Click table to enlarge.
Seacourt in the news again today
On the BBC: Oxford park and ride can expand on to green belt
In the Oxford Mail: Councillors race against time to challenge ‘outrageous’ Seacourt approval
STOP PRESS!
12 Oxford City Councillors have successfully asked for the application to be Called-in for consideration by the council’s Planning Review Committee. The next meeting of that committee is (provisionally) on 18 January 2018 so that seems the likely date – but subject to confirmation.
Also in the Oxford Mail re city centre car park charges rising – NB this affects only Worcester St (104 spaces) and Gloucester Green (209). Oxpens (420) and Westgate (1002) are not affected.
Busy but baffled (including parking data for today, 13 December)
We’re still here and busier than ever until the ridiculous and ill-considered proposal to extend Seacourt park and ride is finally defeated or abandoned.
Who in their right minds would want to build a car park in a flood plain in the first place? Talk about a white elephant. Add that it’ll cost at least £4 million and not be used makes it even more baffling.
Here’s the data from 3.20 this afternoon.
Click table to enlarge.
We lost the vote by a squeak – but we won all the arguments
The Oxford Mail has reported already. We’ll have a great deal more to say about what went on, but for the tonight the article speaks for itself.
This is far from over yet, this was only the first round, the fight continues unabated tomorrow.
Today’s Oxford Mail
Parking data yesterday and today
We had planned to post parking space availability numbers again yesterday and today, but won’t be doing so as they would be unrepresentative because of the snowy weather reducing travelling generally.
NO NEED! Meeting to decide the Seacourt application today
NO NEED!
Two other posters which will be on display tonight
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- NO NEED!
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- Press
Meeting to decide the Seacourt application tomorrow – our posters for display
We will display these posters (and others) at the meeting of the Oxford City Council West Area Planning Committee to decide the Seacourt park and ride extension planning application, which (as you may have gathered by now) we oppose. The meeting is tomorrow evening (12 December) in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall and is open to the public; if you oppose the application please do attend. The meeting starts at 6pm and this will be the first application to be considered.
Today’s parking data (9 Dec)
Click table and images to enlarge.
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- Empty spaces 9 December 2017
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- Seacourt, 9.12.17, 11.10 am
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- Seacourt, 9.12.17, 11.10 am
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- Seacourt, 9.12.17, 2.30 pm
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- Redbridge, 9.12.17, 1.40 pm
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- Redbridge, 9.12.17, 1.40 pm
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- Redbridge, 9.12.17, 1.40 pm
Weekends are quieter in the park and rides than are weekdays. Nevertheless we collected today’s data. Some was not available, as shown. So we visited Redbridge and Seacourt at peak times and there were plenty of empty spaces as the photos show.
Seacourt – Possible Costs
This seems a potentially costly proposal.
Capital
1) Present budget £4.1 million
2) Difficulty of building in low-lying ground with a high groundwater level in winter
3) Possible need to stabilise unstable ground by treating it with lime to a metre depth
4) Difficulties of creating a working SuDS in a flood plain
Income
5) Occupancy likely to be low
6) Periodically out of use due to groundwater and fluvial flooding, pumping out, repair and maintenance
Maintenance
7) Pumping out (will be required according to the Applicant)
8) Repair of damage to surfaces and buildings – may be extensive after major floods
9) Cleaning and restoration of the porous surfaces required for SuDS
Other
Given the risks associated with large floods and the likely depths and flow rates here, possibly
- compensation for damage to vehicles, including any swept away
- compensation for loss of life.
