Decision details

Members received and considered the Oxfordshire County Council Cycle Strategy for the East Witney Area.

The Committee was pleased to see that cycling connectivity was being considered and the plans had taken into account the views of local groups and the Town Council. The strategy was well-thought but there were some specific queries which would formulate the response.

RESOLVED:          that the Cycling Strategy for the East Witney Area be noted, and the following consultation response be submitted to Oxfordshire County Council.

Witney Town Council welcomes this report, and although principally addressing East Witney, it is pleased links to North Witney and the town centre are alluded to. This is a good, well thought-out start towards greater town-wide connectivity and a Witney plan.

The report also displays the benefit of collaborative working with those who have a high level of expert local knowledge, including, Windrush Bike Project, BUG, Witney Traffic Advisory Committee and the Town Council.

There are some specific points which the Town Council would like to draw attention to:

1. The Town Council is expecting a 2nd entrance to the Windrush Cemetery to be included in the SDA road layouts. Cycle routes from the town should link to this.
2. The information contained is occasionally out of date (although it is noted there will be an audit for each development). In particular, the photograph of Woodbank off Woodstock Road is very old as a housing development is now situated here
3. Could removal of barriers be considered at Blakes Avenue and Old Stanton Harcourt Road? (not shown in Figure 11 as Hazards).
4. Could a crossing be considered across Cogges Hill Road leading to Blake Church of England Primary School?
5. Could the crossing exiting Church Lane across to the Old Dairy side be improved? This is a crossing heavily used by cyclists which leads to Madley Park Estate and Wood Green School which could be made safer. It is also the route into Witney from the whole residential area beyond. The alignment of the crossing and a push-button crossing would be welcomed.
6. The fatality figures included in the appendix on page 26 seem a little confusing, further clarity would be beneficial.

7.       Alongside parallel crossings to cross Cogges Hill Rd and Stanton Harcourt Road, could priority for cyclists at side roads along Cogges Hill Rd and Stanton Harcourt Road on the ‘future adjacent to road’ and ‘traffic calming’ sections be considered, so that cyclists travelling to Hanborough Station, Eynsham and Oxford can ride straight along? This would make the routes out of Witney more attractive for those crossing town, too.