West Oxfordshire District and County Councillor Liam Walker has criticised West Oxfordshire District Council after it rejected his recommendation to carry out a temporary trial closure of parking spaces at Woodford Way Car Park before deciding whether to build new homes on the site.
Earlier this year, at a meeting of the District Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Walker put forward a recommendation calling on the council to undertake a two-week partial closure of the number of parking spaces proposed to be lost under the redevelopment plans. The aim was to gather real-world evidence on the impact the loss of parking would have across Witney before any planning application is submitted.
This week, the council confirmed it would not proceed with the recommendation.
In its response, the council stated: "As this would only provide data for an isolated period, so not being representative of usage throughout the year, the disruption to residents would outweigh the benefit of undertaking this trial."
Cllr Walker said the response exposed a glaring contradiction in the council's approach. "I find this decision completely baffling. A few months ago, I recommended a simple two-week trial to understand the real impact of removing parking spaces before permanent decisions are made. The council has now rejected that recommendation because it says the trial would cause disruption to residents."
"Well, I agree. It would be disruptive. But that's exactly why the trial should have taken place. If removing those parking spaces for just two weeks would cause disruption, surely permanently removing them to build housing would have an even greater impact on residents, shoppers, workers and local businesses."
Woodford Way Car Park is one of Witney's principal free public car parks, serving the town centre, businesses and visitors. West Oxfordshire District Council is progressing proposals to redevelop part of the site for housing, a move Cllr Walker has consistently opposed.
He believes the council should first gather robust evidence on parking demand before any irreversible decisions are made. "Good planning decisions should be based on evidence, not assumptions. Instead of testing the impact and collecting meaningful data, the council appears determined to press ahead without properly understanding the consequences for the town."
"I will continue campaigning to protect Woodford Way Car Park and ensure Witney retains the parking it needs to support residents, businesses and our local economy."
Cllr Walker is continuing his campaign against the proposed redevelopment and is calling on the council to reconsider its decision and undertake meaningful parking surveys before any planning application is determined.
