Where are our promised 1,000 Westgate bike racks?

The Issue

One of the planning conditions attached to the development of the Westgate Shopping Centre was the provision of 1022 bike parking spaces. These bike racks were intended to replace those removed from the City Centre during the construction works and provide additional spaces to encourage more sustainable travel.

So far, Labour-run Oxford City Council (who voted through the development on their own land) have failed to enforce this condition, allowing the Westgate to open with only a small fraction of the promised cycle parking and without the promised cycle hub. Overall, Oxford now has far fewer cycle racks than before the Westgate development began. 

The Council have, however, found time to expand the number of car parking places in the City Centre and negotiated a reduction in car parking fees leading to increased traffic and a worsening of Oxford's already badly polluted air. 

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The Issue

One of the planning conditions attached to the development of the Westgate Shopping Centre was the provision of 1022 bike parking spaces. These bike racks were intended to replace those removed from the City Centre during the construction works and provide additional spaces to encourage more sustainable travel.

So far, Labour-run Oxford City Council (who voted through the development on their own land) have failed to enforce this condition, allowing the Westgate to open with only a small fraction of the promised cycle parking and without the promised cycle hub. Overall, Oxford now has far fewer cycle racks than before the Westgate development began. 

The Council have, however, found time to expand the number of car parking places in the City Centre and negotiated a reduction in car parking fees leading to increased traffic and a worsening of Oxford's already badly polluted air. 

avatar of the starter
Oxfordshire Green PartyPetition Starter
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The Decision Makers

Oxford City Council
Oxford City Council
Responded
“The Westgate Shopping Centre redevelopment has not yet been fully completed – workers are still on site and there are some shops still to be completed and a lot of work around the edges of the new development. Oxford City Council, as the city’s planning authority, insisted on bicycle parking being included in the Westgate Shopping Centre redevelopment and we are pleased that new bike racks for 1,000 bicycles will be installed as part of the development. The provision of the bike racks for 1,000 bicycles is a requirement of the planning permission for the new Westgate Shopping Centre. The development was created followed extensive public consultation with stakeholders, including cycling groups in Oxford such as Cyclox. This consultation included the location and type of bike racks that would be installed. Sadly, although 180 cycle spaces have been installed, the installation of the majority of the new bike racks has been delayed. Last week the Westgate Shopping Centre developer apologised for this delay, and again reassured the City Council and the public that it will install all the bike racks and meet the planning requirement. On Friday, the City Council installed 50 temporary bike racks in St Ebbes Street. We are disappointed that the cycle parking was not fully installed prior to the shopping centre being opened, and are working with the developers to ensure that it is installed and operational as soon as possible.”

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Petition created on 26 October 2017