Green light for Gravel Hill traffic trial

A traffic pinch-point trial on Gravel Hill has been given the green light at this week’s Planning Committee meeting.

Over the last 10 years, measures to address concerns to reduce speeding on the road and improve pedestrian safety and traffic flows have been implemented which have included the introduction of the pedestrian crossing and a speed indicator device. However, the narrow footpath opposite number 43 Gravel Hill were not.

The proposal is to fund a two-week trial on the carriageway to assess whether a single lane traffic flow for circa 100m stretch of Gravel Hill carriageway should be implemented in order to improve road and pedestrian safety.

A 2016 Oxfordshire County Council Feasibility Report considered measures to address pedestrian and road safety concerns raised by Henley Town Council on Gravel Hill as part of the Integrated Transport Strategy 2003. This does though remain on Oxfordshire County Council strategic plan as a formal third party scheme to progress.

Following a site visit with residents in August 2026, it was agreed that Henley Town Council would carry out a trial.

The monitoring will comprise of seven days of baseline automatic traffic counts on Gravel Hill and West Street, followed by 14 days of monitoring during the trial, together with classified video surveys during the second week covering vehicle movements, queues, give way behaviour, pedestrian and cycle activity and access movements.

Councillors agreed to recommend that £16,750+VAT is spent from Community Infrastructure Levy (money given to the Council from housing developers) and that a speed count should also be part of the monitoring.