'Inappropriate, unwanted and unsafe' - Banbury councillor opposes bus stop
A Banbury councillor joined residents in opposing a bus stop they believe is inappropriate, unwanted and unsafe.
Cllr Keiron Mallon (Banbury, Easington) said the proposed bus stop on Broughton Road, opposite Frank Wise School, was another Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) waste of money.
He said OCC failed to consult before contractors travelled from Portsmouth to Banbury to install a bus stop ‘no one wanted’. The workmen drove back without doing any work.
OCC says the bus stop plan has now been abandoned.
Mr Mallon was alerted by residents when contractors knocked on Matthew Warner’s door to say they were about to excavate a bank in front of their homes and install retaining walls for the bus stop.
"This was the first any of the residents knew about it,” said Mr Mallon.
Mr Warner said: “I asked for the works to be frozen until the Highway Authority reviewed the scheme and provided proof of statutory notification.
"OCC said residents should be consulted if new bus stops were likely to affect them. Residents should have been consulted when the bus stop location was proposed. They apologised for the oversight. They told me I would be notified of the cabinet member’s decision and no work would be undertaken in the meantime.”
The proposed location for the bus stop sits opposite the junction of Hornbeam Close, which provides the sole access point for residents and Frank Wise School.
Mr Mallon said placing a bus stop directly adjacent to a busy residential and school junction severely obstructs sightlines for vehicles pulling out of Hornbeam Close onto Broughton Road. It also creates a high risk of traffic gridlock when buses wait at the stop, blocking access for school transport vehicles, minibuses and emergency access during peak school drop-off and collection times, he said.
Mr Mallon said: “This is another example of OCC rushing into traffic schemes without thinking of the consequences.
"I’ve been a friend of Frank Wise School for decades and know that at peak times, this junction is full of coaches, mini buses and wheelchair-access vehicles.
"It’s on the brow of the steep hill with poor sight lines. No one requested this bus stop; it’s in a dangerous location. No need has been found but there are many sites across town crying out for better bus stops and shelters.
“Using contractors who drive from Portsmouth for one job not only shows a complete lack of contractual competence but their Green credentials are a sham.”
An OCC spokesman said the contractors were based in Thatcham, West Berkshire, not Portsmouth.
He said: “We apologise for the lack of consultation regarding this bus stop, which was unfortunately an oversight during the project planning process. We can confirm that, following a review, we will not be proceeding with the proposed bus stop in this location but will be marking the existing stop on the pavement opposite.
“The council is upgrading a number of stops on the routes between Banbury and Shipston using a government grant, which is not from developer contributions. These upgrades improve the ability of residents to access vital bus services, in line with our commitments to make sustainable travel easier for as many people as possible.”