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Oxford LTNs: Council spends £72,000 dealing with vandalism

BBC A melted bollardBBC
Plastic bollards were melted to the ground in July

A council has spent £72,000 repairing vandalised plastic bollards used in a traffic-calming scheme.

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) were added to Oxford's Divinity Road, St Clement's and St Mary's areas in May.

Oxfordshire County Council recently said steel bollards would be installed at a cost of £100,000 after "unprecedented levels of vandalism".

But installation will take about three months, with the council continuing to repair damages in that time.

A BBC Freedom of Information request found that the cost of repairs to the bollards until the end of October was £72,628.41, equating to about £14,525 per month.

There were 59 vandalism incidents in which damaged bollards were replaced after being reported to the council, with 44 of these reported to police.

Damian Haywood Lockable bollardsDamian Haywood
Lockable bollards have been broken and removed from their positions
Amir Steve Ali LTN choppedAmir Steve Ali
Oxfordshire County Council will continue to replace the plastic bollards until steel ones are introduced

Andrew Gant, cabinet member for highways management, said: "Ongoing damage has come at a significant cost to both the council and Thames Valley Police in both time and money, with potentially serious consequences for people's safety."

The LTNs were introduced as part of a trial but have been met with opposition, with protests taking place in the area.

The Reconnecting Oxford group, which is opposed to LTNs, has raised funds ahead of a potential legal challenge against them.

It says LTNs increase congestion and pollution, discriminate against disabled residents, and "threaten the livelihood of local shops and businesses".

The council believes they create "quieter and safer streets where residents may feel safer and more comfortable when making local journeys by bus, by cycle or on foot".

A consultation over the trial will end on 30 November. The council is due to decide whether to make the scheme permanent in February.

Another melted bollard
The authority said there were "unprecedented levels of vandalism"
protester with a banner saying 'ban the bollard'
People have attended anti-LTNs protests in Cowley

Emergency services have been consulted about the plans for the new steel bollards and will be able to remove them when they need to.

The authority made a separate LTN scheme permanent in July.

The scheme covering Church Cowley, Temple Cowley and Florence Park was first introduced as part of a trial in March 2021.

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