Abingdon: Town Centre - proposed parking restriction amendments

Following the conclusion of an informal consultation with residents carried out in November 2024 (see details here), Officers have worked with local County Councillors to develop proposals for various roads in central Abingdon, which look to address issues arising from school parking, all day parking from commuters and non-residents in the town, whilst also providing options for residents by way of parking permits. Generally, the proposals comprise of the following measures:

1. Permit holders parking and pay and display parking bays would be provided by designated parking bays in St Edmunds Lane & St Helens Wharf, both operating Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm. Additionally, ‘shared-use’ parking bays (Permit holders or pay and display parking bays with a max stay of 2 hours) will also be introduced on Monday to Saturdays between 8am-6pm, allowing for both permit holders & non-permit holders to park as appropriate.
2. New 'No Waiting at Any Time' restriction (Double yellow lines) will be introduced in the area to help facilitate the proposed new measures and mitigate any potential displacement of non-resident parking, in some cases replacing the existing Single Yellow Line restrictions.
3. A new no loading restriction will also be introduced on Abingdon bridge - Monday-Saturday 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm to mitigate any obstructive parking caused by non-resident parking.
4. Limited waiting bays will be introduced in Manor Court & West St Helen Street - Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm maximum stay 2 hours, with a no return period of 1 hour and Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm maximum stay 30mins, with no return period of 1 hour. These are to facilitate customers of local businesses and those visiting the area.

Finally, it has been identified that the 'No loading' restrictions on Drayton Road have not been captured in the relevant 'map-based' order, therefore the restrictions (with no changes on-the-ground) will be formalised, so they can be effectively enforced. Officers have also reviewed the existing signage for 'Residents permit' parking bays and 'Pay & Display' bays, and will formalise amendments to ensure that they display all restrictions, as well as the relevant permit parking prefix (AB).

Have your say.

Please read the detailed information provided on this consultation, and take the time to complete the survey as your views and opinions matter. Your response should be completed and returned by 5pm on Friday 12 December 2025.

Whilst we will endeavour to answer simple queries during the course of the consultation, any more complex questions/issues will be appraised and dealt with as part of consultation process.

What happens next?

The County Council will review the responses and if necessary (i.e. if objections are received) prepare a report to be presented to the Cabinet Member for Highway Management at a meeting scheduled for early in 2026. This will be public meeting at which members of the public may apply to speak. The agenda and reports for meetings will be made available on the Oxfordshire County Council web site about a week before the meeting (please note that occasionally it is necessary to defer reports to a later meeting, and it is therefore advisable to check the agenda ahead of attending a meeting). The Forward Plan of decisions meetings can be viewed here.