Traffic concerns about nursery scheme dismissed

St John’s College earlier this year lodged plans with Oxford City Council for a nursery to cater for 25 children on a site off Bainton Road.

It would be open Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 6pm and cater for children from six months to pre-school age.

But residents of nearby homes claimed it would create extra traffic and pose a safety risk to families and cyclists who use the route.

They called for the application to be rejected or for turning restrictions on the entrance and exit to a semi-circular driveway.

Oxford Civic Society said there should be a review of traffic.

The society’s Tim Treacher told the council in a letter: “We believe that this application cannot be approved until a full review has been made of the car access.

“[This would] ensure that parents do not increase the danger to traffic, particularly cycles.”

In a report to councillors, planning officer Andrew Murdoch said: “The proposed development will increase traffic generation from the site, bearing in mind it is currently not used.

“However the level of traffic generation would be suitable for this type of development and would not have a significant impact upon the local highway network.”

He added that concerns had been raised about the position of the site near two bends in Bainton Road, which residents have described as “blind corners”.

But Mr Murdoch said: “Bainton Road is subject to a 20mph speed limit, and the geometries of the road does not suggest that excessive speeds would occur.”

He added there had been no objection from Oxfordshire County Council, the transport authority, and recommended that councillors approve the scheme.

In its comment, the Hayfield Road Residents’ Association wrote: “The proposals should be firmly rejected on the grounds of road safety.

A traffic report by a consultancy firm for St John’s said that it was expected to generate 17 two-way vehicle journeys in the morning and 14 in the afternoon.