New permit scheme approved for village with 'unwelcome parking'

A new permit parking scheme has been approved for a village with "unwelcome parking" next to a railway station.

Oxfordshire County Council highways chief Andrew Gant gave the green light at a transport management meeting last week for the new system on the main road of Long Hanborough, close to Witney.

This comes as some residents said they had been impacted by the existing no waiting restrictions between 11am and noon, Monday to Friday.

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These had been put in place to "discourage long term commuter parking for the nearby Long Hanborough Rail Station".

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Gant said: "This looks to me to be a fairly simple sort of common sense decision.

Andrew Gant. (Image: Oxfordshire County Council.)

"It is an issue that has caused inconvenience to residents."

The Wolvercote and Summertown division county councillor noted the Long Hanborough agenda item was a "relatively short" one in between two chunkier ones relating to Blackbird Leys and Sheep Street in Bicester - which he described as a "sort of Hanborough sandwich".

Mr Gant queried why permits were not also being enforced on Sundays.

An officer responded saying the decision to leave Sunday out had been made for "flexibility" and that if there needed to be a review in six months time this would not be too difficult.

Speaking after the meeting, Conservative county councillor Liam Walker, of the Hanborough and Minster Lovell division, said: “I’m pleased this has finally progressed and, as with all these sorts of schemes, enforcement is key.

Liam Walker. (Image: West Oxfordshire District Council.)

"I know residents along this section of road have been long calling for a change in the parking conditions so I was happy to support them with this new scheme and hopefully it’s successful.”

Plans will result in permits limited to one per resident with a maximum of two per property.

Permits are to also be available for contractors carrying out works on properties and for registered carers and healthcare workers.

Addressing residents at the meeting, Mr Gant said: "Do keep in touch with us and if it doesn't perform in the way it's intended we can look at it again."

Long Hanborough. (Image: Pye Homes)

A council reports says "the proposals would help facilitate the safe movement of traffic and alleviate parking stress in the area, and also help encourage the use of sustainable transport modes".

Long Hanborough has a post office, a GP practice, a dental practice, a Co-Operative store, a fish and chip shop and a bicycle repair shop.

It also has two pubs as well as the Hanborough Manor Church of England primary school.

The Oxford Bus Museum and the Morris Motors Museum lie next to the Hanborough railway station.