Residents finally to get say on future of Witney High Street

Oxfordshire County Council was awarded around £2million from the government’s active travel fund for improvements in April 2022.

It has now been announced public engagement exercises on how to spend the cash will take place between Tuesday, September 5 and Monday, October 2.

The exercises will take a variety of forms including the county council's online portal, stakeholder enagement, further discussions with the business community as well as a full open day for residents and members of the public to come and have their say in person.

Meanwhile plans for new temporary measures to help smarten the High Street and remove the existing planters are still on track to be in place in time for the crucial Christmas trading period. 

Councillor Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy at Oxfordshire County Council said: “The work to gather ideas and opinions for the future of the High Street, to make it a nicer place to walk, cycle, shop, eat and stay will take place in early September.

"The council wants any design to be led by the people of Witney. There will be an online consultation as well as two drop-in events during September where residents can share their thoughts and suggestions. Further details of these will be provided in the coming weeks.”

Leader of Witney Town Council Ruth Smith acknowledged a plan had been a long time coming.

She said: "Cutting the traffic right back on the High Street has enabled us all to reimagine it without a traffic jam and exhaust fumes right up it.

"It’s frustrating and irritating that we have had to wait a year longer than initially promised. Some will be bored but please don’t lose interest."

On September 9, a drop-in event will be held all day at the Methodist Church and at the Corn Exchange on the evening of September 19.

Businesses and transport companies and users will also have workshops, with the Chamber of Commerce already in the loop.

She said: "If we view the delay as the gift of time - if we take in the surroundings and the situation and feed in the best bits of places we admire elsewhere and practical information about what currently works and does not work, we can co-create a High Street that invites us to dwell, and meet, and, yes, spend money, and makes us proud of our beautiful, historic town."

Ideas raised at a workshop last July included fully pedestrianising the square although there was recognition that this would need a lot more than £1.9million as it would require a fully-developed transport plan for buses, taxis and deliveries.

Signage, better enforcement of the restrictions, 'softening’ of the pavements to make the area more accessible for wheelchairs was considered as well as looking at ways to expand the market stall area, which is not possible currently due to the bus/taxi/blue badge access.

There was discussion of additional seating and a ‘central feature’ or focal point for the Market Square which could be used for displays and music.

There were also strong hopes the market would expand.

Chair of the Chamber of Commerce David Gambier said: "There was certainly a hope that once the £1.9million boost demonstrated how the area could be improved, it would lead to sustained investment over a much longer period with a combination of Government and private sector funding."

Conservative councillors have accused the county council of dragging its feet on plans for the high street.

In March Liam Walker, the county council’s shadow cabinet member for highway management, said the high street had been left 'in limbo'.

He also called for another consultation on the restriction as residents were very split, with over 50 per cent not in favour or having concerns along with 36 out of 37 of the High Street businesses being against.

Witney MP Robert Courts said: "The council’s decision to permanently close Witney High Street has hugely harmed local businesses and impacted on local residents, causing chaos on the roads surrounding the high street - yet the council went ahead with their plans anyway at a time when we should be doing all we can to safeguard and support local traders.  

"A pedestrianisation, if accompanied by a proper plan, including extra parking and money to accompany it, might be supported by the people and businesses of Witney - but not the half-baked status quo which harms everyone and helps nobody, whilst leaving our high street with the air of a ghost town."

He added: "I would encourage everyone impacted by the Witney High Street closure to engage in this process to ensure your views are taken into consideration.

"We all want to see a thriving High Street in Witney, but that requires a council that is willing to listen to the businesses which are the lifeblood of our local economy."

Henry Mo of Sandwich de Witney, whose business in Market Square, has been badly hit by the closure, said: “Most people still hope it will be reopened again. And if it’s not reopened there’s not much that can be done with £2million so I guess seating and bins and hanging baskets.

“A bigger market won’t happen because the current closure has already deterred some existing stall holders who are cutting back their hours.”