During the February meeting of Parish Council, we approved plans for a speed reduction scheme which will impact roads in and around Eynsham. The next stage in the process is for Oxfordshire County Council to hold a formal consultation on the plans, during which residents can share their views.
The plans involve setting a speed limit of 20mph on all residential streets within the village (down from 30mph), while neighbouring roads B4449, B4044 and Cassington Road between B4449 and A40 will also have their speed limits reduced.
If the speed reductions are approved by the County Council, driver compliance will be monitored and assessed after 12 months. If necessary, additional physical calming measures will be introduced. In the meantime, the Parish Council is supporting the establishment of a Community Speedwatch group to enforce existing limits. If you’re interested in getting involved, please email the Clerk.
Safety is the primary incentive for these activities. Since 2015, the Parish Council has been considering reducing speed limits in Eynsham to ensure all road users feel safe and to encourage more people to walk and cycle around the village. We are also conscious that residents have complaints about anti-social driving behaviour involving cars, bikes and mopeds. These incidents can be reported to Thames Valley Police online or by calling 101. (If it's an emergency dial 999.)
More recently, Oxfordshire County Council launched a county wide policy, based on evidence, to make our roads safer. All new residential roads within the country must now have a 20mph limit, while local councils are increasingly being supported in their efforts to reduce speed limits in their area. The County Council is also currently running 20mph pilot schemes in five areas to monitor the impact on residents and residential streets.
Full details of the project, the rationale and the plans for enforcement are available in our project document. We will update you again ahead of the formal consultation to share instructions on how you can feedback on the intended changes.