OXFORD CIVIC SOCIETY Response to Oxfordshire County Council consultation

5 November 2015

We have serious criticisms about the way this consultation is being handled, as well as comments on the various solutions. The information does not explain why we need to decide long term options for the A40 now. It is too early to present specific options which might cost £100m or more when there is no coherent long-term plan for land use or development in the Oxford region. Big investments like this can only be justified by their support for major developments and if they can reduce congestion by encouraging more efficient and sustainable means of travel.

Suggesting that all we need to do to prevent “urban sprawl” and to safeguard our countryside is to keep green belts intact is naive.

26 October 2015

Oxford is no longer a tight-knit medieval town with a few charming Victorian suburbs; it is economically and socially intertwined with the towns and villages around it, which, as much as the green belt countryside, represent the “setting” of Oxford. This interdependency makes transport a key issue and road congestion as well as air pollution are at crisis level.

It is difficult to make any judgements without data on problems and improvements.

8 August 2015

We are very supportive of the objectives of making public transport and cycling much more attractive, in the interests of reducing congestion and environmental pollution and improving public health. In principle we acknowledge that the proposals exhibited appear likely to be effective in promoting these objectives, however there is an over-arching shortcoming in that no evidence is offered in the form of data or predicted consequences, to demonstrate the effectiveness, or justify incurring the adverse effects which would inevitably result.

by Mark Barrington-Ward, Editor of The Oxford Mail 1961 - 79 and `OCS President 2004 - 2010

14 June 2015

Mark Barrington-Ward returned to Oxford as editor of the Oxford Mail in 1961 and from then on he was not only a penetrating observer and commentator on all aspects of the city's development, but through his paper's active campaigning and encouragement, he played a significant part in its shaping.

Our response to Oxfordshire County Council's Local Transport Plan 4: 2015-2031

6 May 2015

We broadly welcome this report but have many detailed concerns, not least the lack of data to establish a base position and quantified targets for improvement.

OCS response to Oxford City Council's Statement of Community Involvement (Planning)

18 February 2015

The Statement of Community Involvement (Planning) (SCIP) appears to be rooted in the statutory requirements for consultation on planning matters. This is understandable and necessary but it is not actually sufficient. Although we are pleased to see reference to the Oxford City Council Community Engagement Policy[1] we are concerned that the intention stated in that policy to put collaboration at the heart of the city’s planning processes is not reflected in the draft SCIP.