Morrell Avenue in East Oxford is getting a revamp with funding secured by Labour on Oxfordshire County Council. Changes include new speed humps, zebra crossings, and continuous footways across Parsons Place and Union Street to improve road safety and cut speeding.
The East Oxford Active Neighbourhoods Scheme is a £6.6 million project to improve walking and cycling infrastructure. The multi-year scheme formed part of the Labour & Co-operative Group’s successful budget amendment back in 2024.
Draft plans are set to go to public consultation in the Spring with final plans set for decision in the Autumn. If approved the road safety improvements would be implemented in 2027.
Thomas Boyd, who has been campaigning for road safety measures on Morrell Avenue for years, said: “This is fantastic news. From speaking with residents up and down Morrell Avenue, it’s clear speeding is a top issue and it’s just unacceptable that this residential street has been used as a racetrack for so long. These changes can’t come soon enough.”
Brad Baines, a local Labour & Co-op County Councillor who helped get the funding in place, said: “It’s good to see that the County Council is finally putting this money to good use by addressing speeding hotspots across our city. Making our roads safer for all users is absolutely crucial.”
“Despite these big steps forward, I am horrified that the Lib Dem administration is proposing to cut £2 million from this crucial scheme in its upcoming budget. Whilst Conservative and Independent County Councillors opposed these improvements from the beginning, I am disappointed that this decision will see vital new crossings, placemaking improvements and school streets go undelivered.”
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Notes to editors:
Proposed road safety measures coming to Morrell Avenue include:
- New speed humps across Morrell Avenue to slow down vehicles.
- Two need zebra crossings across Morrell Avenue on raised tables to provide prioritised, safe pedestrian crossings.
- Continuous footways across Parsons Place and Union Street to make pedestrian priority clearer.