Westbury Crescent traffic improvements

We would like to invite you to share your views on proposals to make some road safety traffic improvements to Westbury Crescent in Cowley, Oxford.

We are aware of local concerns with traffic speeds on Westbury Crescent as well as a higher volume of traffic using the southern half of the Crescent.

To help address these issues and following a number of local discussions, we've developed two viable design options we would value your feedback on.

We would like to hear your thoughts on the plans accompanying this survey. Both plans feature a no right-turn into Westbury Crescent for motor vehicles entering the Crescent from Rose Hill southbound (coming away from the city centre); and entrance from Church Hill Road into Westbury Crescent only from the junction opposite Wykeham Crescent. Cycling will be allowed in both directions throughout Westbury Crescent on both the plans.

The plans are in our documents section where you will find plans 1 and 2, and a third document showing examples of greenery planting, and planters, and how these can be used to encourage people to be mindful of their speed in a residential road.

Please note that as a part of both plans some localised restrictions to parking (using double yellow lines) would be required.

• Plan 1 – One way traffic with traffic calming

• Vehicles entering Westbury Crescent from Rose Hill would be required to use the ‘northern’ side of Westbury Crescent to access Church Hill Road (a left turn only/no right-turn into Westbury Crescent from Rose Hill southbound)
• Vehicles from Church Hill Road would be required to use the ‘southern’ side of Westbury Crescent to access Rose Hill (entrance from Church Hill Road into Westbury Crescent only from the junction opposite Wykeham Crescent)
• There will be exemptions for people cycling who will be allowed to cycle in both directions throughout
• The one-way system would be complemented by a series of physical planters placed on the highway to narrow the road slightly encouraging vehicles to reduce their speed
• The measures will allow for an opportunity to create a space with greenery/plating, and potentially also seating at the entry to Westbury Crescent from Rose Hill

• Plan 2 – Vehicle turning restrictions

• Vehicles on Church Hill Road would be prohibited from entering the ‘northern’ side of Westbury Crescent (a left turn only/no right-turn from Rose Hill into Westbury Crescent)
• Vehicles entering Westbury Crescent from Rose Hill would be prohibited from entering the ‘southern’ side of Westbury Crescent (entrance from Church Hill Road into Westbury Crescent only from the junction opposite Wykeham Crescent)
• The measures will allow for an opportunity to create a space with greenery/planting and potentially also seating at the entry to Westbury Crescent from Rose Hill, however this is likely to be smaller in size than what could be delivered in ’Plan 1’
• People cycling would be exempt from the turning restrictions

Your responses to the survey questions will help us to understand whether our project aims are right and which of our ideas you think would be best. Your feedback on our ideas will also help us to determine which ones to develop further and do testing and assessment on, and which not to progress at this time.

How do I provide feedback?

You can read more about the proposals and share your feedback by completing the short survey below, and/or by emailing us at LTS.Team@oxfordshire.gov.uk or by writing a letter to this address as one line in the middle of the envelope:
Freepost OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL (No further details are required, and you do not need a stamp).
Please also write ‘Westbury Crescent Traffic Improvements’ on the top left corner of the envelope.

You can also contact us at LTS.Team@oxfordshire.gov.uk or by leaving a message with our customer services team to request a paper copy of the survey form you can fill in and return to us using the Freepost address above.

The informal engagement period including this survey will run between 12.00pm on Thursday 6 June and 11.59pm on Sunday 7 July 2024.

What happens next?

Feedback to this informal engagement will help us develop a single option which will be subject to further design and costings work This will be further consulted upon through a formal consultation. At this point we anticipate this taking place later in summer 2024. The outcomes of this formal consultation would then be presented to a county council Cabinet Member Decision meeting later this year.

If proposals are approved at that meeting, the traffic measures could be expected to be implemented later this year.

Note: the survey was open until the end of Friday 5 July. It has been extended until the end of Sunday 7 July to allow people to complete the survey over the weekend if they have not been able to complete it yet.