Highfield Traffic proposals on hold

We have just heard this lunchtime that the county council has put the Highfield Traffic Management Scheme proposals on hold, and that the County officer responsible for the scheme has given apologies for this evening’s area committee meeting

The responses from local councillors on the current scheme will still be sent to the County’s transport planning officer for consideration in the drafting of the report, and the responses from residents will still be collated, analysed and made public at some unspecified point in the future

More importantly there is an implication that the money for this proposed scheme may be spent elsewhere in Headington rather than in the Highfield (and New H) area, so long as it helps reduce through traffic in and around developer sites at the NOC and the Brambles, Latimer Road. This will be decided in line with the capital spending review. It would be possible, for example, for the County to decide that this money should be used as part of the Park and Ride expansion at Thornhill to run public transport to and from hospitals in Headington thus reducing through traffic by drivers through Headington residential streets. Please note: this is only one alternative option

The discussion of options arising from the Highfield Traffic Management Scheme consultation at the Cabinet Member for Transport’s meeting in September has been pulled from that agenda

Highfield traffic proposals

As Vice Chair of the North East Area Committee I have asked for Joy White (the author of these proposals) to come along and update us on the response to the consultation and what the likely options may be. That meeting is happening on Tuesday 20 July at New Marston Primary School, Copse Lane at 6 pm. You are very welcome to come along and hear the latest news on this! I shall ensure there will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions and give comments.

Replacing the play equipment at Bury Knowle Park

Here is an update from last night’s open meeting.  The news is good in that they are going to retain a couple of pieces of toddler play equipment after all, and they are hoping to put a proper boundary around the play area comprising hedges and fencing, both wooden and metal, so that should sort out the concern about dogs.And yes! there WILL be a zip wire! And a ship like structure (allegedly), a rope bridge over a hollowed out pit, a low wall children can climb over but high enough to keep the dogs out, a sandpit, big stones/rocks to walk on, springy ‘stepping stone’ platforms to walk on or springy ride-ons, etc. The theme is to use natural materials like wood and stone whenever possible to tie in with the park’s featuresI’ve asked them about further consultation, they say they’d like to put out the contract to tender by 6 September, and we discussed the possibility of them putting up their design plans in either Bury Knowle Library or the Baptist Church towards the end of the month so people can look at them and make comments – they don’t have these plans finalised yet but may be able to provide a link electronically at some point in the near future, I’ll post it up when I
get it

Some good points from parents this afternoon – face the slide away from the sun as it gets too hot, and put a slope up in front of the swings to stop toddlers running in front of them and getting hit. Lots of questions about disabled access too. Toddler play equipment appears to be divvied up across the whole area rather than in one toddler zone – views, anyone?

Notional timelines liable to slippage: order equipment beginning of October, start the work mid November, complete January 2011 though subject to weather conditions. Fortunately delays in the process have meant work won’t take place over the summer, that’s a relief!

Proposed traffic scheme latest

Successful lobbying by Highfield Residents Association for measures to make Highfield streets less congested with through traffic and to reduce the speed of vehicles using its streets has heightened the awareness of county planners of the problems experienced by residents in their area

The county planners have now produced proposals for a  traffic management scheme for Highfield that is currently out for consultation. We asked the county officer responsible for these proposals to convene a meeting with residents’ groups, and she kindly agreed.

The meeting took place on 10 June. Here are some of the notes I took away with me from it. The closing date for comments and objections to the scheme is 1 July

Notes from the meeting about the traffic scheme held on Thursday 10 June

 

Present:

Cllr Altaf-Khan (County Councillor and Chair of the meeting)

Joy White (County planning officer)

2 representatives from Highfield Residents’ Association Traffic Group

3 representatives from New Headington Residents’ Association Traffic Group

2 representatives from Friends of Old Headington Traffic Group

1 representative from Friends of Old Headington (the Chair)

1 representative from Central and North Headington Residents’ Association

Cllr Ruth Wilkinson (Headington ward)

 

What we agreed about:

·         There should be a master plan for traffic management across the whole of Headington

·         The strategic health authority and the hospitals trust should be required to manage transport issues more effectively, particularly in respect of hospital staff

·         Everyone wants safer, less congested traffic routes in their area

·         Traffic calming in residential streets is a good idea

 

Things people were worried about included:

·         Traffic is like water: if you stop it in one area, it will spread into another and this will result in more rat runs. Some feel this scheme is piecemeal

·         No right turns would mean longer journeys and restricted access to homes and businesses for some affected residents – more fuel, more time and less freedom

·         Possible loss of parking spaces

·         Confusion for visitors and delivery drivers (won’t show up on sat navs)

·         The disadvantages of the scheme outweigh the benefits for some residents

·         The bollards in All Saints Road

·         We need some traffic flow modelling to be done so we have more evidence to go on

·         The timing: some people felt we should wait until after the London Road redevelopment as this may affect the way traffic flows through Headington

·         The London Road junctions with Windmill Road and Headley Way will come under much more pressure, and some people are worried about safety at the Windmill Road junction already. Can the existing infrastructure accommodate the dispersed traffic?

 

We thought about new ideas which would not restrict access so much including:

·         The replacement of some pinch points with a pedestrian crossing in Lime Walk

·         The possibility of making Bickerton Rd and Stapleton Rd one way

·         Ways to make  Lime Walk look more like a residential road than a main road to calm speeds, for example planting (non-sticky) lime trees on alternate sides of the road

·         Putting bollards in New High Street at the junction with All Saints Road

 

Actions

·         Residents’ associations will hold open meetings to discuss their response to these plans

Ø  New Headington: Fri 25 June All Saints Church Hall at 6.15

Ø  Highfield: Mon 21 June (tbc)

·         Ruth and Altaf will continue to hold street surgeries in New Headington, McMaster House and in Windmill Road: next surgery Wed 16 June at 6.00-8.00 pm, 24 Wilberforce St.

·         It’s important that people have more time to make a considered response after they have attended open meetings. Many people are still angry and upset. Joy has now made 1 July the closing date for responses

 

PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONSULTATION

– the feedback form is on the link above.

 

Please contact David and Ruth if you have particular concerns

Headington Festival Sunday 6 June!

Don’t forget to come along to Sunday’s Headington Festival! There will be lots to see and do for all the family from 1.30-5.00 pm. Let’s hope the weather stays fine!

Ruth will be helping to staff the Friends of Bury Knowle Park stall. If you want to talk to me informally about any local issue, do feel free to come and discuss it with me! I shall have fliers for the next street surgery too – it’s on Tuesday from 6 pm -8pm at All Saints Road

Warning: cycle thefts in Headington

There have been cycle thefts from Ruskin Hall and Old High Street in the last week.    Our Neighbourhood police team have teamed up with the East Oxford team to help recover your bike if it gets stolen or lost. Simply email Headington@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk,  and provide the team with details about the cycle including frame number, colour, make and any distinguishing features. They will place the details you provide on a local police database and when they stop a thief on a cycle they will check the details against the database. It doesn’t matter if the cycle is worth £20 or £2000. If you would like them to engrave your cycle with a postcode then please feel free to email the Headington North neighbourhood team at Headington@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk  to arrange a time for them to visit you.

Got an issue you want to raise?

Our next councillors’ street surgery will be held on Tuesday 8 June from 6 pm – 8 pm on the corner of All Saints Road. There’s no need to book!

We are working hard to help you with local issues and want to hear what concerns you – currently our top two email topics are the new traffic management proposals in Highfield, and the level of traffic accidents and near misses both locally and in the London Road corridor

***The traffic management scheme has been proposed by County officers, and this is your chance to talk to your local County Councillor Altaf-Khan.***

If you can’t make it, but have something on your mind, please drop us a line.

County proposals on Highfield traffic management

The proposals for traffic management in the area bounded by Old Road, Windmill Rd., London Rd. and Gipsy Lane can be viewed here

Please do fill in a feedback form online or tel 01865 815882 for a paper copy.
David and I have already received a number of phone calls and emails about this. Please do continue to copy us into your views and suggestions for alternative improvements.

We shall be holding street surgeries in this area shortly- please watch this space for details. You may also wish to contact Altaf Khan, your County Councillor, on 01865 798777 or mob 07931 345554, and Clly Rodney Rose at the County Council who has responsibility for transport within the City