The Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet met on 17 June 2025 and agreed to consult on a temporary congestion charge scheme for Oxford, aiming to mitigate the impact of the Botley Road closure. They also approved a £5.906m Traffic Congestion Improvement Fund (TCIF) programme, including an increased budget for the Access to Witney scheme and the inclusion of the Benson Lane Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in the capital programme. Additionally, the Cabinet endorsed recommendations regarding Home to School Transport and adopted the Post 16 Transport Policy Statement for the academic year 2026/27, ensuring no contribution charge for eligible students.

Here's a more detailed look at the key discussion points:

Traffic Filter Trial Delay and Mitigation Proposals

The Cabinet authorised a public consultation on a temporary congestion charging scheme to offset the delay in implementing the traffic filter trial, caused by the ongoing closure of Botley Road. The closure, due to Network Rail's work at Oxford station, has pushed the traffic filter trial back to at least August 2026.

The proposed congestion charge would utilise the systems and infrastructure already developed for the traffic filter trial. The Cabinet also authorised officers to develop minor schemes outlined in the meeting agenda and requested the development of an 'income spending strategy' to focus net surplus income on reducing bus travel costs, including potential park-and-ride incentives.

Councillor David Henwood asked why the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme was not considered for removal, and questioned the evidence for congestion in areas proposed for the congestion charge. The Cabinet Member for Transport Management, Councillor Andrew Gant, responded that the LTNs are council policy, legally established, and support the council's vision to reduce car trips and prioritise walking, cycling and public transport. He added that the LTNs are part of the solution, not the problem, and that congestion is a chronic issue in Oxford, worsened by the Botley Road closure.

Capital Programme Approvals

The Cabinet approved the inclusion of a programme of work into the capital programme with an indicative budget of £5.906m, funded by the Traffic Congestion Improvement Fund (TCIF). This fund was agreed by the Council in February 2024. The proposed schemes to be delivered under the TCIF programme of work include:

• A package of measures to mitigate the impact of delays to the traffic filter trial.
• Signals upgrades and the addition of a pedestrian crossing at Littlemore Roundabout.
• Signals upgrades, pedestrian cycle crossing improvements and bus priority on Horspath Road: Phase 1.
• Signals upgrade and traffic management scheme to improve bus journey times on Horspath Driftway: Phase 1.
• Measures to improve bus journey times and service reliability on the Benson Lane BSIP, Crowmarsh Gifford.
• Feasibility work to identify improvements at 3 junctions on Swan Close Road, Banbury.
• Complimentary measures to re-route traffic from Witney town centre as part of the A40 Access to Witney scheme.
• Improvement of visibility of sites to ensure they are performing optimally through Urban Traffic Control Upgrades (countywide).
• Increased coverage allowing greater visual oversight of traffic on the highway network through CCTV Cameras (countywide).

The Cabinet also approved a budget increase of £1.800m for the Access to Witney Scheme, bringing the total budget to £26.825m. This increase is funded by incorporating £1.800m from the Traffic Congestion Improvement Fund.

Furthermore, the inclusion of the Benson Lane Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) into the capital programme was approved, with an indicative budget of £1.232m. This is to be funded by a combination of developer contributions, Transport Provision funding, BSIP programme funds and the Traffic Congestion Improvement Fund.

Home to School Transport & Post 16 Travel Policies 2025/26

The Cabinet endorsed recommendations following analysis of public consultation feedback regarding the Home to School Travel and Transport Policy 2025/26 onwards for Reception to Year 11. They also agreed to adopt the proposed Post 16 Transport Policy Statement Academic Year 2026/27, which reflects the consultation analysis recommendations to not introduce a contribution charge for those eligible for support under this policy.

The decision to not introduce contribution charges came after 60% of respondents disagreed with the proposals, citing affordability and the potential for creating a barrier to education.

Appointments 2025-26

The Cabinet agreed to the appointments to various bodies as outlined in the annex to the report. These appointments included positions on joint committees, local statutory bodies, strategic partnerships, standing advisory bodies, informal member/officer working groups, and strategic outside bodies.

Transport Working Group Report of Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee

The Cabinet noted the recommendations contained in the report of the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee's Transport Working Group and agreed that relevant officers would provide each meeting of the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee with a brief written update on progress made against actions committed to in response to the recommendations for 12 months, or until they are completed (if earlier).

The Transport Working Group made 20 recommendations, grouped under the headings of data and monitoring; governance and responsibility/skills and capacity building; funding and budgets; working with other organisations; co-production and public engagement.

Section 106 Improvement Project Update Report of Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee

The Cabinet noted the recommendations contained in the report on the Section 106 Improvement Programme and agreed that relevant officers would continue to provide each meeting of the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee with a brief written update on progress made against actions committed to in response to the recommendations for 12 months, or until they are completed (if earlier).

The Committee made seven recommendations, three related to the efficacy of the data dashboard, one relating to officer capacity, one to publication of milestones, and one to exploration of Local Development Orders¹ being employed more widely. The seventh celebrates the learning that has arisen as a result of the improvement project and calls for it to be disseminated across the organisation.

HR & Cultural Change - Quarterly Employee Data Report - Quarter 4 2024-25

The Cabinet noted the HR & Cultural Change- Quarterly Employee Data Report-Quarter 4 2024-25. The report provided an overview of the progress towards delivering the Our People and Culture Strategy and summarised the main employee-related trends for Q4 2024/25.

Business Management & Monitoring Report - Annual Report, Provisional Revenue Outturn 2024/25

The Cabinet noted the Business Management & Monitoring Report- Annual Report, Provisional Revenue Outturn 2024/25. They also approved proposals relating to reserves and the use of general balances, including:

• Adding the £1.8m underspend against budgeted funding for investments in 2024/25 to the Budget Priorities reserve for use in 2025/26.
• Carrying forward the £1.2m 2024/25 On-Street Parking Account surplus to 2025/26.
• Approving the use of one-off funding from General Balances to support Innovate Oxfordshire (£0.5m) and the Business and Intellectual Property Centre (£0.1m).

Capital Outturn Report 2024-25

The Cabinet noted the performance against the capital programme for 2024/25 as set out in the report, as well as the Capital Programme Provisional Outturn Summary for 2024/25.

Forward Plan and Future Business

The Cabinet noted the items currently identified for forthcoming meetings.