‘Close shopping village on Boxing Day’ (From Oxford Mail)
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‘Close shopping village on Boxing Day’
1:00pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Bicester
A COUNCILLOR has made a controversial suggestion to help cut future Boxing Day traffic jams around Bicester – close Bicester Village for the day.
Les Sibley reckons the designer outlet should remain closed on the bank holiday and reopen when public transport is up and running the following day.
He made the suggestion at a traffic advisory meeting as the fall-out from post Christmas traffic chaos was discussed.
Bicester Village said an “unprecedented” level of motorists visited the outlet.
People abandoned their cars on the A41, forcing it to close for a time, and swamped nearby residential streets to park.
Mr Sibley said: “I’m sure staff will welcome an extra day off, and then the following day public transport would be in operation. I think that could certainly help the situation.”
Oxfordshire County Council said it was up to Bicester Village to decide its opening hours.
Comments(14)
Nick Mawer
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1:48pm Fri 10 Feb 12
snert
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4:15pm Fri 10 Feb 12
Andrew:Oxford
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6:25pm Fri 10 Feb 12
jellyface2
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6:37pm Fri 10 Feb 12
hagar1
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7:12pm Fri 10 Feb 12
Darkforbid
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9:32pm Fri 10 Feb 12
┄The people's voice┄
interested123
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9:54am Sat 11 Feb 12
Grandmother groundhog
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10:46am Sat 11 Feb 12
Until Bicester Village pays for a second entrance/exit to their premises. Also the diabolical driving of the visitors to BV played a part in the chaos.
pointofview3
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3:15pm Sat 11 Feb 12
Andrew:Oxford
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8:00pm Sat 11 Feb 12
pointofview3 wrote:Perhaps the police took the common-sense approach and decided that they didn't have the capacity to accommodate several thousand badly parked vehicles.
Les Sibley is an idiot. Close the shopping centre on Boxing Day? Why not do something really radical and actually do something about the ongoing constant issues the residents have with traffic and parking due to BV each and every weekend. Where were the police on Boxing Day, were the cars given tickets and why weren't they towed away? Does anyone really care about the impact of BV on the people that live here? Traffic lights, park and ride and proper lane directions are all needed. I for one am fed up of even trying to get to Tesco or in and out of Bicester that way so I just don't bother but really comments like Sibley has made are just a waste of hot air.
Nor did they want the responsibility of people, many with children, being left to walk home along dark roads, dual carriageways or even the motorway due to the lack of public transport on Boxing day.
JanetJ
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10:47am Sun 12 Feb 12
Andrew:Oxford wrote:And as it was a Bank holiday I don't suppose there were many police on duty.
pointofview3 wrote:Perhaps the police took the common-sense approach and decided that they didn't have the capacity to accommodate several thousand badly parked vehicles.
Les Sibley is an idiot. Close the shopping centre on Boxing Day? Why not do something really radical and actually do something about the ongoing constant issues the residents have with traffic and parking due to BV each and every weekend. Where were the police on Boxing Day, were the cars given tickets and why weren't they towed away? Does anyone really care about the impact of BV on the people that live here? Traffic lights, park and ride and proper lane directions are all needed. I for one am fed up of even trying to get to Tesco or in and out of Bicester that way so I just don't bother but really comments like Sibley has made are just a waste of hot air.
Nor did they want the responsibility of people, many with children, being left to walk home along dark roads, dual carriageways or even the motorway due to the lack of public transport on Boxing day.
Surely if the public transport system isn't in place Bicester Village shouldn't be allowed to open and also agree with previous poster re the additional entrance/exit. Although I assume Mr Sibley has been part of the Council process that approved the opening and then continued expansion of bicester village without any thought to the parking etc.
BicRes25
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2:07pm Mon 13 Feb 12
Severian
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9:45pm Fri 17 Feb 12
BicRes25 wrote:Planning departments don't approve developments - councillors do. In this case it will have been Tory controlled Cherwell District Council, which appears to be more than willing to bend over backwards to help big businesses (BV, P3Eco, A2Dominion, Sainsburys etc.) whilst not giving a stuff about the people of Bicester.
Bicester Village is a great place and we're lucky to have it however the traffic situation needs to be sorted. 'Closing it' is not the answer as, although not to the same level, every weekend there are traffic problems which will probably worsen with all traffic the new housing in that area will generate. Don't bash BV but the planning department who obviously didn't realise what a major tourist attraction they allowed without sufficient infrastructure.
Dilligaf2010 says...
1:15pm Fri 10 Feb 12