Baldon Lane ANPR

New Enforcement of Existing "Access Only" Restriction

We are pleased to inform you that the Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Transport Management has approved the implementation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to enforce the long-standing "access only" restriction on Baldon Lane. The Parish Council attended the meeting to advocate for this important safety measure. The implementation date will be announced soon.

Why This Matters

The "access only" restriction has been in place for many years to protect residents and visitors using our:

• Narrow, winding road
• Lanes without pavements
• Areas lacking safe pedestrian zones

Despite the "access only" restriction, we have seen in recent years:

• Significant increase in through-traffic
• Vehicles frequently exceeding speed limits
• Safety risks to pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, and other road users
• Erosion of road verges requiring costly repairs by the Parish Council

How the ANPR System Will Work

The enforcement system will:

• Install cameras at both ends of Baldon Lane to monitor journey times
• Establish a minimum journey time based on legal speed limits, plus additional time for normal hold ups
• Issue penalties to vehicles completing the journey faster than this minimum time, as they are clearly using Baldon Lane as a cut-through rather than for legitimate access

The alternative route between the same points adds less than 2 minutes to journey times when driving at regular speeds.

No Impact on Legitimate Village Activities

Residents and visitors to our village can continue without concern to:

• Visit homes, businesses, and amenities in the village
• Run errands to and from the Baldons
• Access Marsh Baldon school for drop-offs and pick-ups
• Conduct any legitimate business in the village

Community Benefits

This enforcement will:

• Improve safety for all road users
• Preserve our rural village character
• Reduce damage to verges and green spaces
• Ensure the "access only" restriction serves its intended purpose

While we understand this may slightly inconvenience drivers who have been using our village as a shortcut between two major roads to/from Oxford, the impact on their journey times is minimal compared to the significant safety benefits for our community.

For more information: Please contact the clerk at clerk@baldonspc.org