UNCONTROLLED parking around Oxford Brookes University will continue for at least four years, a council chief has said.

The news comes after Oxfordshire County Council confirmed a U-turn on planned parking controls in Cheney Lane and Warneford Lane, Headington.

The council had planned to limit parking to 24 hours in the roads, with no return within eight hours, to deter Students from leaving their cars for days on end.

But the scheme was scrapped on Thursday, after a public consultation triggered by angry residents last November showed limited support.

Residents of nearby Divinity Road said the plans would push parking congestion from the two roads into their already busy street.

Rodney Rose, council cabinet member for transport, said the “controlled parking zone” (CPZ) schemes were not a priority.

He said: “Our priority is maintaining highway networks, rather than spending money on control parking zones.

“There’s no point in helping people park and then they can’t drive on the highway because of potholes.

“Personally, I think we’ve got to [have controlled parking in the Divinity Road area], but we haven’t got the money to do it.

“It could change as more money comes in, but we have a four-year medium-term plan and there is no money for it in that time.”

He said of the Cheney Lane and Warneford Lane plans: “The public consultation totally affected the decision.

“I was very concerned about residents in the Divinity Road area and I wasn’t prepared to make life more difficult for them.”

Divinity Road resident Sietske Boeles, who campaigned against the scrapped plans, said: “I am absolutely delighted. But we want the county council to go much further than that – we want a controlled parking zone in our area.”

Dr Boeles said: “Students leave their cars and use public transport or walk to college, and then at the weekends or the end of term they pick their cars up. It causes huge problems. For instance, emergency vehicles have difficulties getting through.

Two Cheney Lane residents opposed the 24-hour limit but said uncontrolled parking was not working and suggested permits, backed by Granville Court Residents’ Company.

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