Consultation on East Oxford LTNs set to close this week

The controversial scheme was installed in Divinity Road, St Clement’s, and St Mary’s in May under an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO), with bollards and planters blocking access to vehicles.

The Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in East Oxford are part of a Government funded Active Travel initiative which aims to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions and boost healthier travel choices.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire County Council has spent £73k on repairing LTNs

The consultation closes this week (Image: Ed Nix)

In 2020, Oxfordshire County Council was awarded £3 million to put towards active travel schemes, such as the LTNs and improving cycling infrastructure.

However, the project has been highly controversial with opponents of the LTNs claim they actually increase congestion and pollution in other areas of the city, cut of communities from one another, make travel more difficult for vulnerable people.

Some opponents have also claimed the LTN scheme is classist and racist because there are no LTNs located, or planned to be installed, in north Oxford.

Since the bollards were installed, the county council has battled against vandals who have violently damaged and destroyed the traffic filters by running them over, ripping them from the ground and setting them alight.

File image of a damaged LTN bollard (Image: Archive)

On the other hand, people in favour of the measures have taken to the streets to defend the bollards and act as ‘human bollards’ who continue to block traffic while the damaged filters are out of action.

During this controversy, anti-LTN activists have also sought to raise funds to challenge the measures by taking the county council to court.

At the time of publication, the GoFundMe page has raised more than £20,000 to challenge the LTNs in Oxford.

The consultation opened for at least six months from May 20 and is set to close this Wednesday (November 30).

Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet will make a decision in February (Image: Archive)

A decision on whether to make the trial scheme permanent, extend or remove it will be made at a county council cabinet meeting in February 2023.

Officers will recommend the decision based on factors including any feedback received, data collected on traffic and air pollution and levels of walking and cycling in these areas.

Anyone is able to provide feedback by completing the survey, which can be accessed on the county council’s digital engagement and consultation platform letstalk.

You can also request a paper copy by emailing the council at eastoxfordltn@oxfordshire.gov.uk or writing to them at Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND marking the envelope: East Oxford LTNs – ETRO survey.

You can fill in the consultation here: letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/east-oxford-ltns-2022

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.

You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry

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