Oxfordshire County Council has given the green light to 20mph speed restrictions in three more areas of the county, despite pushback from some local inhabitants.
The speed limit changes received backing during a recent council meeting and are set to commence on April 28 at 5pm, provided they are not subject to a call-in procedure.
The areas impacted are Old Road in Forest Hill close to Headington, Brightwell Baldwin near Wallington, and the southern portion of Green Lane in Chesterton.
This programme is part of Oxfordshire’s wider 20mph initiative and the Vision Zero approach, which aims to completely eliminate deaths and serious injuries from road traffic incidents across the region.
Council figures show these new restrictions respond to an increase in road casualties, with 1,068 serious or fatal incidents occurring in 2024—a rise of 11 percent compared to the preceding year.
The change on Old Road is especially noteworthy, as it applies to a stretch of road previously subject to a 60mph limit.
A budget of up to £8 million, sanctioned in February 2022, will cover the countywide rollout, meaning town and parish councils will bear none of the costs.
While the council maintains these measures will preserve lives, readers of this newspaper have taken to internet forums to voice their displeasure.
Among the plan’s critics, Alexandru Mircea Onciul expressed that the project’s name perfectly encapsulates Oxfordshire County Council, questioning why £8 million is being spent on 20mph restrictions and what beneficial purposes that sum could serve instead.
Other responses mirrored public annoyance about the expenditure, rationale, and justification for the alterations.
David Stone highlighted that motorists already contribute through road tax, expensive insurance, high parking fees, and face rising petrol costs, while roads remain riddled with potholes that damage and slow vehicles. He stated people are effectively penalised for car ownership and instructed to leave their vehicles at home because bicycles are permitted to travel at higher speeds.
Mike Philbin opposed applying 20mph limits to main roads, asserting the concept makes no sense unless implemented on cul-de-sacs, side streets, or residential estates where children play in the streets.
Some contributors suggested these policies could harm property values or relate to wider council agendas.
Scott Grimes noted that residents who have experienced these limit alterations despise them, cannot reverse them, and now struggle to sell their homes.
Sophia Khan suggested the council might be using speed limits as a pretext to subsequently install cameras capable of penalising anyone exceeding the 20mph threshold.
Kirk Hadland questioned when ordinary people would put their foot down and stop these controlling measures being imposed on their lifestyle.
A council representative stated that as part of their dedication to Vision Zero—the removal of deaths and serious injuries from road traffic collisions in Oxfordshire—communities can request 20mph zones. In February 2022, the cabinet sanctioned funding of up to £8 million to implement 20mph schemes, meaning the changes come at zero expense to town or parish councils.