Parking around the town

Fri 7 Apr 2023, 12:33 (last edited on Fri 7 Apr 2023, 12:34)

Thanks very much Liz, that's good to know, appreciate you following up. Yes I was on a single yellow but it was from Monday this week so perhaps before you heard from the enforcement team.

Fri 7 Apr 2023, 12:17 (last edited on Fri 7 Apr 2023, 12:22)

The changeover from WODC to OCC managing parking enforcement happened last weekend and some people received warning notices. Since then I have had the following assurance from the parking enforcement team

“I can confirm that the County Council intends to maintain the current approach and not actively enforce the single yellow lines. In the longer term we will work with the parish council to explore alternative options."

If that notice was issued today, and your car was on a single yellow line, then this is not being followed as agreed, and I will ask officers to ensure that the wardens are properly briefed

Fri 7 Apr 2023, 11:37

I just received a warning notice for parking on Dyers Hill (down towards station) during the restricted period - wondering if residents of Dyers Hill and the surrounding streets are now going to get fines for parking on the street where before WODC usually recognised lots of us don't have anywhere else to park and that the restrictions were aimed at preventing station users parking there instead of the station car park?

Tue 4 Apr 2023, 16:29

Interesting read this one. Good that we can report infringements to get action on consistent bad parking. Bad it’s now a contractor providing the service not the council. Could it have been left with WODC and the reporting initiated or advised? 

Liz is right, bad parking at the school can’t be blamed on the station but nearer to the station it can, an it’s only people understandably avoiding the parking charge there. Enforcement could easily sort that, which has always been the case. Apparently a reporting tool was needed. For the schools there are some “school streets” initiatives that work well. Not sure if that’s feasible here without investigating, but there does need to be some acceptable that it won’t work for all. I certainly couldn’t get my kids to respective schools on time and get to work without parking near to each one. 

Sat 1 Apr 2023, 15:14 (last edited on Sat 1 Apr 2023, 15:15)

Trying not to lapse into stereotypes, definitely not personal and desperately trying to avoid lecturing / holier-than-thou but – well there had to be one, didn’t there? – I think this worth saying.  My experience of walking (3) kids to school, and getting them to do so by themselves when old enough, tells me it’s a win-win.  Good for their (and parent’s) physical health, they (and parent) arrive with brains oxygenated and most of all, they learn to engage far more with the world around them (and with parent) than when cut off from it inside a car and plugged into some device.  Not to mention less pollution…

 If you live a long way away, how about parking a walkable distance from the school in a less busy place instead of everyone piling up at the same time as close to the doorstep as possible?  And feel incredibly smug as you walk round the corner.....  And sorry, but working ft imho is not a reason not to. Just saying… (though am never quite sure why people say that!).

Fri 31 Mar 2023, 09:57

Can we not lapse into lazy stereotypes about why parents have to drive their kids to school or pre-school rather than walking. I work FT and had no option to drive my kids to school or nursery if I wanted to get in on time. It's not the 1950's anymore.

Thu 30 Mar 2023, 15:00

Parking ticket just spotted - on double yellow lines in Brown's Lane!

And if you think it's bad around the schools here, you should see it in NW3, where the SUVs are the shiniest....

Thu 30 Mar 2023, 08:51 (last edited on Thu 30 Mar 2023, 08:53)

Because not everyone that sends their child to Charlbury preschool lives in Charlbury? And some that do live in Charlbury double up and drop them off on their way to work. 

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 23:07

Why not think of the environment and walk to the pre-school instead.

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 19:09

Regarding parking outside preschool. It is only during drop offs/ pick ups for 5 or so minutes. Unfortunately it makes juggling/herding toddlers quite dangerous now having to park round the corner. Doesn’t make the parking any less illegal but just explaining why you may sometimes see cars there briefly- to get toddlers safety and quickly into preschool. 

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 16:08

Right now there are spaces at the station car park, but not very many. 

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 16:05 (last edited on Wed 29 Mar 2023, 16:08)

I don't think parking illegally outside the primary school and the preschool can be blamed on the station car park being full!  

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 15:50

Does anyone know if the station car park is now filling up midweek? I had been told that it had started happening again, and the last time I parked there it was quite difficult to find a space. I'm wondering if the illegal parking was caused in part by the fact that the station car park was full.

If so, what time does it get filled up by please? 

We have now lost the no 7 bus from Oxford returning early evenings/late afternoons, and the traffic queues on the S3 which travels along the Woodstock Rd and then through the seemingly endless road works were absolutely horrendous last week. It took around 90 minutes for the S3 to reach Charlbury, and that's before Botley Rd closes next week for several months. 

I'm wondering if I should go back to travelling into Oxford by train or resort to driving to Oxford Park and Ride. 

Thanks!

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 13:31

Even more exciting times ahead then🤘

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 11:57

Excellent!

Wed 29 Mar 2023, 11:22 (last edited on Wed 29 Mar 2023, 11:38)

Moving around the town early this morning I noticed cars parked on double yellow lines outside the pre-school and at the top of Dyers Hill near the corner where traffic tends to get stuck, and on the zigzags outside the primary school on the Slade. 

Up till now we have depended on occasional traffic wardens employed by WODC to enforce parking restrictions, and as we all know their visits have been few and far between.  As of Saturday,  parking enforcement will be taken over by OCC to bring West Oxfordshire into line with the rest of the county.

The agreement is that OCC will retain the "light touch" approach to enforcement in the town so we won't be seeing more regular visits by traffic wardens in the short term.  But one key difference is that from April 1st anyone can report parking infringements on the OCC website. 

https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/parking/illegal-parking

An enforcement officer will then visit and if they see a car parked illegally they will issue a ticket. So if people habitually park on double yellow lines and zigzags in a particular part of the town they may find they get a ticket in future.

This reporting link is specifically for illegal parking on yellow lines, zigzags and disabled parking spaces. It does not include parking on the pavement which is a police matter, nor does it include parking in the Spendlove car park which is owned by WODC.