An illustration for the Eynsham Society’s Village Design Statement (August 2001). The Traffic section (pp13-14) runs as follows...
3.22 Traffic and parking already cause problems in Eynsham, a concern reflected in the responses to the VDS questionnaire. Clearly, the level of traffic generated by the amenities, shops and bus services must be weighed against what is environmentally and socially acceptable to residents. This balance is particularly delicate in the village centre and Conservation Area, where the visual and historic value is paramount. It goes without saying that a major effect upon traffic would result if plans were to go ahead for the gravel extraction mentioned above, in the section on Landscape and Wildlife. Even the most modest calculation points to a steady flow of lorries.
3.23 There is barely sufficient on-street parking space to meet the needs of shops and businesses within the village. This results at times in some quite hazardous parking, though the congestion this creates does at least reduce vehicle speeds, so that there is a fine balance between nuisance and benefit. Some minimal improvements could be made to prevent dangerous parking at junctions.
3.24 The shops, businesses, and pubs within the village centre are a vital part of what makes the village a lively, well-resourced community. These need support and encouragement, and any attempt to restrict parking must not have a detrimental effect on them. Too much of the parking appears to be long-term, often by non-residents, and motorists who intend to park for an hour or more should be encouraged to use the Car Park in order to release spaces for shoppers.
3.25 Traffic speed is still an issue, especially at the approaches to the village centre. A 20mph limit would be welcome, but would probably need to be backed up with more physical limitations on speed. In this case, width restrictions are probably safer and less visually intrusive than humps, and would fit better with the desire to improve cycle and pedestrian access.
3.26 Increasing the volume of traffic in the village centre would exacerbate the problem, and any more demand for parking space would cause chaos.
3.27 Superficially, it would appear that Eynsham has good road communications. But in practice this is not the case. During peak periods all the roads around the village are heavily congested, and any increase in the village population would add to this congestion.