Save our Summertown!

The Oxfordshire County Council plans to remove vital parking on Banbury Road which will reduce access to local businesses and services. I strongly encourage all local residents to respond to the Oxfordshire County Council’s survey ahead of the 23 March deadline. 

A link for this can be found here.

This past week some of you may have seen me handing out flyers like the one pictured above throughout Summertown. I also took the time to respond directly to the survey, and for full transparency have outlined my response in full below. I would like to thank many close friends and local businesses for allowing me to put some of these flyers in their windows. Our community spirit is as alive as ever!

For those who haven’t read the Council’s plan in full, in short it plans to ‘reclaim street space’ in the City Centre and North Oxford by removing vital parking off Banbury Road. As we know, this is used by many to access Summertown businesses including shops. 

Removing this parking will be severely detrimental to local businesses and the wider community as it threatens to further reduce footfall. It will clog the arteries of our community and put yet more local businesses at risk of closure altogether. 

This is something I have discussed with business owners themselves and with close friends including Nicholas Hardyman who plays a key role in the Oxford Business Action Group which I wholeheartedly support.

I encourage you to read this recent news article highlighting key grievances about the proposal. For now, I leave you with my direct response to the survey below in full. 

Should you vote for me on May 1, I, together with other Independent colleagues, will endeavour to make ludicrous policies like this a thing of the past. Local businesses and the communities they serve must be consulted at all times. Their interests must be listened to, and grievances addressed. 

Without them, our community spirit will be no more.

It’s about time we vote for real change on May 1.

Mark.

Response to Oxfordshire County Council

To what extent do you support the project's goals and method described above?

Strongly Oppose

Do you have any feedback on the project's goals and method described above?

I have several concerns regarding Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to reimagine the public realm as part of the Central Oxfordshire Movement and Place Framework (COMPF) proposals, specifically those relating to North Oxford and in relation to businesses and parking provisions in Summertown and along Banbury Road. I would like to propose the following feedback:

1. The Need for More Business Consultation

While the framework mentions engagement with stakeholders, businesses in North Oxford—particularly in Summertown and Walton Manor—require more direct and meaningful consultation. Many businesses in this area rely on passing trade, customer parking, and accessible loading/delivery areas. Decisions that impact commercial viability must be informed by clear dialogue with those who will be most affected. Consultation must be more than a formality — it must influence outcomes.

2. Transparency and Clarity on Impacts

There needs to be greater transparency in how decisions will affect businesses and residents. Many of the suggested changes—such as pedestrianisation, reallocation of road space, and removal of parking—are not accompanied by a clear impact assessment. This is even more pertinent as the project will progress alongside plans that are already in place by the City council to reduce parking in Diamond Place.

3. Protecting Essential Parking and Business Viability

A key concern is the potential removal of the service road (slip road) on Banbury Road in Summertown. This road provides vital parking for customers visiting local shops and services, some of whom rely on a car to be able to visit and shop in Summertown. Removing it would:

• Reduce footfall, making it harder for local businesses to survive.

• Hinder deliveries, making it more difficult for shops, cafes, and restaurants to restock.

• Limit accessibility, especially for those with mobility issues, older residents, or families with young children who rely on short-term parking.

While pedestrian-friendly spaces are valuable, a balanced approach is essential—one that supports businesses rather than throttles them. Parking removal could lead to unintended economic decline, ultimately resulting in business closures rather than a more vibrant community. It is unlikely that Oxfordshire residents will run errands in Summertown from the Park and Ride.

Do you have any views on the initial list of "options and opportunities" that we have identified?

Having seen the “options and opportunities” map, I would suggest that the proposals raise questions about the key arterial roads that serve many residents, commuters and businesses.  

Changes to these roads must be approached cautiously to avoid unintended negative consequences such as:

• Increased congestion due to diverted traffic.

• Reduced accessibility for businesses and services.

• Knock-on effects on residential side streets due to displaced traffic.

The plans to “re-design of entire corridor to improve cycling infrastructure, pedestrian crossings” and “re-view of bus stop locations and side road junctions” are currently quite vague. As mentioned previously, a robust impact assessment is necessary before moving forward. 

Are there other locations (not included in our initial list) that could benefit from improvements?

No.