POSTED ON BEHALF OF OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

THE LEYS (WITNEY) – PROPOSED TRAFFIC CALMING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Oxfordshire County Council under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 & the Highways Act 1980 proposes to construct the following traffic calming features in Witney, these proposals are being put forward in order to
improve pedestrian safety by reducing the speed of motor vehicles adjacent to the recreation ground and parking area:

The Leys – speed cushions, approx. 3m long, 2m wide and 75mm high, to be located approximately:
• 120 metres* west of its junction with Station Lane,
• 170 metres* west of its junction with Station Lane, and
• 220 metres* west of its junction with Station Lane.
* All dimensions are approximate, taken from the centre of the junction to the centre of the feature.

Documents giving more details of the proposals are available for public inspection online by visiting https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Copies may be made available on request.

Objections to the proposals and other representations specifying the grounds on which they are made, may be sent in writing to the address below or via the web address above, no later than Friday 21st October 2022.

The County Council will consider objections and representations received in response to this Notice.

They may be disseminated widely for these purposes and made available to the public.

Traffic Regulation Team (Ref: JaC/12.6.410) for the Corporate Director for Environment & Place, Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford,
OX1 1ND.

The Mayor of Witney has penned a letter of condolence to His Majesty the King and all the members of the Royal Family expressing the sympathy of the Town Council and residents of Witney on the sad passing of Her Majesty the Queen.

The letter speaks of the Queen’s devoted service across 70 years, “an  achievement that seems almost unimaginable to most.” and that she will be missed by many all around the world.

It also mentions the Queen’s fondly remembered visit to Witney in 1959.

There is mention of the Book of Condolence and the letter then finishes, “Our thoughts will be with the King and his family throughout this challenging time. With heartfelt and deepest sympathy.”

Crowd and Cadets

Why do we have a new logo?

The logo is part of the planned rebranding project (visual identity) which forms part of the Town Council’s Communications Strategy. It is also part our ongoing move towards greater accessibility which is driven by new website legislation.

The Town Council was established in 1974 and adopted the Town Crest to use on its official documents. The use of the Town Crest was not exclusive to the Town Council and has been used by other organisations in the town.

As we have moved into the digital age it has become apparent that we need a logo that is scalable and suitable for use across a variety of digital and print formats, that also depicts some of the town’s history. Our new logo provides an instantly recognisable way to identify Witney Town Council documents and social media accounts.

Like many other local authorities, the town we serve has seen considerable change over the last ten years and some of the demands and challenges we face have transformed the ways in which we work and how we deliver our services. In almost 50 years our logo has not evolved to reflect this and  our rebranding aims to address this.

The logo depicts three distinctive buildings, St Mary’s Church, the Buttercross  and the Town Hall, and incorporates the pascal lamb which features on the town crest and in the stained-glass window above the door of the Corn Exchange. The colours are inspired by traditional Witney blankets.

We will implement the new branding on our social media and documents and other items will be rebranded as they need replacing.

Witney now has a Park Ranger.

The role is a new post, which has come about as a result of a review and restructure following the adoption of the ambitious Open Spaces Strategy.

Whilst the role will be primarily centered around the Lake and Country Park, the Council also has a significant tree stock which requires maintenance and future planning.

The Park Ranger role is also key to bringing fresh ideas forward to the Council to assist with meeting its objectives and aspirations.

Among the actions specified in the strategy are:

• Drawing up and adopting a comprehensive arboriculture plan;
• Identifying and implementing possible re-wilding areas;
• Preparing an improvement and upgrade plan for angling facilities at the Lake and Country Park;
• Preparing and adopting a comprehensive and improvement plan for the Country Park and Lake area.

Our ranger, Carl, will also be working to maintain and enhance existing habitats and promote safe use of the town’s open spaces.  He comes to Witney Town Council with a lot of experience, having previously worked for Oxford City Council, where he was one of a team looking after more than 30 parks and green spaces covering more that a 1000 acres.

Carl is very friendly and approachable and feels strongly about an integration of conservation and recreation. He places importance on the provision of areas where everyone can get the best experience possible.

There is an opportunity to meet him at the lake on Saturday 20^th August between 9am and 12 noon.  Please come along and say hi. He would love to know what you think of the lake and meadows area.

This Press Release has been issued by Oxfordshire County Council.

Witney brings in widespread 20mph speed limits

 Town becomes first to take advantage of council’s £8 million programme

Read the story on the Oxfordshire County Council website or below:

Just over a week after Wales voted to make 20mph the default speed limit in residential areas to create safer, healthier, and quieter streets, an Oxfordshire town is following suit and implementing new 20mph restrictions.

Plans for dozens of 30mph roads in Witney to have their speed limits lowered to 20mph have been approved. It becomes the first town wide location in the county to make the change as a direct result of Oxfordshire County Council’s 20mph policy change and associated programme which was announced earlier this year.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, approved the measures at a meeting on Thursday [21 July]. The changes are expected to be implemented and new signage installed later this year.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This is a landmark moment for our ambitious 20mph policy, which we are spending up to £8 million on over a three year period. Witney is the first and the biggest project we are undertaking in this phase of the programme and we believe these changes will make the town a safer, quieter, and less polluted place and will encourage more people to cycle and walk – reducing the county’s carbon footprint.”

Councillor Liz Duncan, Mayor of Witney and Chair of a Town Council Working Party set up to develop the scheme, said: “It is exciting to see this comprehensive 20mph scheme coming to our town, bringing improved road safety for residential streets, reducing the risks of death and injury. We have received many requests from residents for the reduced speed limit and this whole town approach will bring huge benefits.

“As well as safer streets, other similar schemes have seen reductions in traffic noise, better air quality and increased physical activity because with roads feeling safer, people are happier to leave the car at home and walk or cycle instead.”

The county council has been inundated with requests from towns and villages to bring in 20mph zones since it launched the policy in February. The first two phases of the project are now fully booked, although communities can still apply to be part of the third delivery phase which takes place in 2024 – 25.

Cllr Gant added: “Witney is just the start, and more than 70 other towns and villages will be benefiting from reduced speeds in the next financial year – followed by hundreds more in the next two years.

“The recent decision in Wales shows that 20mph is becoming the accepted speed limit for residential areas, and Oxfordshire County Council is at the forefront of bringing about that change. It is well-known that the survival rate for people involved in accidents increases as speeds are reduced.”

There is a clear link between the speed of traffic and the likelihood of accidents happening in which people are killed or injured. You are seven times more likely to survive if you are hit by a car driving at 20mph than if you are hit at 30mph.

The scheme is free to town and parish councils, with the county council funding sign-only changes for areas wishing to be part of the changes as long as locations meet the agreed criteria for 20mph restrictions.

Town and parish councils will be expected to fund any traffic calming measures or speed-activated signs that may be required to support the new limit in their areas.

Applications for 20mph streets and roads need to be supported by the parish or town council and by the relevant local county councillor. More information, including a timetable of where and when forthcoming projects are taking place, is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

Oxfordshire County Council has already implemented five 20mph pilot sites to test the impact of the policy in Cuxham, Long Wittenham, Wallingford Central, Wallingford North, and Kirtlington. Early data has shown these measures have had a positive impact on reducing speeds.

While the council has been working alongside Thames Valley Police – who did not object to the 20mph proposals for Witney – the emphasis is on drivers adhering to the new limits through a change of mindset, rather than enforcement. It is hoped that as 20mph areas become more common, breaking the limit will become socially unacceptable for drivers.

The council is also committed to working with key stakeholders including bus, taxi, and haulage companies, as well as major businesses, throughout the process. Officers will work with the bus companies to ensure that the impact on services is minimal.

The changes, which had the backing of West Oxfordshire District Council as well as Witney Town Council, will also involve the reduction of some speed limits from 50mph to 40mph and from 40mph to 30mph around the town.

County council officers have said they will look to minimise potential street clutter by making sure only the legally required amount of signage is placed around the town.

The 20mph programme also fits in with the council’s vision zero policy, which aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from Oxfordshire’s roads by 2050.

Ends

For more information about this release contact Oxfordshire County Council’s communications team on 01865 323870 or email press.office@oxfordshire.gov.uk

A Town Council vacancy for the east ward of Witney has been published. Please see the notice below for further details.

Topic:

Time: Jun 21, 2022 18:00 London

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82325284755

Meeting ID: 823 2528 4755

It might seem that summer has only just arrived BUT, can you help us to create a super new Christmas Light for Witney Town Council’s Christmas lights display?

The competition is open to any child currently at Primary School in Witney and we also welcome entries from children enrolled in Witney community groups, such as Brownies, Beavers and others, as well as entries from primary age children resident in Witney.

The winning design will be turned into a super-size 1.5m x 1.5m light, which will be installed on the Town Hall this year as an integral part of the town’s Christmas display.

The Town Council also displays some, still serviceable winning lights, from previous years.

Some tips for creating a good design.

• Fill the space with your Christmas themed design so that it touches the edge of the frame
• Keep it simple so that it can easily be created using lights.
• Choosing to design something we don’t currently have will improve your chance of having your design selected. We have a bauble, Christmas pud, star, robin, penguin and candy cane.

Pictured is Alice, last year’s winner of this competition.

Entries can be submitted by email, post or delivered to the Town Council office. A template and entry form can be downloaded from our website, or you can simply draw a square on a sheet of A4 paper. Please submit your entries to: info@witney-tc.gov.uk or Witney Town Council, Town Hall, Market Square, Witney OX28 6AG. Don’t forget to include your name, age, school, and your contact details with the artwork. The closing date for this competition is Friday 15th July.

Witney Town Council Christmas Light Competition 2022 template

We are really pleased to announce that our works team were able to procure the broken part very quickly and make the repair themselves. Great news.

Witney Town Council is delighted to have been working alongside Oxfordshire County Council on proposals to bring about reduced 20mph speed limits across Witney. This would make the streets safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. Witney would be the largest town in Oxfordshire to pilot a large-scale speed reduction to 20 mph, which would be funded entirely by the County Council.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said:

“We’re delighted that more than 70 villages and some urban areas throughout the county have signed up to request their streets are reduced to 20mph speed limits after an initiative we agreed last Autumn. It’s a pleasure to see that plan taking shape and local communities will reap the benefit in terms of safer streets.”

The Town Council has campaigned for speed restrictions following requests from residents for some time and hopes this scheme, brought about by a change of policy and approach to simplify speed limit requests by the County Council, will encourage active and safer travel across Witney for all. Drivers have responded well to the 20mph reductions already created between Tower Hill and Madley Park and suggested areas proposed in the scheme have been considered to keep it easy for residents and visitors to understand. Several stretches of road on the outskirts of the town are not suitable for a 20mph limit, so reductions here are proposed to be proportionate to the surrounding road layout.

Cllr Liz Duncan, Mayor of Witney, and Chair of a Town Council Working Party set up to develop the scheme commented:

“It is exciting to see this comprehensive 20mph scheme coming to our town, bringing improved road safety for residential streets, reducing the risks of death and injury.  We have received many requests from residents for the reduced speed limit and this whole town approach will bring huge benefits. As well as safer streets, other similar schemes have seen reductions in traffic noise, better air quality and increased physical activity because with roads feeling safer, people are happier to leave the car at home and walk or cycle instead.”

We would like to encourage residents to respond to the consultation to share their views and suggestions.

https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/witney_20mph2022