Speed Reduction

As with many rural villages, excessive traffic speeds is an ongoing safety concern. Whilst many vehicles assumed to be 'speeding' are not exceding the legal speed limit but are being driven a manner which is often dangerous, particularly to pedestrians, many of whom are children. Whilst inconsiderate parking does help control speeds, particularly down Broad Street and the High Street the School and Parish have introduced a series of measure over the past few years in order to try and reduce speeds. More recently, as part of a Nationwide move to introduced 20 mph zones in cities, towns and villages, a '20 is plenty' campaign, Oxfordshire County Council has introduced a county-wide programme.

Oxfordshire County Council wants to make our built environments safer and more attractive places to walk and cycle. To enable this, 20mph speed restrictions are being used to help promote alternative modes of transport for local travel. Further details on how the Council is considering making 20mph the new 30mph for Oxfordshire communities can be found here.

Over the past few years, the School and Council have introduced the following speed reduction measures:

• Flashing organge lights at the start and end of Broad Street from Waylans to the Museum during scholl arrival/departure times.
• A vehicle activated 30mph sign (VAS) on the Fawler Road approach to the village.
• A moveable 30mph speed indicating device (SID) which moves every few months between 6 different village locations (Baulking Road, Fawler Road, Broad Street outside THMH, Woolstone Road opposite South View farm and Fernham Road between the allotments and old canal bridge). The data from this has been used to inform the decision on the adoption of the 20mph scheme. 
• A Speedwatch system of traffic monitoring and reporting operated by village volunteers.

Following the Public Consultation the next step is "Under Review".

Contributions to the consultation are closed for evaluation and review. The project team will report back on key outcomes based on comments from the public.

• Public Notice,
• Statement of Reasons,
• Consultation Plan, and
• Draft Traffic Regulation Order.

The proposed Traffic Regulation Order is scheduled to be advertised in the Oxfordshire Herald Series newspaper on Wednesday 08th February 2023, and details are also available to view on the Councils consultation portal at the address below:

https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/uffington_20mph2023

As stated on the notice, any objections or other representations on the proposal should be submitted by Friday 10th March 2023.

Despite the measures outlined above, excessive speed is still one of the most frequently raised complaints to the Parish Council. As a result and with the OCC 20 mph initiative potentially paying for the scheme's introduction, a short yes/no survey was carried out in Autumn 2022. Out of some 170 respondents, over 80% were in favour of a 20mph scheme in the village (see chart below). Whilst about a third of thes efavoured only a partial scheme, this was outweighed by many comments about the highest speeds being on all the approach roads and this is backed up by data from the SID (see above).

Following this survey, the Parish Council decided in November 2022 to back the proposal and has notified OCC Highways accordingly.