Oxfordshire County Council’s latest urban planning scheme, billed to “reclaim the streets” of North Oxford, is just the latest in a series of well-intentioned policy proposals that risk alienating the very people they are meant to support.
I share the concerns raised by Rescue Oxford’s Graham Jones, who warns that the threat to short-term parking spaces in the heart of Summertown will have a detrimental impact on retailers and businesses. By creating an additional barrier to accessibility, the Council is all but guaranteeing that locals - particularly those with mobility challenges - will find it far harder to visit Summertown’s amenities. The same goes for businesses reliant on deliveries. This is not just an inconvenience; it is a fundamental threat to livelihoods.
Balancing support for local businesses with sustainability is a difficult task, and one Oxfordshire County Council has consistently failed to get right. In this case, removing well-used parking under the guise of helping businesses defies logic. It sends a tone-deaf message to retailers and customers alike. We must not allow the same ideology that has choked off access to the east and south of our city to take hold in North Oxford.
The Council has invited public feedback through a survey. If this process is to be genuinely fair, it must properly consider the voices of those who depend on our roads and parking spaces every day - residents, traders, and those with mobility needs.
Time and again, local people have been let down by a County Council pushing a narrow ideological agenda rather than representing those who call Oxford home.
For the sake of our economy and community, it is time for a new approach.
Mark
