Cabinet Member for Transport Cllr Andrew Gant, of Oxfordshire County Council, has dropped two proposed residents’ parking schemes – Abingdon Centre North and the Ock Street area – after overwhelming public opposition.

An informal consultation last November was followed by a formal one over the summer, which drew a heavily negative response. Officers compiled the feedback into a record-breaking 2,500-page agenda document – 1,393 pages on the Abingdon schemes alone, two-thirds from Ock Street.

At the meeting, four people spoke against the proposals in person and two via the internet including the owner of Reeves’s (correction sorry) Fish and Chip Shop, who warned the restrictions would pose the greatest threat to the business in its 100-year history. (Other potential objectors knew officers were already recommending rejection; otherwise many more might have addressed the meeting.)

Cllr Andrew Gant asked few questions about the schemes themselves but asked on behalf of one resident about some double yellow lines that had not been dropped. He also asked about the contrast between informal and formal consultation results.

In the end, he backed officers’ recommendations to scrap both schemes, apart from a few minor details that will go ahead. For many residents the decision will come as a relief – though it leaves open whether months of work and worry have been a worthwhile exercise. Officers do deserve credit for including every response in that record breaking document. It shows democracy in action. Only one print was made.

On Thursday 4th September, the Cabinet Member for Transport Management will decide on the proposed Residents Permit Parking schemes for Abingdon Centre North and Ock Street (including Exbourne Road pictured above).

Following consultation, council officers have recommended that the new permit parking areas should not go ahead.

This will be a relief to many local residents and community groups – including Trinity Church, which feared added difficulties for access and parking under the proposals.

Some people had been calling for tighter parking controls, but the idea of paying over £100 a year for an on-street permit proved unpopular. The revised plans scale things back considerably.

Instead of large permit zones and shared-use bays, only a few targeted changes are now suggested – such as new double yellow lines at certain points to improve safety.

If the recommendation is agreed, the more extensive permit parking scheme will not proceed.

You can read the full agenda and officer reports here.
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Oxfordshire County Council is currently consulting on two proposed on-street parking schemes in Abingdon: one for the North Central area, which includes the Fitzharris and Workhouse Estates, and one for the Ock Street area. These proposals follow feedback from an informal consultation with residents in November 2024. The current consultation is open until 1st August 2025.

The schemes aim to address all-day parking by non-residents and congestion caused by school traffic, which can make parking and access difficult for those living in the areas.

Under the proposals:

• Resident-only parking areas would be introduced, with permits available for residents to purchase. There would be exemptions for carers and some services
• Some areas near shops would allow shared use: residents with permits can park, and non-permit holders can park for up to 2 hours free.
• A small area outside Trinity Church and near Edward Street shops, would allow up to 4 hours free parking with or without a permit.

Residents in these areas would need to buy permits, as is already the case in central Abingdon. In the central Abingdon scheme, permit income helps cover enforcement costs, including the employment of traffic wardens. I would expect a similar model in the new zones.

You can view and respond to the consultations here:

• North Central Area (Fitzharry’s and Workhouse Estates):
  https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/abingdon_centralnorth_permitparking2025

• Ock Street Area:
  https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/abingdon_ockstreet_permitparking2025

The newly revamped Cattle Market Car Park opened recently and is looking smart with fresh tarmac, clearly painted lines, and brick-block parking bays.

One feature still to be completed is the rain garden. This will collect and filter rainwater runoff from the car park, preventing it from overwhelming the drainage channels. By filtering the water through soil and plants, the rain garden helps clean it before it reaches the water table. It will also enhance biodiversity in the area.