Council refuses calls to open LTNs in emergencies

Businesses say it is "disappointing" that calls to reopen Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Oxford during emergencies have been refused.

A petition set up by hairdresser Jenny Wells, open only to plumbers, carers, decorators and other mobile traders, amassed more than 500 signatures.

Introduced in 2023, the LTN schemes prevent traffic taking shortcuts through residential areas, and are intended to make streets safer for walking and cycling.

Oxfordshire County Council said it would only relax LTN restrictions if "no alternative route was available".

Bernadette Evans, a spokesperson for Oxford Business Action Group, said it was "really disappointing" that the council was not prepared to consider opening up key LTNs in the event of a major incident.

She said accidents on the A34 and Eastern Bypass had led to "literally thousands of people have their lives turned upside down unnecessarily".

"Hospital appointments missed, people hours late to work, children waiting to be picked up from school and nursery, sports clubs missed, restaurants empty because it takes too long to get there and customers cancel," she added.

Delivering her petition to a full Oxfordshire County Council meeting last month, Ms Wells said the local authority should "ask people in the areas, not just have a blanket ban".

"A lot of traders have stopped trading in Oxford because they cannot deal with the traffic," she added.

The council said the existing policy meant LTNs could be opened if requested by emergency services during severe flooding when communities were cut off from major roads.

In the case of roadworks, it said officers would" identify alternative diversions for road users to ensure the flow of traffic".

"This approach is to ensure that residents in low traffic areas are protected from traffic and also to prevent high volumes of vehicles down often narrow residential areas which could lead to other access or safety concerns," it added.

When major incidents happen on roads, the council's Traffic Control Centre weigh up the expected benefits of suspending any temporary restrictions, including LTNs, against the impact of increased traffic on LTN roads.

It added that cases of re-opening LTNs were found to have had "negligible benefit" on traffic congestion.

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