Backlash to council's congestion charge plan

An MP has called a county council's plans for a congestion charge in a city "a knee-jerk solution imposed from outside".

This how Labour's Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds described Oxfordshire County Council's consideration of a £5 temporary congestion charge for drivers to access the city centre on six routes.

A petition opposing the scheme has also been launched and has gained more than 4,000 signatures since its launch on Tuesday.

Andrew Gant, cabinet member for transport management, said should the council would be "particularly keen" to hear from residents if it decided to continue to consultation.

The county council said action was needed because of delays to a planned trial of traffic filters, which cannot be introduced until Botley Road is reopened after overrunning works at Oxford Station and the railway bridge complete, which Network Rail announced for August next year.

The county council's cabinet will discuss the proposals on 17 June.

If approved, a six-week public consultation would begin on 23 June and the congestion charge scheme could be in place by the autumn.

In a statement, Ms Dodds said the scheme "certainly wasn't talked about during the local elections".

She added that residents "want local transport solutions to be driven by local people as part of a plan that we can all take part in".

"They don't want knee jerk solutions imposed from outside by Oxfordshire County Council."

Lib Dem Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, welcomed the proposals "which would give local residents the opportunity to have their say".

Businesses across the city are calling for the county council to rethink the plans.

Jeremy Mogford, chair of Oxford Business Action Group who owns a number of hotels and restaurants in the city said the plans were "ridiculous".

The petition was set up by independent councillor Saj Malik, who represents Cowley, and Richard Parnham of campaign group Reconnecting Oxford.

It calls the congestion charge "completely unfair" and would badly affect residents and businesses who are "already struggling" because of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) in East Oxford and Cowley and the closure of Botley Road.

Mr Malik said "This drives a coach and horses through what Oxford's businesses expected would happen in the next few months.

"They were expecting more than a year to prepare for traffic filters.

"Now they'll have to try to prepare for a congestion charge within a few weeks.

Mr Gant said: "The temporary charge locations would be exactly the same as the trial traffic filter locations which were designed to address overall through traffic."

"Should we decide to continue to consultation, we would be particularly keen to understand the impact the scheme may have on residents and businesses.

"The benefits of this proposed scheme would be felt across the city: better bus services, safer walking and cycling, easier journeys for permit holders including carers, blue badge holders and traders, and cleaner air.

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.