Have Your Say on Highways & Transport Issues

Residents are being invited to have their say by Oxfordshire County Council on highways and transport issues including congestion, safety, cycling and the condition of roads and footpaths.

Oxfordshire County Council has launched a number of roads and transport online surveys, which are open to the public to comment on. The council is keen to hear views as soon as possible but people will have the chance to comment until February 2022. It is an opportunity for people to tell the new cross-party Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance, which was formed in May 2021 after the local elections, what they think about highways and transport services.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “The quality of our highways network and transport systems are some of the key things that Oxfordshire County Council is judged on by the public and it is a great responsibility which everyone here takes incredibly seriously.

“In my new role I am seeing first-hand how difficult it is for our hardworking teams to maintain the highway network within current budgets, due to insufficient national government funding. However, we are committed to keeping the transport network safe and structurally sound.

“I urge all residents to use these quick and easy online surveys to tell the new cross-party alliance what is being done well and what can be done better. It is important that as many people as possible who are affected by these issues have their say.”

Earlier this year, the council announced it was investing £31.3 million in improving the highways network for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians in 2021/22. Roads, cycleways, bridges, drainage, pavements and streetlights will all benefit from the programme. The full list of projects and their locations is available to view online.

Between April 2020 and March 2021, Oxfordshire County Council treated just under 1.5 million square metres of highway at more than 220 sites, with works valued at just over £20m.

Repairs are identified either through reports from the public or during the council’s own routine inspections. People can report any defect found to the highways using the Fix My Street website.

Amanda Chumas, Founder of the Henley 7.5 Tonne Weight Limit to Ban Through HGVs Campaign said, “I would like to call on all who supported our Campaign to stop through HGVs please do get involved and comment on this initiative, and also, if you have the time, the neighbourhood plan exhibition/survey which is to be held in Henley Town Hall on 2nd & 3rd July.”

Before the May election, OCC councillors supported Stefan Gawrysiak‘s  resolution calling on OCC to undertake studies of the amount of heavy-traffic using Henley, purely as a through corridor because of its iconic bridge across the Thames. The intention was that the results of these studies would form the basis of a Traffic Regulation Order to bring in a 7.5 Tonne weight limit to stop through HGVs.

Henley’s need for protection from this type of heavy traffic, certainly has not gone away since the May election. We must now make sure that the newly elected governing cross party Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance is alive to our plight.

The two surveys, that I’ve referred to above, present ideal opportunities to raise awareness. That is why I strongly encourage supporters to comment and give feedback.

Also, please don’t forget that in addition to the ever increasing volume of through HGVs, there will also be the necessity for extra HGVs to come to Henley as part and parcel of the development of new homes that are scheduled under the Neighbourhood Plan to deliver materials and take away spoil. Before work starts, it is critical that developers submit traffic movement plans (which they stick to). This will enable access routes to be planned and the volume of development traffic to be managed to minimise disruption.

The Campaign looks forward to being granted the opportunity to make Henley’s case to the new OCC councillors responsible for highways and weight limits.”