Frustrated traders have bombarded over 100 county, district and town councillors with demands to lift a controversial high street closure they say was 'not necessary' to get government funding.

Most motor vehicles were banned from using Witney High Street to allow social distancing during Covid in 2020 and the traffic restriction was made permanent in December 2021.

 

Oxford Mail: From second left: Henry Mo and Debbie Hallett and Kim Cook

Witney Chamber of Commerce has now written to the leader of Oxfordshire County Council Liz Leffman and copied in 128 councillors, blasting them for maintaining the closure for "more than two years without any sort of a plan”.

The Chamber's position paper also argues the closure was not necessary to qualify for £1.98million Oxfordshire County Council received from the Government’s Active Travel Fund for developing walking and cycling facilities.

"OCC might well have included closure in its grant application, but it looks very likely that the layout and use of the High Street is such that Active Travel would have looked favourably on an application that did not include closure," it says.

OCC should "do all that is necessary to apply forthwith to amend its application," it adds.

The paper, sent out to all members of the Chamber of Commerce and ratified at their meeting, says keeping the road closed "without an agreed plan shows a degree of irresponsibility concerning the livelihoods of traders".

The Chamber urges the county council "to re-open the High Street and restore ‘the bustle’, and then sit down with all parties, including WODC and Witney Chamber of Commerce, and plan properly for improvements most likely to promote a prosperous future for our town and traders, and for us all."

Richard Martin, chair of Witney Chamber of Commerce, told the Oxford Mail: "Liz Leffman has replied and said I will discuss it with officers and get back to you and quite a number replied saying either we agree with what you say or we will consider it and get back to you.

"It's too early to tell what the general feeling is. But I think quite a few of the councillors who were involved in closing it now feel a bit embarrassed about it to be honest.

"The only consultation of the three that were carried out that has asked the direct question – do you think the High Street should reopen? - was the one conducted by the county council in 2021 and that showed a majority in favour of reopening the high street after Covid."

Oxford Mail: John and Kyly Harper in front of Harpers

 

He said: "The consultation they have just conducted [on the High Street enhancement project] was really a sham in that it didn’t ask that question - they assume that that’s fixed."

He added: "I don’t know offhand of any other decision taken by any organisation ever where a decision to close a high street or something quite big like that has been done without any plan whatsoever.

"I’ve never known a public decision like it."

Mr Martin added: "In terms of traffic volume and the width of the pavements and so on the high street does not actually need to be closed to meet the criteria for the Active Travel grant.

"When I question Oxfordshire County Council about it the best they can say is, yes but it was in our application.

"I agree, it was - but that’s not the same thing as saying it has to be closed in order to come within Active Travel criteria – it’s not the same thing at all."

He added: "As chair of the Chamber of Commerce I go into shops on the High Street and they all say the best thing you can do for me is get the high street reopened.

"I wish I could but I can’t do it by myself."

Oxford Mail: Witney High Street

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said: "The funding for the project was secured from Active Travel England, based on proposals that support the traffic restriction and provide street enhancements and active travel improvements."

They added: “In September 2023, we held a series of community engagement exercises with Witney residents, businesses and community representatives to seek feedback and priorities for the design stages of the High Street enhancement project.

"The findings of the engagement showed general support for the project and a detailed report was published on the council’s Let’s Talk website in December 2023.

“The council has since appointed consultants to develop design proposals, which will be presented at a public consultation later this year."