top of slade to be closed for 2 weeks

Sun 21 Jan, 16:24

Kate - I think that rule changed a long time ago.  We were assured at the outset that the crossing patrol would continue.

(There is a longer term question mark about crossing patrols, but this existed regardless of any decisions about the crossing)

Sun 21 Jan, 11:30

Years ago when I was a school governor I recall the question of a crossing was discussed within the school at great length, but in those days we were told that the County Council would fund the crossing or the lollipop lady, but not both. So we decided that as we were lucky enough to have an excellent lollipop lady who looked out for the individual children, noticed when the younger ones strayed, or gave them an extra smile when they were miserable, this was the more valuable asset. I do hope that the rules have changed and that the children will not lose that friendly face!

Fri 19 Jan, 09:06 (last edited on Sat 26 Oct, 19:21)

🖋️

Thu 18 Jan, 10:16

Some people have asked about issues of heavy goods vehicles breaching weight restrictions can be reported.  The information is here.

For obvious reasons don’t take photos etc if in control of a vehicle.  If safe to do it, note the vehicle registration and any identifying features (make, colour etc) and take a photo if possible.

Thu 18 Jan, 09:13 (last edited on Thu 18 Jan, 09:15)

From the senior officer in charge of this:

"Safety zones for site operatives are necessary and with works being carried out on both sides of the carriageway and central island, this necessitates a full closure."

I hope people agree that the safety of those working on our behalf is at least as important as our personal convenience.

Wed 17 Jan, 22:43

I suspect the use of traffic lights has not been fully investigated. I understand and agree with the need for safe working conditions for those installing the crossing but, with signals in use, there is little likelihood of fast moving traffic while people are actually working. Well-timed signals would give the advantage of slowing the traffic by causing a queue to form. With a 'well designed' chicane through the work site, traffic would be forced to move slowly.

Drivers using the route regularly will not follow a diversion via the A44, Bladon, Enstone or anywhere else, they will soon realise they can do the same as many others already do to avoid the right turn on to Banbury Road; use Dancers Hill, Pooles Lane and Enstone Road. 

I hope OCC will be big enough to look again at this project and accept that there is an alternative way to approach it.

Wed 17 Jan, 22:22

Harriet raises a valid point about the crossing by Londis not needing a road closure. Moreover, it had a 30 mph limit then, now it's 20 mph. 

Many other countries have 30 kph/20 mph zones and all you need for a crossing is a pot of white paint. If the law does not permit here, surely the Local Government Association should be pressing government for a relaxation? This would be a positive benefit for lots of residential areas. 

We are already used to paint only crossings at supermarkets, airports and even at Charlbury station. Over specification of gold-plated solutions costs precious money that could be better spent elsewhere or delivering more crossings for less money.

Wed 17 Jan, 09:47

I agree Miles. It's two weeks of inconvenience for a project that is badly needed. Also, the second week of the works falls within half-term which should also mitigate the impact a bit (as long as buses and emergency vehicles can pass by of course). The reduction in traffic speed and noise up Nineacres when the 20mph flasher is in place facing the Shed is tangible.

Wed 17 Jan, 08:37

Then, Sorry Bladen, and you're welcome Enstone!

Wed 17 Jan, 08:18

The biggest flow through Charlbury is Witney to/from Banbury/M40 – we learned that from the traffic survey. I’d expect much of that to switch to going through Bladon. 

Wed 17 Jan, 08:09

I'm sure it will prove frustrating at times, and I don't dismiss the inconvenience it may cause around town, but I'm oddly looking forward to a quiet road for a while. 

I wonder if it might cause some of the regular through-traffic to explore some new routes, realising that missing the 20 mph of Charlbury and the two zebra crossings makes the trip up to the 44 more worthwhile (sorry Enstone)?

In the meantime, some of us get the small pleasure of quite, we all get the advantages of the crossing, and Charlbury improves and grows just a little bit.  

Happy days.

Wed 17 Jan, 01:40

Would a night shift to cut a Chanel into the road surface to install the cables not be a simple exercise,  Giggacler managed to do the majority of Charlbury with limited disruption. Everything is possible - if desired and planned. There is a lot of disruption to all of the traffic that passes through that route from both the surrounding villages and Charlbury. 

Tue 16 Jan, 21:16

Agreed Richard. The inconvenience caused by roadworks is not specific to Charlbury. And surely a couple of weeks of inconvenience is worth having a pedestrian crossing?

I do agree the communications from the OCC needs to be clearer and come earlier, but I’m guessing it’s down to booking in a contractor.

Tue 16 Jan, 21:01 (last edited on Tue 16 Jan, 21:03)

Highway work is much more cautious and risk-averse than it was even 10 years ago. This isn’t an Oxfordshire thing, it’s everywhere. Working practices that were once common are no longer seen as safe. Hence anything on the highway takes longer and involves more closures.

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing I leave up to you, but given the number of times I’ve been walking along the pavement on Market Street and had my arm clipped by the wing mirror of a 4x4 whose driver evidently thinks I should shrink into the wall at its approach, I can 100% understand why any employer would consider a safe working environment is one without passing cars.

Tue 16 Jan, 20:45

Joke , lay the cable half way across then close the other side. not hard

Tue 16 Jan, 17:42

I'm sure sturt rd wasn't closed for two weeks when the crossing there was put in. Are the electrics different for different crossings?

Tue 16 Jan, 17:30 (last edited on Tue 16 Jan, 17:31)

Installing a zebra crossing isn't as simple as normal road works. It involves electrical work and that extends across the width of the road.  Buses will have access but because they are relatively infrequent that can be managed by stopping the work while they go through.  Traffic lights are not an option.

Tue 16 Jan, 10:18

Liz L.,     Has OCC considered keeping the road open to all, by using temporary traffic lights?  If such a plan has been rejected, please tell us on what grounds. 

Mon 15 Jan, 18:59

Matt, yes Pulham's still runs the X9. But The Go-Ahead Group has bought Pulham & Sons (Coaches) Limited. The report is here: https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/go-ahead-expands-cotswolds-buying-pulham-sons

Pulhams has become part of Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company division – which presently comprises Thames Travel, Carousel Buses and City Sightseeing Oxford as well as the eponymous Oxford Bus Company.

This means the online Oxford Buses timetable, not there last time  I looked, and also the £2 maximum fare, plus access to the Oxford Bus app.

Mon 15 Jan, 18:46

Pulhams and Oxford Bus Company are both part of Go-Ahead group but are still separate entities. Pulham still run the X9.

Mon 15 Jan, 17:22

Apparently the X9 is now run by The Oxford Bus Company (with a maximum £2 fare). Timetable (but without any updates, so far) is here: https://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/services/PULH/X9

It shows where the bus is, at least on my PC. 

There's also a Oxford Bus app. Just downloaded it and it shows the Stagecoach options as well. But it doesn't seem to be showing live times or where the bus is. It also doesn't show all the connecting services in Chippy, for example. Google maps better for that.

Mon 15 Jan, 15:12

Many thanks Christine for the info.  
Not sure what happened this morning as there was a road closure near Witney and the bus had to reverse up a fairly busy street and do a detour.  As this was the 9.35 I don’t understand whether it was the bus drivers fault or lack of information to the bus company by the respective parties, whoever they may be.

Mon 15 Jan, 11:31

Thank you, Liz. And here's hoping that access for buses through the roadworks will be allowed.

I realise that the TC doesn't take the road closure decisions and OCC is in control, but bus changes are so frequently missed or badly communicated, it would be good if someone on the TC could be given the information in good time and make sure that the bus companies are aware.

Mon 15 Jan, 11:18

To echo Gareth's statement, the responsibilities and oversight the TC has versus the responsibilities and oversight the District or County Council's have are very different. We can only communicate what we are told unfortunately. 

Mon 15 Jan, 10:55

The County Council is working with the bus companies and the current plan is for them to have access through the road works.  Further updates nearer the time

Mon 15 Jan, 10:41

Nobody in the Town Council is responsible for informing bus companies.  The Town Council is not responsible for highway works or bus services.  The County Council is the statutory highway authority.

(In a personal capacity)

Mon 15 Jan, 10:01

Pauline, it's down to be closed from Feb. 5th - Feb 16th, And, no, there is nothing on either the Pulham's website or the Stagecoach website. But the bus companies do need to be informed and in good time as it's a very long diversion via Kiddington, Enstone and Banbury Hill. 

I am not sure who in the Town Council is responsible for informing bus companies, but it often does not get done. As half-term does not seem to start until Feb 12th, traffic during the first few days is likely to be chaotic. 

Pulham's and you can see details of the route and diversion on one.network and then selecting the "next three months" option, and clicking on the road closure by Ticknell Piece Road. You may need to sign into one.network first.

Mon 15 Jan, 10:00

There is a yellow sign on the roadside telling us when the work will start but I can't remember the exact date other than to tell you it is in early February, probably Feb 5th. 

Mon 15 Jan, 09:05

Does anyone know when the work will commence?  I phoned Pullmans this morning and they advised they weren’t aware of any road works.

Sat 13 Jan, 19:22

Crawborough features on some satnav systems as a road.  Some drivers who pay more attention to their satnav than to road conditions are likely to try and use it during the closure, unless there’s a plan in place to stop this happen ring.

Perhaps, Steve, you could do something constructive and acknowledge that some of us are trying to get the County to address these issues, rather than attacking the people trying to resolve them?

Sat 13 Jan, 19:04

Gareth, you explicitly stated that a physical barrier on Crawborough could be contemplated apart from for access (however that is going to work).

You have also referred to "agressive drivers" forcing their way down Crawborough on Facebook. I quote

"OCC was asked, before Christmas, for a site visit with the school and town council. There’s potentially a major safety issue with aggressive drivers trying to force their way up and down Crawborough (which features on some satnavs)."

Now it might be you meant for the duration of the 2 weeks closure of the Slade, but that is less than clear.

Sat 13 Jan, 18:47 (last edited on Sat 13 Jan, 18:53)

Steve - please stop making things up.  It would be illegal to put a barrier over a private road, unless it was done by the owners.

Perhaps you could also revise your understanding of the word irony.

Sat 13 Jan, 18:42 (last edited on Sat 13 Jan, 18:43)

I don't know why Gareth Epps is implying those that think closing the Slade across its entire width for two weeks to install a crossing is going to cause unacceptable levels of chaos means that people object to a safe crossing. Does it mean two-way traffic will be going via Poole's lane? Where will the buses go?

Also, why does an entire road width have to be closed for about two weeks? Why can't it be done one side at a time?

Gareth also introduces the entirely unconnected issue of through traffic on Crawborough. If a barrier was put in place to stop that, then what on earth has that to do with a pedestrian crossing on the Slade? They are entirely different. What is more, has anybody asked the residents of Crawborough as they would have to travel both ways to get to the one non-emergency vehicle entrance? What about vans delivering goods to properties on Crawborough? What about the recycling lorries?

It is not my experience that there are a lot of vehicles using Crawborough as a through-route, unless you include those delivery drivers who enter at the top, deliver their goods and exit at the bottom (very occasionally the other way around).

In any event, who on earth willingly drives down Crawborough unless they have to visit one of the properties? It's not exactly suspension friendly (and, speaking a a pedestrian, it's hazardous enough walking down it at night, none of which has anything to do with vehicular traffic).

In short, it's both irrelevant to the closure of the road to put in a crossing over the Slade, and the proposed "remedy" for this largely unevidenced risk of significant numbers of vehicles using Crawborough as a through-route raises even more problems than the one it purports to solve. Also, is there even the power to put a barrier across a private road?

Sat 13 Jan, 18:36

At the moment one.network is showing The Slade diversion route as via Kiddington, Enstone and Banbury Hill (and vice versa). You can see the route here: https://one.network/

The estimated time of the diversion is given as 20 minutes, but that seems to me an underestimate, especially for those on the S3 and X9 buses if they are also diverted along that route. 

I know there was a suggestion that the buses should be diverted through the town instead, although I am really not clear how that would work. 

There's nothing given as an update on either the S3 or X9 timetable websites, but people do really need to know so they can plan how to get to work and other appointments. This is particularly important in snowy and icy weather when people often choose to travel by bus, rather than drive. And nobody wants to be waiting for ages at a bus stop when the weather is bitterly cold.

Please could we (and also the bus companies) have an urgent update on the proposed bus routes. 

Sat 13 Jan, 16:23

 
yeah to close the whole road for 2 weeks is total madness 

Sat 13 Jan, 15:26

Ruddy ridiculous! For two reasons (1) Thank Heavens at last a X-sing! Why took so long?!

(2) Why close BOTH sides? I was on a work party in ca 1971 or so installing a crossing and we simply did it one carriageway at a time. Busy road too and no problem.

Sat 13 Jan, 14:07

Maybe if all traffic has to be "diverted through the centre of town", then the powers that be might be forced to take seriously the problem of cars parking on double yellow lines in the aforementioned "centre of town".

Just saying ...

Sat 13 Jan, 14:00

At the bottom of all this is obviously a lack of common sense we can see nowadays. Good luck to everyone involved (myself included)🤟

Sat 13 Jan, 13:20

I don't think anyone is complaining about whether or not there is a safe crossing Gareth, it's the fact that some people need to drive to work and don't have the luxury of working from home, and having eg traffic lights would cause fewer issues than having traffic diverted through the centre of town, or given a detour several miles longer. 

Sat 13 Jan, 12:57

At least it is in half term!  John Harrison 

Sat 13 Jan, 08:29

Presumably the moaners would rather there wasn’t a safe crossing by the school.  Personally, I think there should have been one there from the 1980s, or the time of the building on Ticknell Piece.

Sat 13 Jan, 08:11

Why can't they do it a step at a time with traffic lights?

Fri 12 Jan, 23:28

I’ve asked County officers to do a site visit, some time ago.  Ideally when the school crossing patrol is around.  The aggressive and ignorant drivers who form part of the through traffic past the school could form a real hazard especially at school drop off/pick up time.

We also need to physically deter satnav ‘geniuses’ from thinking Crawborough is the quickest route between the M40 and Witney, with some sort of barrier, removable for access of course.

(Speaking in a personal capacity of course)

Fri 12 Jan, 19:00

Will all Slade traffic be diverted through the town ?  As Chris says chaos . The journey from wolvercote roundabout to Bladon Roundabout was a disaster last night . avoid if possible 

Fri 12 Jan, 18:42

Sounds like the traffic chaos that is Oxford, is coming on tour to Charlbury soon. 😂

Fri 12 Jan, 17:33

But do we yet know what route(s) the S3 and X9 buses will take whilst The Slade is closed?

Or are they also going to be given access? 

Fri 12 Jan, 17:08

Thanks Liz. At least half of the crew from the fire station pass that way. Dread to think what the turn out time will be if we have to go on a mystery tour of Charlbury to get to to the station!!

Fri 12 Jan, 17:03

It is the installation of a zebra crossing near the school, and yes, there will be access for emergency vehicles

Fri 12 Jan, 16:59

just see the signs at bottom of Ticknell, slade to be closed for 2 weeks, how on earth is the proposed works going to take 2 weeks...... will there be access to emergency service staff/vehicles?