A decorating business owner has said he will no longer work locally because of the impact of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).

Dean Inseal has owned a decorating business for 18 years and used to regularly serve a large number of local and regular customers.

Mr Inseal lives on Hendred Street and in the last couple of months he said doing local jobs was becoming "too difficult" because of the LTNs.

READ MORE: Oxford MP 'prioritises national issues' over LTN concerns

LTNs were installed in May 2022 in Divinity Road, St Clement's and St Mary's in East Oxford.

They aim to reduce through traffic and encourage more enviornmentally friendly forms of transport.

Mr Inseal said: “When getting around the East Cowley neighbourhood, trips which used to take five minutes, are now taking 35 minutes to get to Cowley Road and anywhere via St Clement’s Street.

“If I was going to Hill Top Road, I would drive down the Cowley Road, and turn up Divinity Road.

“So, it would usually take between five and six minutes."

READ MORE: Oxford LTNs criticised by Florence Pugh dad and bar owner

Mr Inseal said he now finds it easier to drive further afield and he admitted that this seemed to be a “strange anomaly”.

He added: “I now won’t do local jobs.

“It would be ideal to do these jobs but I’m just not going to do them anymore.

“Since the LTNs, it is generally harder to get around the area.”

The business owner emphasised that he wants the LTNs to work but that he foresaw these problems which is why he was never in favour of their installation.

He explained: “I’m a green voter and open to traffic changes and LTNs if they work.

“But what used to be a 20 minute trip now takes an hour.”

READ MORE: Oxford traffic filters: pressure mounting on council

Mr Inseal highlighted the LTNs weren’t helping the environment because he frequently found he was “stuck in traffic for an hour with diesel chucking out of the car”.

He said: “I cycle at the weekends and enjoy walking my dog without cars so I can see both sides of the argument.

“However, what has been done with LTNs in the Florence Park area of Oxford is divisive.”

Oxford Mail: Sign up to Ed Halford's free weekly Politics newsletter here Sign up to Ed Halford's free weekly Politics newsletter here (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Inseal said he knew neighbours where he lived in East Oxford who will no longer “open their windows on the front of their house because of the constant stream of traffic”.

He added: “They just funnel everybody down the same two or three roads and that creates problems for the people who live in and around that side of the LTNs.”

Mr Inseal said he understood why some people who live in and around the Florence Park area thought the LTNs were “fantastic” as they did not have to put up with cars or pollution.

Oxfordshire County Council has emphasised the scheme has had a series of public consultations to ensure residents can have their say. 

A county council spokesman previously said: "LTNs aim to reduce through traffic and make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

“The sites were chosen for consultation following stakeholder engagement including liaison with emergency services, data reviews and site visits."