THE county council is set to end an agreement for on-street parking enforcement in West Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved giving notice to West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC), to terminate an s101 Agency Agreement with regards to the management of highway parking enforcement in West Oxfordshire.
There is now a 12-month notice period for ending the agreement, so new arrangements could come into effect from spring 2023.
Under the proposals, WODC will continue to manage and enforce its off-street car parks, while the county council will manage on-street infringements, such as yellow lines and bus lanes.
Future parking proposals, such as residential parking permits or pay and display schemes, would need to be consulted upon and determined in their own right.
Andy Graham, county councillor for the Woodstock division, said at the meeting: “It’s more than timely to terminate the agreement which will end confusion and will mean any parking proposals will be determined in their own right.
“There is a scheme in Woodstock which has come up with a plan ready to be put to residents.
“For over 15 years, the lack of effective enforcement has caused chaos in Woodstock.”
Cabinet member for highway management, Tim Bearder, added: “It’s absolutely not the case we’ll be bringing in other plans for off-street parking charges, as that falls with the district.”
County council leader Liz Leffman said: “As a West Oxfordshire resident, this is much-needed and I hope people see that.”
A council report stated that ‘it is considered that it is no longer necessary or efficient’ for WODC to run on-street parking enforcement for the county council.
The report added: “With the county council now directly managing civil parking enforcement for all district areas other than within the West Oxfordshire area, officers are recommending ending the WODC agency agreement.”
Read more: Councillors leading petition to ‘save’ free parking in West Oxfordshire
Meanwhile, a public consultation launched yesterday in respect of parking in Woodstock.
The Woodstock Town Council website states that plans include the introduction of pay and display bays with exemptions for permit holders, and new permit holder only parking areas.
Last month, councillors led a petition to ‘save’ free parking in West Oxfordshire.
Since then, Woodstock town councillor Sharone Parnes told the Oxford Mail: “I accept that Woodstock has issues with parking like many towns across West Oxfordshire, but you only have to look at Oxford city with the high levels of congestion, and shops emptying at an alarming rate, to see the impact of pushing away local people and visitors.
“I welcome the opportunity to discuss a way forward for parking in Woodstock, but this cannot include any form of parking charges for the town.”
The consultation for parking in Woodstock can be found at: letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/woodstock_parking2022
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