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Column 9th March 2022

Oxon Zero-carbon doesn't include HGV's

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) are consulting on their draft Local Transport and Connectivity Plan.

This plan covers the period to 2050 and replaces Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) approved in 2016.

The vision states that:

“Our Local Transport Plan Vision is for a zero-carbon Oxfordshire transport system that enables all parts of the county to thrive.

“Our transport system will enable the county to be one of the world’s leading innovation economies …. It will also be better for health, wellbeing, social inclusivity and education.

“Our plan sets out to achieve this by reducing the need to travel and discouraging unnecessary individual private vehicle use through making walking, cycling, public and shared transport the natural first choice.”

It contains 93 policies most of which are there to encourage us to walk and cycle more.

Even though it states that HGVs and vans produce 35% of road transport emissions there are very few policies in the document which will reduce this.

If the vision is for a zero-carbon transport system, how will this be achieved without doing something to reduce the amount of road freight in the County?

The Freight and Logistics Strategy shows that progress on actions in LTP4 were limited because of lack of funding, lack of access etc.

It also states that actions identified in this strategy will require funding to deliver but that councils no longer receive funding directly to spend on transport improvements.

So don’t expect the vision to be achieved.

Much of the strategy focuses on 20 minute neighbourhoods where residents can get to work, leisure, health, etc. through walking, cycling and public transport.

This definitely doesn’t apply to the villages in OX12 or many other rural parts of Oxfordshire.

Drones and cycle delivery services also feature in the policies.

Probably the only policy which has any real application to OX12 is the last:
"Oxfordshire County Council will work with partners and stakeholders to develop tailored solutions for our smaller market towns and rural areas that improve connectivity, accessibility, and contribute to delivery of our transport vision" 

What partners and which stakeholders isn't clear but most of the other policies are much more applicable to Oxford City and any new large developments - it's too late to change anything on Grove Airfield or Crab Hill.

To comment go to https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/


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