be allowed through the traffic filters without a permit. All other vehicles including buses, coaches, taxis, vans, mopeds and HGVs will be allowed at all times. Residents in Oxford and some areas just outside the city will be able to apply for a permit to drive through the traffic filters on up to 100 days per year.

Four traffic filters will be located on St Cross Road, Thames Street, St Clements and Hythe Bridge Street and will operate seven days a week from 7am to 7pm. The remaining filters will be located on Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way and will not operate on Sundays.  

Councillor Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: “Traffic congestion is a persistent problem in our beloved city. Traffic is slowing down our buses, making cycling and walking unsafe and causing air pollution which is bad for our health.

“We need an affordable, sustainable and reliable transport system to help tackle inequalities and ensure that everyone, old and young can access the opportunities our county has to offer.”

“Such a system can play a leading role in improving air quality, providing better connectivity particularly for buses, pedestrians and cyclists, and improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.”

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Traffic filters are an important measure to strengthen our transport system. They will reduce the need to travel by car and make our buses faster, make walking and cycling the first natural choice for residents and improve our air quality.

“The location of the six proposed filters have been selected after a lot of research and conversations with our bus companies, businesses and other partners. By introducing these filters as a trial, we will be monitor their impact in real time and make any changes needed before making a decision on their long-term future.

“We are committed to listening to all views before introducing the trial. I encourage everyone who lives, works or visits Oxford to respond to our consultation.”

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Health and Transport, Oxford City Council, said: “Whether you travel by car, taxi, bus, bike or on foot - congestion impacts us all. Oxford’s medieval roads no longer have the capacity to handle the current ways of travelling, and we all need to think about how we move around the city for the sake of our health and the environment.

“Traffic filters allow us to reallocate road space in order to provide more room for buses, cycles, taxis, pedestrians, and those with permits. Reducing traffic jams will make new bus services profitable, ensuring residents have quick, fast, and reliable alternatives to driving. Having fewer cars on the roads will make our air cleaner, and people walking and cycling feel safer. I encourage everyone to take part in this consultation on the future of transport in our city.”

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet will make a decision on the introduction of the trial traffic filters in November 2022.

The county council and city council are hosting two public events to introduce the plans in more detail and answer questions. They will be hosted on the dated below, and are open to all but registration is necessary:

• In person event at Wesley Memorial Hall: Tuesday 6 September, 5pm – 6.30pm.
• Online event: Tuesday 4 October, 6pm – 7.30pm.

People can book to take part at https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/traffic-filters-2022.

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will be fitted around specific locations in Oxfordshire to improve safety, ease congestion and reduce inconsiderate and dangerous driving.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “We are delighted to be among the first wave of councils to be given these powers. Residents are desperate for us to tackle law breakers on our roads, and they are frustrated that a minority of drivers are getting away with dangerous or antisocial behaviour.

“Getting the powers to install cameras to make our roads safer was one of the priorities of this administration. Now that the government has approved our application to take on these delegated powers, we can make Oxfordshire’s roads safer and less congested.”

The purpose of the change is to enable councils to manage specific problem areas through ANPR camera enforcement – similar to how bus gates operate – with the fines being retained by the authority to cover the maintenance and management costs.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton, Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, said: “Used appropriately, these new civil enforcement powers will play a key role in improving the efficiency and safety of journeys for all road users, and I am delighted to see Oxfordshire County Council as one of the early adopters.”

A public consultation took place earlier this year and there was support for cameras to be installed at the following locations:

• The rising bollard site in Oriel Square, Oxford
• The rising bollard site on Cornmarket Street, Oxford
• The rising bollard site on Turl Street, Oxford
• The rising bollard site on Broad Street, Oxford
• The junction of Turl Street and High Street, Oxford
• The banned U-turn at Barton Park on the A40
• The junction of Holywell Street and Longwall Street, Oxford
• New College Lane/Queens Lane, Oxford
• The pedestrianised area of Gloucester Street, Oxford
• Yellow box junctions on the Botley Interchange
• Yellow box junctions on the Hinksey Hill Interchange.

These sites were selected using information provided by Thames Valley Police, plus traffic and congestion monitoring data. More locations around the county will be considered in the future.

It is the first time local authorities outside London and Cardiff have had the opportunity to apply for these powers. The police will retain the power to enforce traffic regulations in addition to the county council’s camera enforcement at the specific sites.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet has voted to apply to the government for permission to use cameras to enforce traffic regulations, including stopping in yellow box junctions, illegal turns, and vehicle restrictions, at specific sites.

People who visit, live, and work in Oxfordshire can have their say on the first set of proposed locations as part of a public consultation on the plans.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “These new powers have been delegated by government to allow us to enforce the rules of the road more effectively, making our streets safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

“We are selecting a variety of sites in the initial tranche which we will enforce using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. This means we can better manage the bus and road network, as well as promoting active traffic and clean air policies. Drivers who continue to stick to the rules will have nothing to worry about. Mopeds and motorists causing mayhem by breaching restrictions  and doing U-turns where it is dangerous will finally face a fine.”

The first proposed locations are:

• The rising bollard site in Oriel Square, Oxford
• The rising bollard site on Cornmarket Street, Oxford
• The rising bollard site on Turl Street, Oxford
• The rising bollard site on Broad Street, Oxford
• The junction of Turl Street and High Street, Oxford
• The banned U-turn at Barton Park on the A40
• The junction of Holywell Street and Longwall Street, Oxford
• New College Lane/Queens Lane, Oxford
• The pedestrianised area of Gloucester Street, Oxford
• Yellow box junctions on the Botley Interchange
• Yellow box junctions on the Hinksey Hill Interchange.

These locations were selected using information provided by Thames Valley Police, plus traffic and congestion monitoring data, and will help ensure the safety of road users and minimise congestion on the network.

People can have their say on the suitability of these proposed sites for camera enforcement by taking part in the consultation at https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/tma-2022, which runs until 2 March.

The new regulation laid out by the government this month allows councils to apply for the power to issue fines for these contraventions. It is the first time local authorities outside London and Cardiff have had the opportunity to apply for the powers to issue penalty charge notices for these types of offences, which are currently enforced by the police. The police will retain the power to enforce traffic regulations in addition to the county council’s proposed camera enforcement at the specific sites.

The purpose of the change is to enable councils to manage specific problem areas through ANPR camera enforcement – similar to how the bus gates operate – with the fines being retained by the authority to cover the maintenance and management costs.

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The roadworks at Marsh Lane, Oxford, will include resurfacing between the A40 Northern Bypass overbridge and Brookfield Crescent, kerb and footway repairs and drainage improvements.

Although there may be delays while the work is carried out, Oxfordshire County Council has designed the traffic management to minimise the impact on residents, businesses, and all road users.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance, said: “There has not been any structural maintenance of this road for many years and this work is necessary following considerable deterioration. Despite our efforts to minimise the impact, delays are likely throughout the works, so we would urge everyone to review their daily route, mode of transport and time of travel.

“Where possible, we would ask people to consider alternatives to driving such as using the bus, the park and rides, cycling, or walking.”

The £1 million project will be carried out in two phases:

• Phase 1: Initial work is due to start on Monday 24 January and will last for six weeks. It will include kerb and footway repairs and drainage improvements. It will be carried out during the day under temporary traffic signals.
• Phase 2: The main carriageway resurfacing is expected to start on Monday 7 March and will last for three weeks. This will be carried out in stages and will involve the closure of Marsh Lane, with signed diversion routes in place during this period. Work will be carried out from 7pm - 6am and Marsh Lane will be fully reopened to traffic outside of these periods.

Staff will be positioned at either end of the work to direct traffic and pedestrians to ensure the safety of the public and the workforce. Delays are possible and people are asked to be patient and considerate.

To minimise the impact to residents during the night-time working phase, the noisiest activities will stop by 11pm. Although the remaining operations are not completely silent, the site team will be briefed to complete the work with as little disruption and as quietly as is practicably possible.

More information about the project, including regular updates, can be found on the Marsh Lane webpage of the Oxfordshire County Council website.

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Oxfordshire County Council is bringing in the seasonal initiative on certain roads from 5pm on Friday 3 December until Tuesday 4 January. Emergency roadworks will still be permitted, but only when necessary. In these cases, measures will be taken to mitigate the impact on road users.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Roadworks are necessary to maintain and improve infrastructure, but we need to strike a balance to allow traffic to flow as freely as possible. That is why we are imposing a seasonal restriction on non-essential roadworks on a number of key routes as people travel to enjoy the festive period, do their Christmas shopping and support local businesses who have struggled throughout the pandemic.

“If you are travelling into Oxford, we would urge you to put on a face covering and use the bus, including the park and ride sites, where possible. It will help you beat the congestion and avoid the need to find parking spaces, which are in limited supply in the city, especially at this time of year.”

Some major infrastructure work will continue due to the nature of the work that is already in progress but, where possible, traffic management will be reduced to the minimum. Night-time working, where all traffic management is removed during the working day, will be permitted.

The main roads where roadworks will be halted are:

Central Oxford

• Queen Street
• St Aldates
• Cornmarket Street
• High Street
• Longwall Street
• George Street
• St Giles/Magdalen Street
• New Road
• Hythe Bridge Street
• Park End Street
• Banbury Road
• Woodstock Road
• Oxpens Road

Rest of the city and county

• A40 Oxford Northern bypass including North Way, Elsfield Way
• A40 M40 to Headington
• A40 Burford to Wolvercote
• A41 M40 to Bicester Esso roundabout
• A41 Esso roundabout to Buckinghamshire border
• A44 from Enstone to Salford
• A44 B4437 to A40
• A361 from A44/A3400 into Chipping Norton to Old London Road
• A361 Bloxham Road from Wykham Lane to Hennef Way
• A361 Williamscot to Junction 11
• A361 Fullbrook to Signet
• A415 Marcham Interchange to Abingdon
• A415 Clifton Hampden to Marcham
• A417 Grove Park Drive junction (Ardington) to East Challow
• A417 Park Road from A420 to Step Farm
• A420 Botley to Shrivenham
• A420 Oxford High Street, St Clements, Headington Road, London Road
• A422 County Boundary to Drayton
• A423 Little Bourton to Hennef Way
• A423 Southern Bypass Road A423 Thameside Henley
• A424 Westhall Hill to A361
• A3130 Milton Interchange to Didcot
• A4074 Shillingford to B4009 junction
• A4074 Sandford on Thames to A4142/A423 junction
• A4095 Chesterton to A4421
• A4130 Brightwell to Wallingford including around Wallingford to A4074
• A4130 from Hadden Hill to Rowstock
• A4130 New Street, Hart Street Henley, Fairmile to B480
• A4142 Eastern Bypass Road
• A4144 entire length
• A4155 county boundary at Playhatch to County Boundary Marlow Road
• A4158 Iffley Road/Rose Hill/Oxford Road
• A4165 Banbury Road entire length
• A4183 A34 to Abingdon centre including Stert Street, Stratton Way, High Street
• A4185 A34 to Rowstock
• A4260 Adderbury to Hennef Way
• A4260 from Langford Lane to A44
• A4421 entire length (except Charbridge Lane which will be closed by East West Rail)
• B430 entire length
• B480 Watlington Road Stadhampton to The Plain
• B4000 County Boundary to Bourton
• B4009 South Stoke to County Boundary
• B4016 Appleford to East Hagbourne
• B4017 Drayton to Abingdon
• B4017 A420 to B4044
• B4019 Coxwell Street to Badbury Hill
• B4020 entire length
• B4030 Vendee Drive
• B4035 North Newington turn to Banbury Cross
• B4044 Eynsham to A420
• B4100 A43 to A41/A4421 junction
• B4100 County Boundary near Hanwell to A422
• B4100 Warwick Road Banbury
• B4150 Marsh Road, Marson Road
• B4449 Stanton Harcourt Road to B4044
• B4477 A40 to B4020
• B4493 from A417 to A4130
• B4495 Marston Ferry Road, Headley Way, Windmill Road, The Slade, Hollow Way, Between Towns Road
• B4495 Weirs Lane
• B4508 county boundary to A420
• B4508 Majors Road to Longcot.

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The original restrictions were brought in by Oxfordshire County Council in May after an inspection revealed stonework on the northern arch of the bridge – which carries the A415 across the River Thames in Abingdon – had become displaced. Temporary traffic lights were brought in to protect the damaged part of the structure.

In late July, the council moved the temporary traffic signals further apart to create a dedicated space for ‘active travel’, particularly cyclists and pedestrians, over the bridge. However, they have now been moved closer together to reduce the amount of time motorists will have to wait and to ease traffic queues.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This has been an excellent opportunity to trial a scheme which encourages more cyclists and pedestrians to use the bridge sustainably. We know the benefits provided by the extra space was really welcomed by many people who felt safer as a result. We've learnt lessons from it and will continue to look at ways of increasing active travel across our network as we try to cut emissions and improve health and safety.

“We recognise that the end of the school holidays means we have to modify the scheme for the benefit of all road users, and I would like to thank the public who took part in our consultation for taking the time to give us their valuable feedback.”

It is likely to be several months before work can start on repairing the bridge and possibly more than a year before it is completed. The complex nature of repairing this historic bridge, which was built in the 15th century, and uncertainty over the availability of subcontractors with the specialist skills, are factors in the amount of time the work will take.

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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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Stonework to the eastern side of the northern arch of the bridge – which carries the A415 across the River Thames – has become displaced, reducing the bridges strength in this area.

Temporary traffic signals are in place to enable vehicles up to 44 tonnes to continue to use the bridge safely by avoiding the weakened area.

The introduction of the temporary traffic signals required the pelican crossing to the north to be turned off, together with the Market Place traffic signals at the junction of Bridge Street and High Street.

The repairs will require the use of a specialist subcontractor and advice from Historic England, due to this being a scheduled monument, and the Environment Agency, as access will be required from the River Thames below.

The timescales for this repair work have not yet been fully established, but it is likely to be at least six months before work can start and possibly more than a year before a satisfactory repair is completed and the temporary traffic signals can be removed.

The complex nature of repairing this historic bridge, which was built in the 15^th century, and uncertainty over the availability of subcontractors with the specialist skills, will be factors in the amount of time the work will take.

From Friday, 26 March, traffic control measures will be introduced at four of the county’s seven HWRCs for a three-week period, and centres will be closed early or for short periods in the day if queues start affecting surrounding roads. Late-night opening on Thursdays is also being reintroduced from 1 April, with centres staying open until 8pm to help the situation.

The HWRCs have been open for essential journeys only during lockdown but are operating at 50 per cent car parking capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Easter is traditionally a busy time for our household waste and recycling centres, but this year we are asking people to defer their visits until after Easter if they possibly can. If you are certain your visit is absolutely essential then you must be aware that you run the risk of facing long queues and the possibility that the centre might be closed early if these queues start to affect nearby highways.”

The traffic control measures are being brought in at the following sites and dates:

Drayton, near Abingdon: There will be no right turn into the site other than for golf club members. Traffic will then be directed and stacked through the Drayton Golf Club car park. Marshalls will be on hand to offer guidance.

These restrictions will operate on the following dates (inclusive):

• Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March
• Friday 2 April to Monday 5 April
• Friday 9 April to Monday 12 April

The site will operate normally Tuesday to Thursday, and at present it is intended to return to normal from 13 April.

Redbridge, Oxford: There will be no direct public access to the site off Old Abingdon Road. Traffic will be directed through the park-and-ride, following the road around the edge of the site and then being held and controlled at the exit which will be single file for the site (right-hand lane will be right turn only for the park-and-ride vehicles). Marshalls will be on hand at the exit of the park-and-ride and on Old Abingdon Road to offer guidance and direction.

These restrictions will operate on the following dates (inclusive):

• Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March
• Friday 2 April to Monday 5 April
• Friday 9 April to Sunday 11 April

The site will operate normally Tuesday to Thursday, and at present it is intended to return to normal from Monday, 12 April, when access to the park-and-ride will not be possible.

Stanford in the Vale, near Faringdon, and Ardley, near Bicester: Restrictions will be in place preventing vehicles turning right into the site. It is intended the signs and restrictions will be in place from Friday, 26 March, until at least 12 April. Residents need to take this into account and only enter both sites from the right-hand carriageway turning left into the site.

Although these are temporary measures, the main message remains that people should only visit the HWRCs for essential journeys and should defer visits until after Easter if they can. 

People who judge their journeys to be essential are urged to be patient and considerate to the HWRC staff and other users. Abuse of our site teams or marshalls will not be tolerated and may lead to refusal of entry and even banning orders. Please wear a mask on site if possible, keep your distance and, most importantly, stay safe.

Late night opening until 8pm on Thursdays are traditionally quieter periods and good way to avoid some of the queues. During the week, 8.30am until 10am and 12 noon - 1pm can also be quieter periods, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Householders are urged to maximise their kerbside collections rather than visit HWRCs. Residents can place additional recycling securely at the side of their bins, small electrical items – up to the size of a toaster – can also be put out separately with recycling collections.

HWRC users are asked to note the current site rules to ensure social distancing. These include: 

• One person allowed out the vehicle (two people if you have a heavy item). 
• We will only accept contactless payments for chargeable waste. 
• Site team members are currently not available to offer assistance, if you need assistance with items please bring someone else with you.

More information can be found in Oxfordshire County Council’s FAQS: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastereopenquestions 

Thanks to consultation responses from residents and organisations in January and February, final scheme designs have been agreed by the county council and are now set to be implemented.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “I’d like to thank all those that contributed their views in the consultations on the schemes for Bicester and Witney. The consultations have helped us to design schemes that are right for the towns and that make a lasting difference in the council’s goals of increasing journeys made by cycling and walking.”

“Active travel and climate action are at the heart of our plans. We have put forward schemes that will have the greatest impact in terms of air quality, physical activity and environmental benefit. Both schemes are projects which go to the heart of supporting healthy and vibrant communities.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted to learn that work is set to begin on this scheme, benefitting both businesses and residents alike, as well as supporting a shift towards cleaner travel. As the Local Enterprise Partnership for Oxfordshire, we continue to play a vitally important role moving forward, securing investment that enables and unlocks new opportunities for our many businesses and communities right across the county.”

The work has been delivered at pace thanks to funding of £1.4 million secured by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) from the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

In Witney, an enhanced cycling and walking connection between Tower Hill and Madley Park will be created, incorporating the town centre, shops, schools and businesses. Following consultation feedback, Holloway Road will remain open and the proposed bus lane on Corn Street has been deferred to be considered within the Witney transport strategy review.

The work in Bicester incorporates the eastern end of Middleton Stoney Road. This scheme will boost cycling and walking from the expanding south and west of Bicester and provide connectivity into the town centre through Oxford Road/Kings End and Causeway, as well as an off-road route through Piggy Lane. A decision on Causeway has been deferred until the detailed designs have been prepared and discussed with stakeholders.

Shared paths will be widened in both towns to three metres wherever possible to create a safer environment to cycle and walk.

Work on both schemes is set to be completed in May, offering residents a great chance to enjoy more active travel journeys from the summer.

The ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ spread is made using yeast extract, a by-product of the beer brewing process and is an early example of recycling and the ‘circular economy’ – where waste products are utilised, rather than disposed of.

Now Oxfordshire County Council is applying these same principles in a completely different area – road repairs and gully cleaning. Over a four year period, the approach could potentially stop 1,000 tonnes of CO2 being emitted and save £4.3 million of council taxpayers’ money. It will also cut the amount of waste that is sent to landfill sites and reduce the amount of new material that is dug out of the ground.

It's difficult to imagine anything useful being salvaged from the dirty water and solid matter – largely silt – recovered by tankers during the process of cleaning gullies. But you’d be surprised.

Oxfordshire County Council contractor Skanska is currently taking part in a trial with the company Combined Drier Technology to reprocess and reuse the waste, thereby reducing the amount that has to be disposed of expensively.

Using purpose-built de-watering bays in the county council’s depot in Drayton, near Abingdon, water is removed and filtered. Depending on the quality, the water can be re-used or discharged into the foul drainage network under a trade effluent discharge consent.

The de-watered gully waste is then dried, allowing it to be screened and graded, recovering as much of the original waste as possible and removing any non-recyclable contaminants. These recycled materials could then potentially be used in highways works as fill material for resurfacing, topsoil replacement, or be fed into the production of recycled aggregates, subject to appropriate material and chemical testing results and stakeholder agreement. During the trial period, this drying and screening is being undertaken at a third-party permitted facility. However, the equipment used is mobile which would allow it to be deployed to the Drayton depot if the trial proves successful.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “This initiative is a great example of the new thinking and commitment that will be needed to meet our climate action goals. We’re pleased to have been able to collaborate on this with Skanska and their supply chain to reduce both costs and carbon emissions with an innovative solution.”

Oxfordshire produces approximately 1,000 tonnes of gully waste annually. If successful, the new methods of dealing with it could save up to £27,000 a year and prevent four tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.

Despite only being seven months into the trial, refinements are being made all the time. These include plans for the generators – which were previously diesel powered but now use gas-to-liquid fuel – to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil, cutting emissions by 90 per cent compared to diesel.

The Drayton depot is also home to a mobile plant which processes waste generated from repairs to the county’s roads.

One of the by-products of road and path resurfacing – created as a result of asphalt being removed from a surface sub-base – is known as ‘asphalt planings’. Annual maintenance of Oxfordshire’s highway network produces significant quantities of this material, which can be recycled. However, approximately 8,000 tonnes of this are classified as ‘asphalt waste containing coal tar’ (AWCCT), a toxic material which makes it expensive to dispose of safely and difficult to recycle.

But Skanska – through the efforts of OCL Regeneration Ltd, a company within its supply chain – has found a way of treating and utilising the AWCCT and thereby reducing Oxfordshire County Council’s annual hazardous waste costs.

Asphalt planings are transported to the OCL plant at Drayton where they are crushed, graded and then mixed with foamed bitumen, cement and water to form a cold lay asphalt material, which can then be re-used elsewhere in road maintenance. This means that the scheme minimises the use of ‘virgin’ materials to reconstruct roads.

The process also involves treating the material at Skanska’s Horton-cum-Studley recycling site – specially chosen as journey distances were 60 per cent shorter than those for importing virgin materials. All the parties involved maximise carbon savings by making sure every journey between Drayton and Horton-cum-Studley involves full lorries – transporting material to be recycled one way, and the finished product in the opposite direction.

To a large extent, these changes are as much about altering mindsets as they are about amending working practices.

Waste is now being recognised as a potential feedstock for the recycling process, rather than something which needs to be disposed of as quickly and as cheaply as possible – whilst also adhering to legal requirements. And rather than following the carbon-intensive linear pattern – where new, virgin materials are sourced for projects – more thought is given to the use of recycled materials, and planning of up to a year in advance is carried out so that this can be achieved in suitable areas.

Oxfordshire County Council, along with Skanska and OCL Regeneration Ltd, recently took part in a webinar organised by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment to highlight its pioneering work in developing the circular economy.

All these changes, and many more, feed into Oxfordshire County Council’s ambitions to tackle climate change. Last year, the council approved its Climate Action Framework, which set out its plans to make itself a carbon neutral authority by 2030, and to enable Oxfordshire as a whole to become zero-carbon by 2050.

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 will be doing some preparation work along the A40 on a short section of the road just to the west of the Wolvercote roundabout. The work is part of plans to improve the A40 with upgraded cycle and bus infrastructure.

The preparation work will include some vegetation clearance and a small temporary compound will be created alongside the A40 in early December. The compound will be used while the main work to improve the A40 takes place from February 2021 until late 2021.

The main work will be starting in February 2021 and will include widening of the road to offer improved cycle/footpaths as well as bus lanes. The dates for the enabling work will be from 3rd December with the main works starting in February with completion planned for December 2021.

The footpaths/cycle paths will be slightly diverted but will remain open as normal throughout most of the work. There may be some management required for things like a temporary footpath and the vegetation clearance, but access will be maintained. For the main work, the new, temporary path will be used.

The completed work will include improvements to the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts as well as provision of enhanced bus services along the A40 and A44 corridors including bus priority, new bus stops, improved waiting facilities and opportunities for interchange.

Both lanes of the A40 will be kept open during the preparation work but there may be traffic flow reduction with lane widths. No night work is planned at this stage, but Saturday morning work is expected to take place.

The work will also mean that there are very slight diversions of the cycle paths alongside the A40 in early 2021, but access to cyclists and pedestrians will remain and will not be restricted.

Oxfordshire County Council apologises for any inconvenience that may be caused during the period. The work has been designed to keep the area open to business as usual as far as possible.

The work is supported by the government’s Local Growth Fund which has seen the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) – working alongside Oxfordshire County Council – secure £8.4 million of funding for the project.

For more information about this release contact the Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council communications team on 01865 323870 or email press.office@oxfordshire.gov.uk

While many of us have been adapting to COVID-19 by changing our working habits and swapping the office for our spare rooms, the crews who drive the county’s gritting lorries have no choice but to go back to their depots – socially distanced, of course.

Between the end of October and the beginning of April, Oxfordshire County Council’s increased team of 65 drivers – based at Deddington, Drayton and Woodcote – will be on standby as highways managers monitor the weather forecast multiple times a day to see if road surface temperatures are set to drop.

When this happens – as it did on Tuesday, November 3 – it’s all systems go.

One man who has seen everything the weather has had to throw at Oxfordshire in the last four decades, ranging from mild frosts to 2018’s infamous Beast from the East, is Richard Boss.

Richard, a 60 year old married dad from North Aston, has been driving snow ploughs and gritter lorries for Oxfordshire County Council for 38 years. But this year, as well as spreading the grit, he is making sure he does all he can to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Richard said: “While we’re loading, everyone has to wear a face mask. All drivers have got sanitisers in the lorries to wipe the steering wheel and wipe everything down before they start salting.

“Then, when we’ve finished, we have to wipe everything down again to make sure it’s all spotless for the next driver to come in.”

Contingency plans are in place to make sure the gritters can hit the road, even if a number of drivers are forced to self-isolate at some point during the winter.

“We’ve got drivers being trained up pretty quickly to cover in case of a significant COVID outbreak,” said Richard, who usually grits the Bicester route in his lorry, which was given the name ‘Crazy Daisy’ by local schoolchildren.

In fact, 15 extra drivers have been given training to take over if required – and there will be help for the new recruits in the cab too, if they are called upon.

“We’ve just had new satnavs fitted to the vehicles,” said Richard. “Each vehicle is then set to a specific route so you could stick any driver in it if you need to, push the satnav on and it would tell them where to salt and where not to salt – the route’s already on there. That’s a big help.”

When the temperatures drop, Richard – who is a supervisor looking after issues such as potholes and hedge-cutting when not called on to grit the roads – knows the routine well at his Deddington depot.

“We have 13 people on a shift so all 13 have to go home at lunchtime to get their rest period as they will be driving through the night,” he said. “Weekends are not too bad. We’re told what time we’re on the road from. If we’re on the road at 7pm, we get to the depot for 6pm to check the vehicle over, fill the salt up, and make sure everything’s working as it should be.

“Most runs take about three and a half hours. Generally, one run’s good enough for the milder winter weather but if it’s bad weather we can come in and load up again and then go out. If it needs further gritting, we call the next team in to take over.”

Every time they are called out, Oxfordshire’s gritter drivers cover more than 1,000 miles, salting all A-roads, B-roads and some C-roads. The M40, A43 and A34 are covered by Highways England.

With such distances to cover during his 38 years at the wheel, it’s not surprising to learn that Richard has endured the odd scary moment.

“I’ve had some near scrapes over the years with the lorry skidding on ice but I managed to keep it in a straight line and keep it on the road,” he said. “It can be frightening out there at night, especially on your own.

“The Beast from the East was a fine, dusty snow,” he recalls. “It was blowing across the fields and blocking the roads left, right and centre.

“By the time we’d ploughed it off, it was back again. Most gritter drivers were pretty tired that weekend!”

The technology at the drivers’ disposal has improved almost beyond recognition since Richard started gritting the roads in 1982.

“Everything’s electric now,” said Richard. “You just sit in the cab, there’s no need to get out, it tells you everything that’s happening.

“In the old days, the lorries ran on petrol and paraffin and we had a ‘donkey engine’ [a small auxiliary engine] at the back of the lorry. You had to go out, start the engine, put it in gear and then do the salting. Then when you got to the end of the load you had to jump out, turn it off, and drive to the next location.

“Now we’ve got cameras on the back of the gritters so you can actually see what salt’s left and what’s happening - it’s really up to date.”

But one thing that doesn’t change is the message to other motorists to drive responsibly when the gritters are out doing their job.

“Drivers should just be aware that we are out there to help them out,” said Richard. “As the vehicles are restricted we can only do 30mph when salting so we often get traffic coming up behind us quite quickly.

“If you do get held up behind us gritters, just remember we’re there to protect you and keep you safer on the road, instead of blowing your horn and trying to get past!”

The numbers game

• 15: Number of extra drivers trained up for 2020 - 21
• 25: Gritter lorries on the road at any one time
• 220: Tonnes of salt used per treatment (approximately).

Paul Wilson, the man in charge of coordinating the county council’s winter weather response, said: “For 22 weeks of the year, the winter service becomes one of the key frontline services that the county council provides, keeping almost half of the roads across Oxfordshire free as possible from winter hazards.

“However, it should be remembered that even when we do treat, the salt we spread is not like magic dust, and ice and hoar frost can still form even on treated roads. One way to look at it is, if you have to clear your windscreen of ice or frost in the morning there is a possibility that there will be similar on the road surface, so motorists should drive to the prevailing conditions and stay safe.

“We receive a bespoke weather forecast for the county several times a day and, although similar to the forecast you see on the news, it is more specific to road temperature rather than air temperature. This forecast is checked regularly and it helps us to make the decision whether to treat the roads or not.

“The gritter drivers, as mentioned earlier, all have day jobs as well, whether that be filling potholes, patching roads, clearing drains, etc, so for them to drive large gritting vehicles as well can make it a tiring day, especially in severe winter conditions when they could be clearing snow for 12 hours at a time.”

For more information about our winter service please check out our webpages on Oxfordshire County Council’s website

In October, work will start on the first phase of the Bicester A4095 road realignment scheme. The work, funded by Homes England and the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, is designed to address expected congestion between Howes Lane (A4095) and Bucknall Road, ensuring road capacity keeps pace with the housing and economic development in and around Bicester.

The new road realignment will also help to support the North West Bicester eco-town development, delivering up to 6000 much needed new homes and related community infrastructure.

The scheme has been helped with £23.5 million of funds from the £150 million Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal the Oxfordshire Growth Board agreed with the Government to accelerate the building of already planned housing that requires infrastructure investment to bring them forward.

The first phase of the work will be a bridge under the railway (a rail underbridge) to accommodate the realigned Howes Lane together with a separate underpass through the railway embankment at Bicester. The underpass will open a new route for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, eliminating the current obstacle of the railway embankment.

The building of both the underbridge and underpass beneath a live railway, the twin track NAJ2 Marylebone to Aynho line, is a specialist and challenging engineering project. This has been achieved through the close and collaborative working, for over a year, on design and delivery of the scheme by key partners of Oxfordshire County Council including Network Rail, Cherwell District Council, adjoining landowners and utility firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.

A brief railway closure over the Easter period of 2021 has been agreed with Network Rail to allow safe insertion of the steel underbridge while minimising disruption to the public.

The work is due for completion by July 2021. Both bridges will deliver the first phase of the A4095 realignment to be followed by the roadworks to complete the scheme; reducing local traffic congestion, improving connectivity and supporting the goal to open the Bicester eco-town and its promise of 6,000 new homes.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment said:

“Investment in better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians along with real sustainable travel options is a vital part of our growth strategy. New homes are much needed in Oxfordshire but only in locations where they can be built with sustainable supporting infrastructure.

This work along the A4095 will allow Bicester to grow with real active travel options for future residents to enable it to be healthy and sustainable community.”

Cllr Lynn Pratt, lead member for economy, regeneration and property at Cherwell District Council said:

“The realignment of Howes Lane, and associated improvements for walkers and cyclists have only been possible because of extensive collaboration between Cherwell, Oxfordshire County Council, Network Rail, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and local landowners.

“Delivering this new infrastructure will not only ease congestion in the area but also unlock a vital parcel of land in north west Bicester, enabling the provision of 6,000 homes under the Garden Town scheme.”

The key route carries up to 32,000 vehicles a day on the section between Witney and Oxford and is single carriageway in some sections.

The development is great news for the people of Oxfordshire, allowing the council to improve sustainable travel for residents, communities and business whilst supporting thousands of new homes and jobs.

The sum of £102 million will deliver the Housing Infrastructure Fund 2 A40 Smart Corridor which comprises:

• An extension of the dual carriageway from Witney to the proposed Eynsham park and ride, including improving cycling facilities along the route
• An extension of the A40 westbound bus lane from west of Duke’s Cut canal and railway bridges close Oxford near to the proposed Eynsham park and ride
• A40 capacity and connectivity improvements to widen access at Duke’s Cut canal and railway bridges, extending the eastbound and westbound bus priority lane, prioritising bus rapid transit at this pinch point

The work will increase A40 capacity for all users of the route between Witney and Eynsham, while providing a high-quality, congestion-free public transport, cycling and walking link for travel between Witney, Eynsham and Oxford to encourage residents and travellers to adopt active travel to slash emissions and improve air quality.

The HIF 2 scheme will also deliver capacity and connectivity improvements at the Duke’s Cut canal and railway bridges. This will include an eastbound bus route over the bridges on the approach to Wolvercote and improved cycling facilities, including a link joining the A40 cycle route to the National Cycle Network route 5, along the Oxford Canal.

Users will also benefit from interchange at the planned Eynsham Park & Ride, allowing them to use a bus to and from the site, part of the A40 Science Transit 2 Scheme.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said:

“The signing of this funding agreement for more than £102m from Homes England is pivotal and will help ease congestion on the A40 giving it a much-needed upgrade to support sustainable growth in West Oxfordshire.

"The A40 is already above capacity severely affecting residents and businesses. The massive improvements we can now deliver with this funding will reduce congestion, improve public transport, making journeys more reliable and shorter and linking this route to the future Eynsham park and ride.”

Cllr James Mills, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said:

“The importance of this funding cannot be underestimated. The A40 has been beyond its capacity for many years and this will help relieve congestion on a key route from Witney to Oxford and beyond.

“It will also form part of an integrated transport strategy involving the planned Eynsham Park and Ride and Hanborough Station which is designed to help with housing and population growth in the future, particularly around Eynsham and the Salt Cross garden village site.”

Innovative ideas have been identified by county councillors all over Oxfordshire in response to the Government’s national £250 million cash fund to implement changes to roads and transport networks.

There’s set to be a focus on encouraging residents to walk and cycle, with the county council linking up with district councils, Oxford City Council and other partners on the work. In terms of longer-term recovery, the use of public transport will be encouraged as part of the county-wide strategy.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment Cllr Yvonne Constance and Cycling Champion Cllr Suzanne Bartington recently asked all 63 county councillors covering every part of the county for their ideas on what should be done.

Enthusiastic responses were received as the council seeks to make sure that every town and village will benefit from how the funds are invested.

Of the responses submitted, there is particularly clear support for measures including:

• Wider roll-out of 20 mph speed zones where supported by residents
• The introduction of school streets to restrict motor vehicles around schools at certain times of day
• Improved cycling infrastructure such as more cycle-only lanes in every town
• Additional cycle facilities such as more secure cycle racks at rural bus stops

Oxford is already well positioned to benefit from the work done as a result of its Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which has identified steps to maximise the uptake in cycling and walking across the city.

Cllr Yvonne Constance said: “The immense challenges of coronavirus have disrupted our transport network. However there are now opportunities to rethink the way we travel and a chance to make strides towards sustainable and zero emission transport. There’s a real chance to do things differently, helping more people to walk, cycle and travel in sustainable ways.

“By working with councillors across the county on adapting our transport infrastructure and options we can alter the way people think about travelling. This could all lead to much-needed improvements in air quality as well as supporting a sustainable recovery from the pandemic.”

“The county council will work to ensure people have access to the facilities and information they will need to take advantage of the adapted infrastructure that is planned.”

Specific steps will be announced shortly - some will be implemented in June, with further changes to be made between July and September.

The precise allocation and terms for the county of the £250 million government fund is still to be confirmed. The county council will work with the district and city councils to use this funding as widely as possible to address the active transport measures under consideration for the benefit of residents.

And while there’s many things people will be missing right now, congestion on the roads surely won’t be one of them. But despite traffic levels being at an all-time low as far as many people can remember, there still needs to be a team of people keeping an eye on things.

Ordinarily the county council’s Urban Traffic Management Control (UTMC) team, normally based in Kidlington, would be keeping watch on around 60 cameras on our roads and another 12 on Highways England routes looking out for traffic jams and problems on 3,000 miles of Oxfordshire road.

Their eagle eyes sometimes pick up dreadful driving manoeuvres and occasional police chases, and their oversight of the 52,000 cars that use Oxford’s Southern Bypass alone every day shows the true scale of traffic in and around the county.

But surely now, with the roads being almost empty, the UTMC team will be taking it easy?

Not at all.

Keeping connected from the kitchen

The technology now used by the team means that the council’s nerve centre for monitoring travel is now doing its work remotely from living rooms, kitchens and studies across Oxfordshire.

They can often see when there’s a breakdown, crash or set of traffic lights not working. That means they can swing into action and inform partners like the emergency services and bus companies and also alert the public via Twitter and BBC Radio Oxford.

Amy Clark, one member of the team, currently has a mini nerve centre set up in her kitchen where she, and her dog, watch out for crashes and other blockages that could pose a safety problem or might impact on public transport.

From there she helps to keep the public informed via the twitter page @oxontravel, and the digital message signs which are located on roads around the county.

She explains: “We are all set up to be agile workers, this is to ensure we have resilience all year round, especially in severe weather conditions and now, pandemics.

“Wherever we are, we are in constant contact with the bus companies, police, Highways England and our own traffic signals teams.

“On a normal day I like the excitement of it all and having a hand in reducing delays for users of the network. It can be very busy at times and if there are incidents and long tailbacks it can be stressful.

“What has struck me is how everyone is sticking to the new rules, I am so used to seeing traffic on the screens I don’t think I expected the roads to be so clear.

“With COVID-19 the roads are very quiet, lots of roadworks have been postponed, so although it’s very weird seeing the roads clear on our camera, we appreciate that everyone is helping to keep each other safe by only making essential journeys.

“Even with the lack of commuters and general public driving round, the roads still need to be kept safe especially for the emergency services and public transport which is currently vital for many key workers.

“The biggest change is working from home. We have access to systems available in the office, such as remote viewing for our cameras and sensors, but it’s not the same as having the communication with other teams in an office environment. Being at home with my dog all day is lovely but am looking forward to get back to normality with my team.”

From the motorways to the milk shed

Al Ryan, one of the BBC’s traffic report team, is also working from home. He has a studio set up in a former milking parlour at his home in Wantage. He explains: "Working from home has taken a bit of getting used too, as there are so many distractions, like will I have another cup of tea, or will I just give the grass a quick trim!

“I quite like it, now that if gotten in to the routine. It's become the new normal. The technology has really surprised me and the ability to have meetings and broadcast from a shed in quality has been life changing.

“I miss the interaction with the team in Kidlington and the laugh that we all have, plus I miss my cooked breakfast on a Tuesday morning that is lovingly prepared and delivered by one of our most loyal listeners - Maggie of Kidlington.

“As the weeks have rolled on, you can see people’s attitudes changing, mostly for the better although clearly some people have issues with social distancing in supermarkets and only making essential journeys. It's getting a lot busier again on the road network.”

Cars are only part of the story

One of the lesser-known duties of the traffic control centre team is to maintain the publicly accessible details of bus timetables. Working with all the bus operators in Oxfordshire and some from neighbouring counties, they amalgamate the timetable data and push it out as a single source of information through Traveline.

This in turn then feeds out to Google and other centralised journey-planning transport databases.

Chris Spry, traffic control centre manager, said: “One new challenge is that there are changes in the way the bus operators’ schedules and fares are expected to be put together and published in the future. This is the Bus-Open Data model and we are spending lockdown-time changing our operating procedures to accommodate these changes.

“Of course, bus timetables have all been dramatically trimmed or suspended as a direct result of Covid-19 and this has meant a very high throughput just to keep things up to date.

“A second, more direct outlet for bus passenger information in Oxfordshire is Oxontime Real-Time Information and the team is also responsible for maintaining and operating this complex system. This has included a complete revamp of the www.oxontime.com website which has recently been rolled-out.”

The future

It is fair to assume that the work of the team will fundamentally change over the next few years, not least because of technological advancements, but also due to wider changes in the world – including climate change, and as travel patterns change following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris explains: “It’s likely that our focus will turn to monitoring air quality and energy consumption as much as traffic on the roads. Equally, our role will be to provide an information service to the entire travelling public – including cyclists, pedestrians and those that use shared transport such as buses or trains – helping to influence and promote more sustainable travel choices.

“We’ll continue to use our physical control room but increasingly automate and virtualise the way we work to manage incidents, accidents and events more efficiently. This includes utilising current and emerging technologies to achieve widespread understanding of what is happening and likely to happen on Oxfordshire’s network. We use a wide range of real-time and connected data sources (including CCTV, sensors and real-time bus information) to help us make operational decisions and to implement strategies which improve traffic flows.

“The future is uncertain but as ever, it is staff on the ground who are key to providing an excellent customer service.”

The Red Zone, which covers a small part of Oxford city centre, marks the next step towards cleaner air in Oxford.

The formal consultation on the Red Zone is open to all and will run from Wednesday 4 March until midnight on Wednesday 15 April 2020.

Following feedback from the informal consultation in January, both councils have agreed a number of updates to the final proposals on the Red Zone.Both councils are inviting comments on the final proposals, which are expected to be reported to the councils’ Cabinets in summer 2020.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford, Oxford City Council, said: “Unlike the smog from industrial chimneys and cigarette smoke, you can't see the air pollution caused by fossil fuel cars. However, we can see the evidence of its impact in the ill health of residents exposed to polluted air. Our councils are committed to cleaning up our air, protecting people's health, and addressing local causes of climate breakdown. In time, I hope, the innovative actions of local councils to clean up dirty air will become as everyday as car passengers wearing seat belts to stay safe and people smoking away from enclosed public places to protect everyone's health. The launch of this formal consultation paves the way to the introduction of Oxford's Zero Emission Zone this year."

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Tackling air pollution and climate change is a great priority for Oxfordshire County Council. Not only will this project make a difference to the quality of life and health of people living and working in the city centre, we are showing that it is possible as we start to respond seriously with climate action. We can look forward to a city that will be a healthier and cleaner place for all. In doing so, it is important to understand public views on the latest proposals for the Red Zone and encourage residents to study this version and submit their feedback."

The key points of the latest proposals are:

• The introduction of a charging scheme in the Red Zone between 7am-7pm, with an introductory £10 charge for non-compliant vehicles entering the zone, rising to £20 from August 2025

• Exemptions for businesses registered in the Red Zone until July 2025, followed by a discount until July 2030.

• A 90% discount for residents living in the zone until July 2030.

• Buses and Oxford licensed Hackney Carriages which drive within the planned Zero Emission have already agreed timelines for zero emissions fleets across Oxford and will not be subject to charges.

Updates to the final Red Zone proposals:The formal consultation will include updates to the proposals based on feedback from approximately 900 individuals and organisations in an informal consultation which ran in January 2020.

The consultation received 868 responses by via the online survey. In addition, approximately 40 emails (or emailed letters) were received from individuals and organisations.

The January consultation provided a range of views. As in previous consultations, some feel the scheme is unreasonably stretching, while others feel it is not sufficiently ambitious. However there was clear indication that introduction of the proposed Red Zone covering eight city centre streets, and introducing a charge for all non-compliant vehicles, would lead to a change in behaviour by most people. Only 14% said they would continue to drive in and pay the full charge. The remaining 86% said they would enter the zone in a compliant vehicle, enter outside of the charging hours, travel using bus, bike or walking, or they would not enter the zone at all.

The attitudes expressed in the consultation responses also highlighted a balance of views in agreement with the proposed charging levels, discounts, and hours of operation.

Based on the consultation feedback, the following updates have been proposed to the scheme:

• Eight week “soft launch” phase: A soft launch of the scheme which would see the Zero Emission Zone implemented but no charges payable or penalty charges issued until 1 Feb 2021. This is in order to address concerns about the scheme starting in the run up to Christmas 2020, a key trading period for city centre businesses.

• Start date for second phase of Red Zone to be changed to summer 2025: To address concerns about the scheme starting in the run up to Christmas 2024, a key trading period for city centre businesses

• Commitment to work with ZEZ residents and businesses to develop supporting measures: To address concerns that support is required to help people comply.
• Blue badge holder discount extended to include international equivalents: This update has been made to address concerns raised about the impact on access for people with disabilities. Both councils will explore whether it is necessary and feasible to broaden this exemption to cover people with disabilities who do not hold a Blue Badge or equivalent.

• Disabled tax class vehicles exempt in all years: This has been made to address concerns raised about the availability and cost of specially adapted vehicles for people with disabilities.

• Update to discount for blue badge holders or international equivalent: The originally proposed £20 daily charge from December 2024 for blue badge has been reduced to £10 from August 2025. This will be reviewed by the end of 2024 to establish whether any charge is appropriate.

• Review zero emission standard for large vans and lorries: Both councils will review zero emission standard for large vans and lorries in light of Ultra Low Emission Truck (ULET) standard, when available. This is in order to address concerns about consistency with national guidance.

• Exemptions for certain special vehicle categories: To address concerns about availability of alternative options where mode shift or re-timing is not possible and to ensure consistency with Clean Air Zones and London ULEZ.

Phasing of the Oxford Zero Emission Zone:Following feedback from the informal consultation, the phasing for the Oxford Zero Emission Zone has been updated.

More information about the updates, transitional exemptions/discounts, and permanent discounts can be found in the formal consultation document.

Oxford Zero Emission Zone

The Zero Emission Zone aims to reduce Oxford’s toxic air pollution levels, tackle the climate emergency, and improve the health of residents, workers and visitors in Oxford and beyond.

This follows increasing focus locally, nationally, and worldwide about the harmful impact of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from vehicles and follows both the City Council and County Council recognising a climate emergency and making commitments to cut carbon emissions.

Transport accounts for about 75% of nitrogen dioxide pollution in Oxford, and 50 tonnes of CO2 are emitted by road traffic in Oxford every morning rush hour.

Air pollution has been found to contribute to cancer, asthma, stroke and heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and with changes linked to dementia. Data published by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) estimated that around 36,000 premature deaths in the UK every year could be linked to long-term exposure to air pollution, with health experts warning that there is no safe level of NO2.

The Zero Emission Zone is part of a wider local transport plan which aims to improve connectivity, reduce emissions and support sustainable growth across Oxford and Oxfordshire. Earlier this year, both councils consulted on their Connecting Oxford proposals to tackle congestion and improve public transport connections into and across Oxford. Together the two schemes aim to create zero emission transport system across Oxford and Oxfordshire.

Have your say:

Information about the consultation can be viewed on the councils’ websites. Hard copies of the consultation can also be viewed at County Hall or Oxford City Council offices and a number of libraries across Oxfordshire.

The consultation closes at 23.59 on 15 April and can be completed by the means below:

Online: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/zeroemissionzone

Post:

Zero Emission Zone

Oxfordshire County Council

County Hall

New Road,

Oxford

OX11ND

Email: lts.team@oxfordshire.gov.uk

The work will involve some vegetation clearance along with engineering surveys over a three-week period beginning this month. A temporary lane closure (at night) will be required in compliance with Oxfordshire County Council Highway regulations.

Some of the surveys are to be carried out at night under two-way traffic lights to minimise the impact on traffic, but no road closures are required. Any road users in the area from 20.00-05.00 over a period of seven days (w/c 24^th February) may experience short delays due to temporary traffic lights. Any work during the day will be off the carriageway and confined to foot ways, cycle paths and verges.

The dates of the work will be:

W/c 17th Feb days– Vegetation clearance and survey work. No impact to traffic. Pedestrian marshals will be overseeing the footpaths to escort pedestrians and cyclists safely past the works.

W/c 17th Feb nights – Survey work. No impact to traffic.

W/c 24th Feb days- Vegetation clearance and survey work. No impact to traffic. Pedestrian marshals will be overseeing the footpaths to escort pedestrians and cyclists safely past the works.

W/c 24th Feb nights – 2-way traffic lights on A40 and lane closures on A40 and around Wolvercote roundabout but travel in all directions will remain open.

W/c 2nd March – Survey work. No impact to traffic.

The schedules above have been designed to keep the road and path open to the public as normal as far as possible.

Oxfordshire County Council apologises for the inconvenience that may be caused during the work. The schedules above have been designed to keep the area open to business as usual as far as possible.

Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council launched the consultation on the final draft proposals for the Oxford Zero Emission Zone on Tuesday 7 January.

The consultation will close on Friday 31 January at midnight.

Members of the public and businesses can have their say in the consultation via Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

Oxford city centre businesses were invited to ask questions and share their views on proposals for the UK’s first city centre Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) at a forum held on 22nd January.

The new proposals consider the Red Zone, which covers a small area of the city centre and will start from December 2020 for all vehicles. The informal consultation is on a draft final scheme for the Red Zone, including the proposed charging and enforcement arrangements, which could begin in December 2020.

The Zero Emission Zone aims to reduce Oxford’s toxic air pollution levels, tackle the climate emergency, and improve the health of those living, working, and visiting in Oxford and beyond.

The key points of the latest proposals are:

• The introduction of a charging scheme in the Red Zone between 7am-7pm, with a £10 charge for non-compliant vehicles entering the zone.
• Discounts for all blue badge holders entering the zone until at least December 2024.
• Exemptions for vehicles registered to businesses in the Red Zone until December 2024, followed by a discount until December 2030.
• A 90% discount for residents living in the zone until December 2030.
• Buses and Oxford licensed Hackney Carriages which drive within the planned Zero Emission have already agreed timelines for zero emissions fleets across Oxford.

The councils are looking for feedback on: the level the charges are set at, whether the discounts are appropriate, the suggested hours of operation for the charging scheme, what future phases of the Zero Emission Zone should include, and when they should be implemented.

Final Red Zone proposals will go out for formal consultation in March.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford, Oxford City Council, said: “When I talk to colleagues, community meetings, and knock on residents’ doors to pick up casework, the Zero Emission Zone regularly comes up in conversation. People have strong, reasonable, and well-judged views, but they might not share them in a formal consultation. We’re issuing one last push for Oxonians to share their views in order to make the Zero Emission Zone both fair and effective.“Are the daily charges for polluting vehicles too low or too high? Our two councils are proposing future phases of the ZEZ—should we introduce the Zero Emission Zone to the rest of the city centre sooner than 2021/22? Should that larger zone span a larger or smaller area? Should we seek to be a Zero Emission Oxford sooner or later than planned? Finally, should people living in the Red Zone pay 10% or 100% of the charge for driving their polluting vehicles? These are the burning questions we need answering. Everything you tell us gets read and listened to, and really could make all the difference.”

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Tackling air pollution and climate change is a great priority for Oxfordshire County Council. Not only will this project make a huge difference to the quality of life and health of people living and working in the city centre, we are showing that it is possible as we start to respond seriously with climate action. We can look forward to a city that will be a healthier and cleaner place for all. In doing so, we welcome the views of the public, residents and other stakeholders and ask them to submit their views on the proposals in our survey."

The Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council cabinet decisions to proceed with the Connecting Oxford transport proposals were informed by more than 3,000 responses to the autumn 2019 engagement exercise on proposals for new bus gates across Oxford and a workplace parking levy (WPL) in the city’s Eastern Arc - an area outside the city centre that links parts of north Oxford, Marston, Headington and Cowley.

The goal of the two councils with Connecting Oxford is to make a real improvement to journey times for commuters, other travellers and quality of life for residents and visitors, including improved air quality, by reducing the number of cars travelling into and around the city and encouraging more people to travel by public transport, walking and cycling. More active travel by cycling and walking will also have added health benefits for citizens. Proposals will also significantly reduce carbon emissions from transport, which accounts for 17% of annual greenhouse gas emissions in Oxford.

The detailed design and appraisal of the proposals will take into account feedback raised during the recent engagement exercise held in autumn 2019. Over 3,000 views were submitted on proposals from the public and variety of stakeholders including businesses, employers, parish councils and community groups. The survey revealed significant support for change in transport in Oxford, including backing from Oxford University and the NHS as large employers in the area. Funding for this stage of work, estimated to be £1.602 million has been secured.

The proposals for Connecting Oxford aim to create a series of benefits to residents, businesses and employees including a better public transport and a walking and cycling network that is continuous and high-quality. This includes a key new bus service linking employment sites in the eastern area to other parts of the city, county towns and Park & Ride. This will be enabled by revenue from the WPL and the service will run every 12 minutes through the day. Reduced traffic would also mean bus journeys in and around the city are quicker, more reliable and enable more road space for wider cycle lanes and public realm.

Severe traffic congestion is having a negative impact on existing bus services. Oxford Bus Company has confirmed bus speeds in the centre of Oxford are 38% slower than in 2006, and so to ensure the timetable is met it has to put around one third more buses on the road. This, together with falling passenger numbers as a result of the slower journey times, has hit profitability, which is down by two-thirds. If not addressed, this unsustainable trend could see further impact on less profitable city and rural services.

The key points of the proposals are:

• Three new bus gates are proposed at Worcester Street, Thames Street and St Cross Road/South Parks Road to reduce the number of motor vehicle trips which pass through the city centre
• In the Eastern Arc of Oxford, two new bus gates on Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way are proposed to cut traffic on the B4495.
• A Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) is proposed across Oxford’s Eastern Arc, an area that covers north, east and south-east Oxford inside the ring road
• Those affected by the WPL, including employers and their employees, would directly benefit from grants for onsite sustainable travel improvements and parking management and discounts on bus fares, park & ride buses and parking and discounts on bike purchases

There will also be a significant and rapid expansion of Controlled Parking Zones (CPZ) across Oxford, including nine new CPZ schemes that the county council has already approved for formal consultation. In addition to the traffic measures in the city, other traffic management schemes, including ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’, might be required to ensure traffic is not displaced and residential roads are not used to circumvent restrictions.

A Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) will be an annual charge paid by employers for each parking space they provide, on or off-site, that is used for employee (commuter) car parking. Operational parking is exempt from a WPL as are fleet, visitor and customer car parking spaces. The revenue will also provide a locally controlled source of funding to be used for new and improved bus services as well as funding for additional Park & Ride capacity and better walking and cycling routes.

Several individuals and organisations, including some large employers, expressed support for alternative options, including a congestion charge or expansion of the WPL area. Alternative options will be considered as part of the feasibility study at the next stage as required as part of the DfT business case process.

Plans to go ahead with the steps included in the study will be open to further participation by the public, business, employers and other city organisations to address concerns and technical details. This includes the creation of the ‘Connecting Oxford Partnership’, involving a number of employers within the proposed WPL zone, to help shape the proposals. Further engagement will also be conducted with those affected by traffic restrictions, including residents and community groups, smaller employers and businesses. This will include face to face meetings and other forms of engagement.

Now that county and city council cabinets have endorsed proposals for the development of Connecting Oxford, further stakeholder engagement will be carried during the rest of 2020; with the next public consultation expected to take place in winter 2020/21.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment said:

“The recent public survey on the concepts of Connecting Oxford underlined a widespread understanding that doing nothing to address traffic congestion in the city is no longer an option. More than 60% of all journeys into Oxford are currently by car despite the fact that average car and bus speeds into the city are slowing. The Oxford Bus Company says that bus speeds in the centre of Oxford are now 38% slower than in 2006 and they have had to increase the number of buses on the road by around a third to meet their timetables. Without action, car-dependency is likely to continue as more jobs are created. We will work closely with employers, commuters and residents to develop travel options across the city that allow for efficient movement to work, school and for leisure that have the minimum impact on the environment.”

Cllr Alex Hollingsworth, Oxford City Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Sustainable Transport said:

“At a time when both the City and County Councils have formally recognised the climate emergency, we need to take decisive action to reduce the impacts of car traffic on Oxford and Oxfordshire. Those impacts are much more than air pollution, serious though that is. That’s why we need to drastically lower the number of vehicles as well as making sure that those that remain are as clean and green as possible. Cutting car traffic will allow buses to run more efficiently, and free up space for safe and secure routes for cyclists and pedestrians. Cities all across the world are leaving behind the era when private cars were the dominant form of transport; Oxford needs to do the same.”

Connecting Oxford is part of a wider local transport plan which aims to improve connectivity, reduce emissions and support sustainable growth across Oxford and Oxfordshire. Over the past year, both councils consulted on their Zero Emission Zone proposals to tackle vehicle air pollution and improve public transport connections into and across Oxford. Together the two schemes aim to create zero emission transport system across Oxford and Oxfordshire.

Background:

An engagement exercise to get feedback from the public and stakeholders on the Connecting Oxford proposals was held in late 2019. Over 3,000 responses were received in total; 2932 responded via an online survey (95% of which responded in a personal capacity with the remainder (5%) responding on behalf of a business, employer or other organisation). Respondents included employers comprising businesses and other organisations, as well as parish councils and community interest groups.

In summary, the feedback confirms there is recognition that doing nothing is not an option. Overall, only a minority of online survey respondents – both among the public (25%) and stakeholders (32%) – believed the proposed WPL would make journeys worse. Feedback on the proposed bus gates was more balanced, with a minority of the public (42%) responding that these would make their journey worse, while a small majority of stakeholders (53%) believed their journeys would be worse.

Several individuals and stakeholders indicated that proposals should go further – including extending the current proposed WPL zone to other parts of the city - or requested further justification for not extending the current proposed WPL zone to other parts of the city.

What happens next?

The timetable below outlines the development of a detailed scheme and Department for Transport compliant business case will now be undertaken between January/February 2020 and Autumn 2021, with the scheme designed and assessed to ensure any adverse impacts are mitigated.

Further consultation and engagement will be undertaken as part of the next phase of work. This includes the creation of the ‘Connecting Oxford Partnership’ to help shape proposals and involving employers and businesses affected by the WPL, including those representing health and education sectors and the private sector. The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and other Oxfordshire district councils will also need to be involved.

There will continue to be a regular flow of communications through media and social media countywide to ensure high levels of public awareness over the proposals.

Map:

Timetable:

January 2020 – county and city councils Cabinets to decide how to proceed with developing Connecting Oxford.

January-October 2020 – develop more detailed proposals and continue discussions with stakeholders.

Winter 2020/21 - formal consultation on a detailed proposal.

May/June 2021 - possible Public Inquiry.

Autumn 2021 - request for Department for Transport approval (as required).

For more information contact:

Oxfordshire County Council

Press office

01865 323 870

press.office@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Oxford City Council

Press office

01865 252096

pressoffice@oxford.gov.uk

Each year thousands of days-worth of disruption are caused on the roads by repairs and installation of new infrastructure.

From December the council will introduce a new system that means companies wanting to work on roads around Oxfordshire will have to apply and pay for a permit in order to work on the highway.

These will clearly set out how the work will be done, the duration, times of work and how traffic will be managed. When there are clashes between different sets of work the council will also require companies to collaborate more closely to minimise disruption.

Companies that need to work on the roads will benefit from the fact that securing a permit means that they have effectively booked the road space that they need. The permit scheme operates to conditions that are the same across the UK, meaning it will be easier to work consistently across council borders.

While the council will have the power to refuse permission for planned work to take place if it believes the proposed timings or planned approach will cause unnecessary disruption, emergency unplanned work needed for things such as pipe bursts will be unaffected.

Less days of disruption

Until now the county council has had a system of ‘noticing’ which relied on mutual cooperation between anyone needing to work in the road and the council.

Because of this, over-running or badly managed work has been difficult to deal with effectively due to the limited sanctions available to the county council.

Under the new permit scheme, the county council will have greater ability to manage and control works on the highway as well as enhancing the existing relationships with works promoters to the benefit of all involved including the travelling public.

Better for all and less ‘hassle factor’

The council’s highways team hope to achieve:

· A reduction in roadwork duration - removing around 8,900 days of work from Oxfordshire’s roads annually – around a 10% reduction

· Improved quality of works completed and enforcement of failed works.

· Improved coordination and management

· Less ‘hassle factor’ such as additional journey planning and inconvenience from works put on the travelling public.

Powers to step in if things go wrong

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Roadworks are always essential to making sure everyone has water, gas, electricity and broadband supplies while repairs and resurfacing mean that people are able to get around.

“People get frustrated when their journeys are interrupted by road works and, while essential disruption can’t be avoided, we need the powers to step in when things go on too long or aren’t being managed as they should be.

“In the past we have worked quite well with companies and work closely to coordinate roadworks. But when things don’t go to plan our powers have been limited – now we will have incentives for work to be done on time and teeth to take action when it’s not.”

It is expected that income from the permit scheme, around £1m a year, will cover its costs. The scheme will piloted in December with the full scheme, including charges and enforcement, is expected to begin in February 2020.

The annual St Giles Fair takes place on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 September and attracts thousands of people to the city.

St Giles will be closed from Sunday (8 September) until noon on Wednesday (11 September), when the fair has closed and packed up.

Buses will still serve the city centre with the usual relocation of some stops to Broad Street as happens every year.

However the associated road closure and work on Walton Street mean that the best option for many motorists is to leave the car at home or use one of the five park and ride sites on the outskirts of Oxford. Work being done on Botley Road by SGN will be suspended during the fair and so there won’t be any impact on traffic.

Walton Street sinkhole work necessary

Walton Street is currently closed to traffic while investigations and repairs are made after the discovery of voids beneath the road surface.

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “The St Giles Fair is a wonderful event and each year we work with Oxford City Council and the bus companies to make sure this historic event takes place for everyone’s enjoyment.

“If at all possible, don’t drive into Oxford on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday but use the Park and Ride, walk or cycle instead.

“Apart from the usual closures during the fair, there are works on Walton Street which is closed to traffic at the moment. while sinkholes are repaired.

“We are working hard with our contractors to complete the work on Walton Street as soon as possible. It is likely that this complex and unexpected work will continue during St Giles Fair and the road won’t be available as a diversion during the event.

“We will provide an update on the situation in Walton Street as soon as we can. If you have to drive while the fair is on, we would advise you to plan your journey to take closures into account and to follow the signed diversion route.”

Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council and cabinet member for economic development and partnerships: “Urgent repair work in Walton Street and the usual road closures for St Giles’ Fair mean there’s likely to be heavy congestion on all routes into the city on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

“We want everyone to enjoy the fun of the fair and nobody likes being stuck in traffic. If you’re coming into Oxford for St Giles’ Fair I’d urge you to leave your car behind and catch the Park and Ride instead.

“Driving in Oxford is also likely to take longer. If your journey is not essential, why not walk, cycle or take the bus if you can?”

Diversion route for traffic

The signed diversion during the St Giles Fair is via St Margaret’s Road, Banbury Road, Marston Ferry Road, Marston Road, St Clement’s, The Plain, Iffley Road, Donnington Bridge, Abingdon Road and Oxpens Road and viceversa.

Public transport information

Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director said: "The St Giles Fair is a popular event that is one of the highlights of year in the city. We look forward to helping people travel to and from the event via our Park&Ride and City services. Customers should be aware that the usual diversions will be in place with most services picking up and dropping off in Magdalen Street using Broad Street instead.”

"The roads are expected to be very busy so we would encourage people to use public transport where possible. We will work with key stakeholders during the event to keep Oxford moving and publish travel news via our social media channels."

Chris Coleman, Managing Director for Stagecoach in Oxfordshire said "Stagecoach will be operating services to the usual St Giles Fair diversions and to help people understand what this means all details are displayed on our website under the service updates section".

You can find out which of Oxford’s five park and ride sites suits you best at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/public-transport/park-and-ride/locations Bus companies will also be providing information on any of their services that are using the usual St Giles diversions and bus stops – you can find this information on affected buses and bus company websites.

Cowley Road between the Plain Roundabout and Magdalen Road will be resurfaced, drainage and footway repaired and worn buff coloured surfacing replaced. The road will also be strengthened at bus stops.

Work will begin on Monday 8 July 2019 and is expected to last up to 12 weeks.

Although there will be disruption during the work, it is hoped that the road will not need further maintenance for many years to come.

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Cowley Road is an important route into Oxford City Centre and I am sure that anyone who travels that way will be pleased with the end result.

“We are spending more than ever on road repairs and have pledged an extra £13m for road maintenance this financial year on top of our existing £18.5m programme of work – this follows last year’s additional £12m.

Thornhill resurfacing coordinated

From 22 July the county council will begin off-peak work to repair damaged drainage, install new kerbs and re-set sunken gulley covers, this will take two weeks.

Once complete resurfacing will be done overnight on the westbound side of the A40 from Thornhill Park and Ride to Ridgeway Road. This work is expected to last until 18 August.

Plan your journeys

The county council has designed the traffic management to minimise the impact on residents, businesses and all road users affected by the work.

Delays are likely and everyone is being asked to review their daily route, mode of transport and time of travel and where possible consider alternatives.

When work starts there will be temporary traffic lights in place after the morning peak.

More details on this and the next phases of traffic management can be found at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cowleyroad