Oxford 'climate lockdowns' and '15-minute city' - can anyone local explain their views on this?

[unsureatthispoint]

This news has been published in several media outlets and being talked about ATM.

Road blocks stopping most motorists from driving through Oxford city centre will divide the city into six "15 minute" neighbourhoods, a county council travel chief has said.

And he insisted the controversial plan would go ahead whether people liked it or not.

Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for travel and development strategy, explained the authority's traffic filter proposals in an interview in The Sunday Times.

He said the filters would turn Oxford into "a 15-minute city" with local services within a small walking radius.

Mr Enright said: "It is about making sure you have the community centre which has all of those essential needs, the bottle of milk, pharmacy, GP, schools which you need to have a 15-minute neighbourhood."

The aim is to reduce traffic in the city centre and make city living more pleasant, but critics say the plans will negatively affect businesses and the city centre's economy.

Here's the link

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23073992.traffic-filters-will-divide-city-six-15-minute-neighbourhoods-agrees-highways-councillor/

Are local people aware of this and what's their take on it?

I live in Oxford and I think the scheme is worth trying. The current situation with appalling congestion and pollution is just not sustainable. It does need to be accompanied by improved public transport, but any reduction in traffic will make bus journeys quicker.

I also think that people forget that cars come with costs to society (reduced air quality, noise, delays, danger). When you choose to travel by car (which I do) then you are imposing those costs on those around you. You may feel aggrieved at your right to do this being restricted, but the people around you are having their life impacted when you use your car. It’s a question of balancing everyone’s rights.

Emmaemerald, some quite provocative posts for someone not trying to start a row

@Devoutspoken They are not provocative posts. It’s reasonable to ask questions. You have fairly forthright ideas yourself. Possibly provocative for us ordinary mortals.

@DuckonaBike
”I also think that people forget that cars come with costs to society (reduced air quality, noise, delays, danger). When you choose to travel by car (which I do) then you are imposing those costs on those around you. You may feel aggrieved at your right to do this being restricted, but the people around you are having their life impacted when you use your car. It’s a question of balancing everyone’s rights.”

I agree BUT the council is only voted for and acting on behalf of the people affected by the costs (Oxford residents) and not the people affected by the advantages (residents of villages around Oxford). So the interests aren’t being balanced by this scheme eg 100 passes a year for people living in Oxford who have better public transport options and the ability to walk/cycle versus 25 passes a year for people in the villages where public transport is much worse and it’s too far to walk/cycle. We have a massive housing shortage in this country so have to make life workable for people whether they live in a city or a village. We’re talking about basic stuff here like being able to get to work after the school run.

That’s a fair point @LauraIAm and I do think the proposals are hard on people who live outside Oxford and have little choice but to commute in by car. What’s needed is a real alternative - in the short term more and faster buses, in the longer term the long mooted rail connection to Witney, Carterton etc. (though I don’t hold out much hope for the latter currently).

It’s likely that a real reduction in car traffic will lead to speedier bus journeys though. And it is supposed to be experimental, so let’s see what happens.

A judicial review is being brought against the council by a group of businesses, including Jeremy Mogford, and residents (Oxford Mail, 2nd February). The council has already received a letter from the legal firm about this challenge.

The judicial review is being raised on the basis of inadequate consultation and lack of transparency with data and feedback. They are crowdfunding and have already raised £50,000 through donations.

I should have thought that Oxford City councillors are completely correct to represent the interests of those who elect them. Isn't that the point?

No. Not entirely. Business owners don’t elect them but might suffer a lot from this. The council needs their taxes though. Councillors are not direct representatives - they cannot be. They have to listen to all and balance needs from differing views and sectors. Or, the city as a dynamic place to work, will die. If employers cannot get the employees they want into the centre, they won’t stay in the centre. This is a city that builds cars but it will end up being anti business and just reliant upon the public sector and universities in the centre.

@jgw1 I think there is a democratic deficit - the council(s) for people living in villagers doesn’t have the power to control access to Oxford city, but the people who live in villages need a say in this as it’s impossible to live in an Oxfordshire village without having a relationship with Oxford city eg that’s where the hospital is.

I think since I go on holiday in France I should get a vote in their elections too. You are quite correct @LauraIAm

@jgw1 Obviously you don’t have to go on holiday to France but people in Oxfordshire do sometimes have to go to hospital which is in Oxford - not sure why you are deliberately failing to understand that?

Ok. So if I go to hospital it is in Wales, but I live in England, so I should get a vote in Welsh Assembly elections as presumably should anyone who might go to hospital in Wales?

@jgw1 Yes, if the Welsh Assembly restricted access to a hospital which was also the closest hospital for a group of people who did not have the right vote for the Welsh Assembly, I would also consider there to be a democratic deficit there

No one is restricting access to any hospitals.

Ok @jgw1 1) glad we now agree on the democratic deficit point :) 2) yes this scheme does restrict access to hospitals since it blocks the most direct route from many locations to the John Radcliffe hospital - not ideal if you need to get yourself or someone else to hospital because of well-publicised issues with the ambulance service, for example

Where does it say they are shutting the A40?

Totally agree there is a democratic deficit. I ought to be able to vote in elections in my holiday destinations as well.

@jgw1
why on earth do you think villages in Oxfordshire near Oxford compare to a holiday destination ? People who live there are residents, not occasional visitors. Oxford city is not Oxfordshire County Council. Oxford city must understand the needs of people who need to access city based services but live nearby. They need to understand business that is situated in the city but draws people from a wider area to work and to interact. People who live near a city DO need to be heard even if they cannot vote for the city councillors. It’s called collaboration and consultation.

What distance is required before one isn't allowed a say in what the local council does? 10miles? 50miles? 100miles?

@jgw1 You don’t need to shut the A40 to restrict access to the hospital. The council itself admits this scheme restricts access to the hospital, that is why the council has had to include an exemption for people requiring frequent hospital treatment, see this council website: letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/traffic-filters-2022

Oh, so access to the hospitals isn't restricted. Remind me what you are trying to argue?

@jgw1 What is proposed is ‘Short-term exemptions for patients receiving frequent hospital treatments’. This clearly doesn’t cover all hospital users eg emergencies as I mentioned above. That is restriction of access to hospital.

As this is the second time you have claimed not to understand an obvious point, I am now respectfully disengaging from discussion with you.

Don't the current traffic jams also restrict access to the hospital?