Oxfordshire County Council has published revised proposals to improve walking and cycling through Abingdon town centre after taking account of feedback from last year’s public consultation.
The scheme, funded through the UK Government’s Active Travel Fund, originally had a budget of £1.47 million. It has since received a further £269,000, allowing the council to make several changes in response to concerns raised by residents and businesses.
The original plans included a contraflow cycle lane along East St Helen Street, new pedestrian and cycle crossings, and changes to the busy junction linking High Street, Bridge Street and Stert Street.
Following consultation, several aspects of the scheme have been revised. The illustrations below are my own mock-ups based on photographs taken today to help show the changes. They are not the council’s official drawings, so if you want to see the precise layout you should look at the plans on the council’s consultation webpage.
The main changes are:
* No net loss of residents’ parking spaces. Parking spaces that need removing will instead be relocated. New residents’ parking will be created on Lombard Street and St Helen’s Court, while some shared visitor/residents’ spaces on East St Helen Street will become residents-only. To accommodate these changes, Lombard Street would become one-way eastbound for motor vehicles while remaining open to westbound cyclists.
* More loading space for businesses has been included.
* The proposed planting along East St Helen Street has been removed, allowing wider passing places along East St Helen Street.
* A new pedestrian crossing is proposed between Parasol Restaurant and The Punch Bowl.
* Another pedestrian crossing would be provided outside St Helen’s Church.
* A protected southbound cycle lane is added on West St Helen Street, linking St Helen’s Court with East St Helen Street. This would require the removal of four parking spaces.
How to comment:
The council is currently asking for feedback only on these revised changes, with comments open until 1 September 2026. See: : https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/east-st-helen-street-active-travel-update
Later this autumn or winter, the council expects to hold a formal consultation on the complete revised scheme, giving everyone another opportunity to comment before any final decisions are made.