A senior Banbury councillor has questioned the decision to approve Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at the town's railway station, after he says repeated calls for similar enforcement in the town centre have been ignored.

Oxfordshire County Council has approved installing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on Station Approach Road near the railway station.

This is to prevent vehicles from using the bus-only section of road connecting Tramway Road to Banbury railway station.

The cameras will be installed as part of the £16 million station improvement scheme after the decision was approved by transport chief Cllr Gareth Epps.

Cllr Mallon has questioned the decision to install ANPR cameras at Banbury railway station, after he says repeated calls for similar enforcement in the town centre have been ignored.

placeholder image — Cllr Mallon has questioned the decision to install ANPR cameras at Banbury railway station, after he says repeated calls for similar enforcement in the town centre have been ignored.

Banbury councillor Kieron Mallon has questioned why the council was quick to fund the cameras, saying he and fellow campaigners have repeatedly called for ANPR cameras in the pedestrianised areas of Banbury town centre.

He said: “I and other Banbury Cllrs, disabled groups, residents, Banbury Traffic Advisory Committee, Banbury Area Oversight Group and the Banbury Locality OCC Cllrs group have repeatedly requested ANPR cameras in the pedestrian areas of Banbury town centre, namely High St, Broad St, Parsons St and Butchers Row, again and again, we have been ignored every time.

“Why is the money for the Railway Station so quickly found but we are told that there is no money to protect the vulnerable pedestrians and fine those who repeatedly flout the traffic regulations that OCC itself implemented in our town centre?

“This is the latest debacle in this £16m Tramway scheme that has not delivered what I originally asked for. It was originally proposed by me to provide access for all to use the southern station entrance avoiding Bridge Street and the traffic lights. But by prioritising buses and cycles it has disadvantaged the elderly, disabled, partially sighted, those with heavy luggage and prams.

“Once again, I call on Oxfordshire County Council to listen to Banbury, protect our pedestrians and, in doing so, make our streets safe and welcoming.”

In response, the council said it is rolling out ANPR enforcement across Oxfordshire and carrying out traffic surveys, including in Banbury town centre, to identify where the cameras would be most effective.

They said: “We have a programme which is delivering ANPR camera enforcement across a range of traffic regulations schemes in Oxfordshire and are carrying out traffic surveys and reviews at a number of locations, including Banbury town centre, to help develop where ANPR enforcement can be most beneficial.

“Officers will contact local councillors following the review to discuss individual sites in more detail and develop potential schemes going forward."

The council said the station ANPR cameras were approved after monitoring showed vehicles were using the Station Approach Road North bus gate as a shortcut between Bridge Street and Tramway Road.

They said: “Since completion of the infrastructure works, monitoring has identified restricted vehicles using the bus gate as a through route between Bridge Street and Tramway Road.

“In response to this safety concern, a recommendation to introduce ANPR enforcement was approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport on 18 June.

“The final stage of the project, which includes a new drop-off facility to the south of the new roundabout, is expected to be delivered this year subject to planning approval.”