Stop Oxford's Traffic Filters

We are fundraising on behalf of the residents of Oxford to fund a legal challenge against the controversial Oxford Traffic Filters (see map).

The traffic filters (read: road closures), which are proposed to be installed across six major roads in Oxford, will be detrimental to residents and businesses in Oxford and greater Oxfordshire. If the plan goes ahead, then Oxford will be divided into six zones and movement between the zones will be restricted by a barrier. Seven days a week, 12 hours a day, between 7.00am and 7.00pm, or face a £70 fine.

The Oxford Collection (Old Bank Hotel, Quod Restaurant, Old Parsonage Hotel, Parsonage Grill & Gees Restaurant) regard these proposals as being extremely detrimental for its businesses and the economic and cultural well-being of the city. In order to oppose this damaging proposal The Oxford Collection have joined up with other organisations Oxford Business Action Group (OBAG), Oxford High Street Association (OHSA), ROX (Backing Oxford Business), Reconnecting Oxford, Jericho Traders, and Summertown Traders representing thousands of businesses, colleges, professional organisations, and concerned residents throughout Oxford, as well as visitors to the city.

The traffic filters/road closures will not only affect everyone living within the city but, more importantly, will seriously affect the additional 750,000 residents who live in the catchment area surrounding the city... a hugely important market for the Oxford’s economic viability. These residents come into Oxford for shopping, recreation, culture, educational reasons, medical appointments or just to visit friends.

We have established that there is a case for a ‘judicial review’, (a procedure by which a court can review an administrative action by a public body and prevent that action from being implemented) and we have decided to embark on a fund raising campaign to pay for the inevitable expenses required to resort to the law.

We originally estimated that we needed to raise at least £70,000 - £80,000 to mount a legal challenge against the traffic filters plan, and continue to pay for legal and related advice. We now aim to raise an additional £100,000 to cover the challenge.

Our legal challenge is against Oxfordshire County Council and their proposal to install six traffic filters on key routes across Oxford through the making of an experimental traffic regulation order ("ETRO"). We consider that the decision to proceed taken at the meeting of the Council held on 29 November 2022, is unlawful.

A leading Oxford law firm, have been instructed and the first step has been taken by issuing a letter of intention to Oxfordshire County Council.

So far we have received a number of contributions to the fund and managed to raise nearly £70,000 which has allowed us to initiate the first legal steps for a Judicial Review:

So, we are appealing directly to you and hope that you will pass on this very important message to your friends, neighbours and acquaintances, and consider contributing to this initiative.

Please carefully consider the long-term and harsh effects this proposed scheme will have on your life. Donate as much as you can. If every household against Oxford’s Traffic Filters or some of the thousands that signed anti-traffic filter petitions donated just £10, we would be able to reach our target.

We need your support: please contribute and share this page now!

To learn more about how the traffic filters will affect you, please read below.

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Key Information / Questions you may ask

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• What are traffic filters?

Oxfordshire County Council is proposing six new ‘traffic filters’, essentially road closures, on six of Oxford’s main roads.

Traffic filters will severely limit the freedom of movement across the city, 7am to 7pm, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, or risk a £70 fine. Most visitors from out-of-town, who arrive by car, will be unable to travel through any traffic filters, even at weekends.

Learn more about the proposals here: Oxford Traffic Filters

• How do traffic filters affect me?

Oxford is a city without an extensive travel network like London. It is absent of reliable, affordable and interconnected transport systems. Car travel within and around Oxford remains essential for businesses and residents to thrive, including those in greater Oxford. The effects of a harsh ‘zoning’ of the city will be felt in the below key areas:

1. You will be forced to use the ring road for most commutes in Oxford.

2. Journey times will increase due to congestion on major roads, and longer routes.

3. Freedom to travel by car as we know it will change indefinitely and for many citizens free movement across Oxford will come to an end - face £70 fines!

In more detail:

1. Citizens of Oxford who live both inside and outside the central area and depend on the six filtered roads, and visitors from outside Oxford, may decide to abandon Oxford as a business and leisure centre, and a University attracting tourism, leading to a catastrophic effect on the turnover of many Oxford businesses, many of whom are already struggling following the pandemic, and resulting in closures and/or bankruptcy.

2. Healthcare will be seriously affected, with patients unable to access their doctors or other carers easily.

3. Traffic banned from passing through the filters will seek alternative routes, adding to traffic volumes and affecting air quality elsewhere, including other bus routes. This problem will be faced both by travelers seeking to drive into Oxford and by residents and others wishing to travel out from the City centre during the 12-hour period when the filters are in force.

• Was an economic and cultural impact assessment made by the County Council to establish the effect of the Traffic Filters/Bus Gates on the city centre economy?

No. The intention of Oxfordshire County Council is to put the restrictions in first and assess the impact afterwards. Potentially this would be an 18-month ‘experiment’ at the expense of all of us, just to establish if the proposals are economically and culturally damaging. During that time, we predict multiple business failures and untold harm to the image of Oxford. Our small city will be regarded as a destination that is unwelcoming, impossible to cross from one area to another, thus driving business and visitors elsewhere.

• Will the cultural diversity of the city be affected?

Yes. Concerts, lectures, theatres all require customer access well before the suggested 7.00pm cut off for restrictions.

• What is the legal challenge?

If the Council decide to make, and will not voluntarily withdraw, the ETRO and reverse its decision, at least pending the undertaking and publication of impact assessments of the Scheme, then we will be seeking by way of judicial review an order from the Court to quash the Council's decision and declare that the ETRO is unlawful together with an order for costs.

We reserve the right to challenge the competence or validity of any attitude or other surveys which the Council may have carried out with road-users or other groups when they have details of those surveys.

The Issues

1. Equality and fairness of the traffic filter consultation

We are also seeking a judicial review of the consultation process with specific attention to: the design and implementation of the consultation; timeframe of the consultation; design of the questions; targeting of participants by the Council; and procedural processes undertaken throughout the consultation process up to and including the decision(s).

2. Non-disclosure of data to support the experimental traffic filters within reasonable timeframes of the consultation; and flawed balance of rights constituting grounds for judicial review based on sufficient interest.

The Council's intention to implement the Scheme has been made without, so far as we are aware, any assessments having been undertaken of either the effect of the traffic filters on traffic flows within or outside the designated roads, or of their effect on air quality. The lack of assessments can be inferred from the Monitoring and Evaluation Section of the Scheme which states that "we will assess the impact of the traffic filters during the trial period (a minimum of 6 months and up to 18 months) to understand the effectiveness of the traffic filters and if any changes need to be made to the scheme". In other words, in the absence of impact assessments prior to making the decision to install the traffic filters, the Council intends to install them first and to assess their impact afterwards. Put another way, the Council intends to carry out a wide-ranging experiment without any foreknowledge of its impact on the public or the conduct of business in the city.

The aim of the Scheme is to improve the current effects of private cars on the movement of buses and on air quality. However, improvement cannot be measured unless, for the purpose of assessing improvement, there are baseline measurements of current traffic flows and air quality throughout the whole of the city. The predictive effect of the changes can only be measured against this baseline. In making these measurements, the effect on bus movements and air quality of the many classes of vehicles which, under the terms of the proposed scheme, will be exempt or in receipt of permits, must be excluded. Only the effect of vehicles that will otherwise become liable for the £70 penalty must be measured. The absence of any attempt to make these measurements, or at least, if any have been made, to make them publicly available, renders the decision-making process irrational and unlawful.

It is conceivable that the effect on bus movements and air quality will be either immeasurably small or nil, and in any event may be greatly outweighed by countervailing damage, loss and inconvenience to road users and activities within the city.

It is reasonably foreseeable that the effect of the Scheme may result in several undesirable outcomes. However it is also foreseeable that an impact assessment of traffic flows and air quality might enable a less disruptive scheme to be implemented whilst enabling the purpose of the Scheme to be achieved at the same time. For example, restricting the hours of operation of the traffic filters during the daytime so that they would continue to allow the free flow of vehicles when traffic volumes are much less in any event. The absence of an impact assessment is also a reason why the Survey itself is deficient.

• How are funds raised spent?

Your donations will only be used to support the fight against traffic filters in Oxford.

A committee derived from those listed above will decide how funds will be spent.

We will provide updates on this page/website on how the money is being spent.

• What happens if all the funds raised are not spent?

Should we hold any surplus funds in excess of £2500, donors who contribute more than £500 will be entitled to request a refund of their donation, pro-rata according to the total amount contributed. Requests for refunds must be made on application within [two] months after we have announced on this page/website that the legal challenge has ended, and will need to be accompanied by proof of identity, contact and bank account details. Surplus funds not claimed after two months and any surplus from contributions of £500 or less will be donated to Oxford Children's Hospital.

• Who are the legal advisors/solicitors in this case?

Our legal advisers are Blake Morgan LLP of Seacourt Tower West Way Oxford OX2 0FB.

• What costs may be involved in this legal challenge that this fundraiser is supporting?

This fundraiser will only be used for the following costs:

1. Legal work from Blake Morgan LLP which includes, but is not limited to, complying with the pre-action protocol; legal advice and consultation and costs associated with mediation and/or bringing claims to court, including barrister's fees and fees of expert witnesses.

2. Court fees

3. Advertising this specific fundraiser where official advertisers are used e.g. Facebook, Oxford Mail, Direct Mail Leaflets, Google Ads, etc.

• Who is organising this fundraiser?

1. OBAG – Oxford Business Action Group representing 1000+ SME businesses in Oxford.

2. OHSA – Oxford High Street Association representing businesses on and close to Oxford’s High Street.

3. ROX – Backing Oxford Business representing businesses in Oxford campaigning for a better Oxford Transport Strategy.

4. Mogford Limited t/a The Oxford Collection – Represented by founder and managing director Jeremy Mogford, who has run many successful hospitality businesses in central Oxford over the last 40+ years, and represents his company of 200+ working in Oxford, concerned residents from inside and outside the city, and visitors to Oxford.

5. Reconnecting Oxford

6. Jericho Traders

7. Summertown Traders