John Skinner is going door-to-door asking residents of St Mary’s about their concerns as well as asking for their support. He will be filing regular notes from the doorstep.
Many residents are concerned about what will happen all roads between Iffley Road and Cowley Road are blocked to motor traffic.
Several ask how local people (and NHS workers) will be able to get to hospitals in Headington. One simply described the traffic plans as “nutty”.
Shop keepers on Cowley Road have some big worries.
One mentioned his father had campaigned against road closures in the 1980s and he has already lost parking spaces near the shop. "I am really worried about the consequences of the LTNs. My father campaigned against the closures in the 1980s when he ran the shop. I have had to stop selling anything bulky because it is already impossible for people to pick things up." This shopkeeper is himself a cyclist but believes there will be continuous gridlock. Another felt the council should think again when traders are just beginning to recover from the impact of the pandemic. One specialist food store has customers from all over the county to buy foods from around the world. They won’t come if they cannot park, he says.
There is widespread concern about safety
Many people in our area use their bikes as a key form of transport and there is widespread concern about safety. The Plain is one pressure point where one resident felt there should be a 5mph limit. There is support in our area for car share schemes (which John also supports).
It is not all about traffic
There were many complaints about rubbish and lack of bins. In Iffley Fields there is a strong tradition of helping others – with community action on litter, supporting food banks (and stopping food waste) and supporting voluntary organisations that work with homeless people or people with addictions.
A number of residents expressed their opposition to the development of housing on fields next to Meadow Lane in Iffley Village.
Follow John Skinner on Twitter:
@onestmarys
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