Traders in Oxford’s Covered Market fear planned pedestrianisation and cuts to parking will cause “chaos”, hiking up costs and putting off customers.
Oxford City Council has revealed a £6.8 million masterplan which intends to give a boost to the historic market, which should attract shoppers to its independent shops and cafes.
Under the plans, the market’s High Street and Market Street entrances will be transformed, and a new space will be created through the pedestrianisation of Market Street.
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However, business owners fear the city council’s planned pedestrianisation and the loss of affordable places to park will increase delivery costs and discriminate against motorists, with net-zero ambitions coming first.
Paul Lee, proprietor of Covered Arts and Framing Service, said: “Customers might feel they are not able to drive in with their artworks”. He said the introduction of the Zero Emissions Zone (ZEZ) had already led to customers “being unaware” that they could visit his shop by car.
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He said: “We will have to change our approach regarding the logistics of our suppliers.
“Most of our deliveries come from London and the north of England and fragile products such as glass lengths of timber need to be safely received.”
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He said he was supportive of plans to pedestrianise Market Street and recognised the market needed to adapt with changing times. But he was concerned “big companies were unlikely to be flexible” so the pedestrianisation would force him to keep using his home workshops for deliveries.
Mr Lee said he wanted to “see more people coming in” but the pedestrianisation of Market Street “could lead to chaos”, with traders trying to receive deliveries at the same time.
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Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown said: “Creating a pedestrian-friendly space on Market Street will not prevent access for deliveries to the Covered Market.
“The current proposals have been significantly informed and adapted based on numerous meetings with Covered Market traders in 2021 and 2022, including traders who rely significantly on deliveries in and out of the market.
“As a result, some vehicle loading bays will remain available at all hours, as will cyclist access.”
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However, Ms Brown said “some changes to delivery times may be required” and she said an “increased use of cargo bikes” could become necessary which will ultimately allow people to spend more time in and around the Covered Market.
Jeremy Mogford, the owner of Old Bank Hotel in High Street and Old Parsonage Hotel in Banbury Road, has expressed fears the city and county councils are out to punish motorists, which will continue to “detriment” city centre businesses.
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He said: “We increasingly hear direct feedback criticising the lack of parking and the very highly disproportionate charges for the ever-reducing available parking that remains.
“The two hour limit for on street parking is not enough time for people to go to the theatre and then enjoy a civilised dinner or lunch.”
Mr Mogford called on the council to bring back the “London evening parking policy”, which allows motorists to park between 6.30pm and 8.30am without being charged.
He said: “When this policy was in place, we witnessed true vitality and buzz on our streets - especially with a nighttime economy which can begin at 4.30pm and not 7pm as the council leads us to believe.”
A city council spokesman said on-street parking was the responsibility of the county council and highlighted that the ZEZ pilot area does not contain any public parking spaces - apart from blue badge holders who are exempt.
Andrew Gant, the county council’s cabinet member for highway management said: “Oxford is a small medieval city, not built for the volume of cars we have in the 21st century.
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“The council’s policy regarding on-street parking in Oxford is to encourage people to use our convenient and value-for-money park and rides and avoid driving into the city centre.”
Covered Market trader Luciana Gyuricza, who started the beer business Teardrop five years ago and the wine bar Market Cellar Door two years ago, said she was “concerned” how the pedestrianisation of Market Street will impact deliveries.
Ms Gyuricza’s husband owns the Sartorelli pizza restaurant in Covered Market.
She said: “Every day his restaurant needs dough deliveries, and it will be hard for us if Market Street is closed off.
“If there were less restrictions the market would be booming more.
“When tourists leave, we need to rely on local people and the parking in Oxford is super expensive.”
The council has promised the regeneration of the market will respect the unique character, heritage and history of the market which first opened fully in 1774.
Graham Jones, from the group ‘ROX Backing Oxford business’, credited the council with putting a “lot of energy into the Covered Market” but said the planned pedestrianisation failed to understand that “businesses needed supplies to operate”.
He said: “The city council needs to have a serious re-think of what it is doing.
“These businesses need access and the councillors making these decisions simply don’t understand how businesses operate.”
Mr Jones said the market was once considered the Crown jewel in the crown, but this had “faded”, with many businesses moving out.
He called for both the county and city councils to engage more with business groups and to not prioritise net-zero carbon ambitions over the interests of the business community.
Seamnd Horik, who works at the Lebanese takeaway Rozana, said his concern was that receiving deliveries was already difficult down the High Street and pedestrianising Market Street would therefore make life harder.
However, not all traders are concerned about the pedestrianisation plans, with Oxford Soap Company owner Ervin Valteri arguing it was a “great idea” and would lead to the community becoming “engaged with the market”.
He said: “There will be a lot more going on and this will attract more people into my shop.”
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