Of the 32 slips returned, 18 (56.25%) selected central parking / congestion, with 3 references to the village being used as a Park & Ride; while just 4 (12.5%) selected traffic speeds on entry / exit roads. These attitudes mirror the experiences reported by Eynsham Retail Group. Other choices were potholes (2), the toll bridge (2), cycle paths (1) and the A40 (1). Three people ticked both boxes and one slip was blank.
By way of comparison, the Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Statement (2016) records 26 mentions of congestion (with 17 references to an informal P&R site); and 19 ‘votes’ for a 20mph zone. The focus for 2018 is firmly on parking / congestion, maybe because increased traffic volumes make speeding almost impossible at most times of day, except perhaps along Witney Road.
Then and now, given a population over 4500, the responses may be too few to justify any significant spend. Eynsham News will urge the Parish Council for more meaningful consultation before their £500,000 ‘20mph scheme’ is finally committed. Incidentally, their research costs appear to have risen to £7160 and the consultants’ final report has not been published yet.
Our thanks to all who took the time to respond to our survey and to the shops who helped with publicity. And congratulations to Jenny Haskett who won the draw for a £25 voucher, to spend in one of our independent retailers.