Council confirms Oxfordshire's 'quiet lanes' pilot not in line with government guidance

A new scheme is set to close 10 roads to traffic using “physical measures” such as gates and bollards where there is an alternative or adjacent route available.

This goes beyond Department for Transport (DfT) guidance for a ‘quiet lanes’ traffic-calming measure, described as designation for “minor rural roads in England and Wales” with “shared use by walkers, cyclists, horse riders and motor vehicles”.

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) has stated its pilot is “an enhancement” to DfT policy, “going beyond traditional signage-based lanes to achieve the safest outcomes”.

The county already has signage-only lanes, but a council report citing DfT data states they have “little to no influence on reducing either traffic volumes or vehicle speeds”.

The new scheme, approved on May 19, will see vehicles, other than those belonging to residents, local businesses and farmers who require access, banned using filters.

Leader of the Independent Oxford Alliance, city and county councillor David Henwood, says he fears this disconnect in the county’s policy and government guidance shows the new scheme’s advocates have “misunderstood” the measure.

He said: “Quiet Lanes were created to preserve quiet roads, not to create them.

“Weaponising the designation as a vehicle for broader anti-car measures risks undermining both the spirit and the intent of the original legislation.”

Mr Henwood questioned whether there had been transparency in the creation of the policy.

He added: “The purpose of the policy is to preserve the character of such roads, rather than transform busy roads into quiet ones.

“That distinction matters.

“There is a significant difference between protecting an existing quiet rural lane and using the policy as a mechanism to achieve wider transport objectives that were not envisaged when the legislation was introduced.”

He has called for the publishing of “assessment criteria, traffic data and speed surveys for each proposed lane”.

Gareth Epps, the cabinet member for transport, responded: “This pilot quiet lanes programme is for a limited number of lanes, brought forward by parish councils and backed by local councillors. I would like to see support of farmers and communities.

“None of the pilots have yet been decided.

“Preserving the character of the pilot lanes is at the heart of this programme – ensuring that country lanes are not undermined by inappropriate traffic.

“These will be routes where there is a direct alternative for motor vehicles to use. They won’t be strategic routes.

“Walkers, cyclists and horse riders should not feel their safety is under threat.

“Ten lanes in the whole county is a drop in the ocean, and Oxfordshire residents who use cars will almost all be unaffected by this pilot.”