THE OXFORD PAPER Out Thursday, November 2, 2017 No.64
60p
theoxfordpaper.co.uk
Weekly leisure guide for in & around Oxford
&About
Your guide for your leisure time in & around Oxfordshire
Spectacular way to light up city skies Oxford Round Tabl e celebrates its 50th display at South Park
Take litter home to keep Inquest into tragic death Measures to improve Page 5 of cyclist Page 7 safety on A34 Page 10 city clean Join the Queen of the Night for one night only
Cyclists tyre-d of being ignored by developers By George Welch ‘MARGINALISED’ cyclists have hit out at a lack of promised cycling spaces following the grand re-launch of the Westgate shopping centre last week. Cycle campaign group Cyclox has accused the developers of ‘running rings’ around the planning authorities and of breaching planning conditions after less than 20 per cent of bicycle spaces were installed on opening day. The new £440million complex will have just over 1,000 cycling spots fitted, including a hub of about 180 spaces located inside the centre, but only 180 were installed when the ribbon was cut on Tuesday last week. This has resulted in excessive illegal parking around the centre – particularly on the opening weekend – as cyclists attempted to park their bikes. Developers Westgate Oxford
Alliance has apologised for the delay and promised the cycle parking would be installed ‘as soon as possible’. But Cyclox chair Simon Hunt said the shortage was ‘unacceptable’. He said: “There are no cycle parking spaces in convenient locations – none at all. “Overall, the storyline for cycling at new Westgate has been one of wholly inadequate planning, complete marginalisation by the developer…and deafness by the Westgate Oxford Alliance and by both councils to repeated interventions by cycling advocates like Cyclox. “And that is only the parking. Don’t get us started on the similar failure to provide attractive, wellsigned cycle routes to and from new Westgate to help ease the major travel problems its opening will create. “Practically nothing has been done to help cycle users to reach the new facilities, or to help staff to pedal their way to work there.”
Continues on page 3
Saturday 4th November 10.30am – 4pm Didcot Civic Hall