Florence Park Community Association Report on consultation meeting 13 May 2022
This was one of a series of meetings held by the county and city councils to consult community and residents associations about plans for further traffic filters (‘bus gates’), a workplace parking space levy paid by certain employers and a pilot zero emissions zone in central areas of Oxford. The overall aim is to free up and improve bus routes and enable other forms of active travel like cycling and walking while reducing the high pollution rates in the city.
Many thanks to members of the association who responded to our survey on this. I recorded your responses on each of the proposals numerically and anonymously here. The many comments received were also copied into an anonymous document here. Both documents were submitted in advance of the meeting which I attended on behalf of FPCA. Those of you who responded were very marginally in favour of the bus gates, with most concern expressed about the proposal for a filter on Hollow Way. The workplace levy and zero emission zone were more popular.
The meeting on 13 May was one of three online meetings. It was well attended by over 30 representatives. As well as submitting your views, I spoke about the importance of buses to any active travel plan, particularly for people who can’t cycle and can’t walk far. I said that fares were an issue for many people, with a trip into town for many families made too expensive by high fares. Council representatives said that the workplace parking levy could go some way towards addressing this.
I also spoke about the concerns of disabled people locally that blue badge holders couldn’t drive through the bus gates. I was told that a solution to this was under consideration and that blue badge holders can already apply to have their badge recognized in the zero emission zone, which includes the disabled parking bays on New Inn Hall Street. A full public consultation will take place over the summer and this will be a further opportunity to have your views heard.