Council to repair damaged safety barriers at busy pedestrian crossing in Banbury

The barriers are located at one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in Banbury, frequently used by Grimsbury residents and train station passengers.

Oxfordshire County Council has said the barriers, which were damaged in an accident, will be repaired by the end of next week.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: “Work is provisionally due to start on September 11 for three days, providing there are no unforeseen hold-ups.”

It comes after county and district councillor Kieron Mallon complained that the damaged barriers had been neglected by the council for several months.

In a letter to the Banbury Guardian, Cllr Mallon said that the county council would have made more effort to make the repairs had the barriers been located in Oxford.

Cllr Mallon said: “These safety barriers have been smashed and left in this disgusting state for months. They have repeatedly been reported, and no action has been taken. Oxfordshire County Council seem very keen to spend council tax monies on anti-car measures to be coming to Banbury soon, but essential safety repairs to protect pedestrians seem to be not a priority at all.

“This is one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in Banbury and an entrance into our town for visitors and tourists; if this was in Oxford, it would have been a priority repair, but as we see with the administration, anything outside the Oxford Ring Road comes low on the list unless it’s a scheme to stop traffic altogether.”

In response to the news that the council aims to repair the barriers this month, Cllr Mallon said: "I’m very glad my bringing this situation to light has kick-started Oxfordshire County Council into action.

"To claim this was a planned maintenance when that barrier has been in a dreadful state for months seems a bit rich to me, but at last we will get rid of this eyesore, and pedestrians on this crossing will be safer than they have been for a long time.”