FAQs

The Broad Street Project is a scheme to deliver a welcoming and appealing open-air social space in the heart of the city centre.

The scheme will provide seating areas for stopping to take in the sights, take a break while out shopping, and to meet with other people.

 An arts/events space as a part of this will allow us to share some of the great things our community has to offer – creating a dedicated area for local groups to operate community workshops such as cycle maintenance or craft making, present artwork, or perform outdoors. 

No, it is currently set for a duration up to 18 months.

One section in the east of the street and another on the west. While there will be traffic restrictions, buses and cycles will have access and the scheme will include several disabled parking bays.

For the duration of the scheme, vehicle parking will be suspended. Disabled parking spaces will be reallocated to new areas of Broad Street and Parks Road. Loading bays have been relocated within Broad Street. We are increasing the number of bicycle racks by approximately 25% on Broad Street and Turl Street.

The existing bus stops serving buses ST1 and City Sightseeing have been temporarily moved to a new temporary stop on Broad Street alongside the western space and a second temporary drop-off only bus stop on Parks Road (ST1 only).

You can find alternative parking suggestions on Oxford City Council’s and our website:

•  https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory/8/car_parks_in_oxford/category/53/categoryInfo/10
• https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/parking/where-park

Our officers have worked closely with key stakeholders to ensure that the new location provides the accessibility and space needed for disabled drivers and passengers to use them easily.

Cyclists and e-scooter/foot scooter riders will still be able to ride through Broad Street east to west and vice versa, outside the pedestrianised areas of the scheme. Wheelchairs and other mobility aids will be able to access the main area and the features in it.

See the preliminary plan and artist’s impressions for a guide to how the project is expected to look.

Broad Street is right at the heart of Oxford’s busy city centre, surrounded by some of Oxford’s main historic buildings. The street boasts access to the historic Covered Market via Turl Street, as well as leading to one of the city’s main shopping streets – Cornmarket – and George Street where a lot of restaurants, a cinema and a theatre are located.

In addition, an earlier, similar scheme (Broad Meadow) proved so successful that it inspired our new scheme as a longer and bigger trial.

The scheme supports our nine priorities:

1. Put action to address the climate emergency at the heart of our work.
2. Tackle inequalities in Oxfordshire.
3. Prioritise the health and wellbeing of residents.
4. Support carers and the social care system.
5. Invest in an inclusive, integrated and sustainable transport network.
6. Preserve and improve access to nature and green spaces.
7. Create opportunities for children and young people to reach our full potential.
8. Play our part in a vibrant and participatory local democracy.
9. Work with local businesses and partners for environmental, economic and social benefit.

It is designed to achieve this by:

• Creating a welcoming and appealing space that is relaxing and free to use.
• Supporting business recovery – by creating an appealing ‘entryway’ to local amenities where people can stop for a while, and have the time to visit shops and businesses in the city centre.
• Providing a safer and more inviting place where people can   walk, wheel, or cycle, supported with more cycle parking.  

The success and popularity of Oxford City Council’s Broad Meadow scheme inspired the plan to deliver a new scheme for a longer period – this time up to 18 months. In 2021, Broad Meadow enjoyed more than 100,000 visitors between July and October. Around 90 per cent of people responding to a city council consultation said they would like to see this happen again.

Broad Street boasts a number of independent cafes, pubs and retailers. It is also home to a number of colleges (University of Oxford), the Museum of the History of Science, the Sheldonian Theatre and the Weston Library.

No – it will be an open-access space for everyone to enjoy and use.

The scheme will provide wooden planters and seating, which will be made from sustainably-sourced FSC timber.  They will be pressure treated to ensure they are durable and weather-resistant. The planters will use a water irrigation system so that the plants are consistently watered and well-kept. Additional litter bins will also be provided.

The delivery of the project is funded by Oxfordshire County Council. There are more details in the Cabinet report here.

We have engaged with over 150 stakeholder representatives on the proposals for the Broad Street scheme so far through direct contact, briefing sessions, workshops and site visits. Key stakeholders that have helped us to shape the scheme include Oxford City Council officers and councillors, bus operators, Historic England, Oxford Preservation Trust, local businesses, emergency services, Oxford University colleges, Oxford Civic Society, Cyclox, COHSAT (Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel),  the City Council’s Inclusive Transport & Movement Focus Group  and various other interest groups and advocacy groups.

See our web page for details on the programme of works and target dates.

The scheme is being introduced using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).  An ETRO can last for up to 18 months from the date of construction works being completed. Where there is a longer-term vision to deliver some permanent changes based on a scheme that has been trialled as an ETRO, the trial period allows people to get a feel for whether a scheme is likely to work in practice. 

Changes to traffic flow – both vehicles and people, and road networks have a complex relationship with multiple other factors and it can be better to try something that can be adjusted to better fit with how the area is used. 

The proposal for the Broad Street scheme was presented to a cabinet meeting on 21 July for a decision to be made by cabinet member on whether to formally proceed with it under an ETRO. Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of the Council approved the proposal on behalf of Councillor Andrew Gant, the Cabinet Member for Highways Management.

A Climate Impact Assessment (CIA) was conducted which assessed projected impacts of the proposed Broad Street scheme on the environment.

An Equalities Impact Assessment (EqiA) is being conducted which assesses the projected impacts of the proposed Broad Street scheme on all protected groups (such as disability, age and gender).

The UK has accountability to reduce its carbon footprint and to achieve a goal of net zero by 2050. 

As a world, we are recognising the urgent need to make bolder, meaningful actions to change the way we behave as suppliers and as consumers – of goods, services, transport and fuel in particular. 

As a council, this is embedded in our priorities, which you can read more about in our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan here, and Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure plan here. Oxfordshire County Council is a signatory to Vision Zero. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. It has been successful in other European cities.

A crucial part of helping things to work towards our goal is making the measures we are introducing work in practice. This means facilitating environments and services that support our aims and improving journey options so they are safer, more intuitive and follow joined-up thinking.