Guidance document Introduction: Movement and Place Plan

Foreword

Oxfordshire is embarking upon sustainable and positive change – placing people, communities and places at the heart of this. Central to this is delivering upon our Local Transport Connectivity Vision to ensure the delivery of an inclusive, safe and net zero transport system that enables all parts of the county to thrive, tackling inequality, health, wellbeing and social inclusivity working towards delivering zero road fatalities or serious injuries.

Oxfordshire is uniquely placed; it is home to world leading Universities, research and national and international business centres. At the same time, enjoys some the most historic and treasured natural environment. It is essential this is maintained, protected and enriched through sustainable growth. 

A cornerstone to this, are the Movement and Place Plans which the council will be developing over the coming years. They reflect the needs and aspirations of our communities, help to protect our natural environment and deliver the homes, business and leisure facilities that our communities need and enjoy. They prioritise people walking, wheeling, cycling and using public transport over private car use. A significant shift in this strategy has been putting people at his heart, alongside movement and working towards understanding the meaning of place at a local level.  

As we become clearer to what devolution will mean for Oxfordshire, these Plans will be integral to this journey. 

Councillor Judy Roberts
Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action

Overview

The Movement and Place Plans (referred to as “MAP Plans”) are part of the council’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), which was adopted in July 2022. The MAP Plans form Part 2 of the LTCP and sit alongside other council policies and strategies, including but not limited to, the Active Travel Strategy, Mobility Hub Strategy, Freight and Logistics Strategy, and The Innovation Framework.

The LTCP is the fifth edition of the council’s statutory Local Transport Plan, which is required under the Transport Act 2000. The LTCP covers the period up to 2050 and replaces Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4), which was adopted in 2015. In 2016, as part of LTP4, several ‘Connecting Oxfordshire: Area Strategies’ covering areas across the county were adopted. 

Since the previous area strategies were developed the local and regional policy context has shifted towards an emphasis on sustainable transport, place shaping and vision led planning. Oxfordshire is also experiencing significant growth with a large amount of housing, new jobs and leisure facilities planned. The MAP Plans provide an opportunity to replace the previous strategies, extend them to cover new areas, support sustainable growth and to develop a framework that reflects the shift to a people first approach. The requirement to replace the area strategies from LTP4 and provide corridor studies is also set out in Policies 52 and 53 of the LTCP.

The LTCP outlines a clear vision to deliver a net-zero Oxfordshire transport and travel system that enables the county to thrive, while protecting the environment and making Oxfordshire a better place to live for all residents. The MAP Plans outline how the vision, targets, and outcomes of the LTCP will be delivered in locations across the county. The MAP Plans outline more detailed plans for specific locations and key travel corridors in the county and will be used to guide future workstreams, scheme development, funding bids, responses to planning applications, developer contributions and will support and enable sustainable growth. 

The MAP Plans will deliver schemes that prioritise human health and place-shaping, with the focus on making Oxfordshire a great place to live, work, enjoy etc. This will improve walking, wheeling, cycling, public and shared transport infrastructure and help us to create healthy communities across Oxfordshire. The MAP Plans will support the delivery of schemes that enable our communities to have transport choice in how they undertake trips for a wide range of needs and journey purposes. 

Unlike the previous area strategies, the MAP Plans will be live documents, with updates made regularly to ensure that they reflect the latest policy guidance, future Local Plans and strategies, and the development of schemes.

Oxfordshire context 

Oxfordshire is a primarily rural county that covers an area of approximately 2,605 kilometres squared, with a population of around 750,000 people[1] . The county consists of five districts, Cherwell, Oxford City, South Oxfordshire, the Vale of White Horse, and West Oxfordshire, with 318 town and parish councils covering the more rural areas. 

Oxford is the main population and employment centre and is the only city in the county. The other significant population centres (areas with more than 10,000 people) are Banbury, Didcot, Bicester, Wantage, Abingdon, Witney, Carterton, Thame, Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford, and Kidlington. In addition, there are several smaller towns and many villages, some of which are allocated for significant population and employment growth over the next 25 years. This includes Grove, Culham, Berinsfield, Heyford, Yarnton, Eynsham, and Chipping Norton. 

Over the next 15 years, Oxfordshire is set to grow significantly. The existing and emerging Local Plans include proposals for more than 80,000 new homes across the county. This could bring around 190,000 new residents, meaning Oxfordshire would be home to approximately 940,000 people (compared to 725,000 in 2021). But it’s not just about homes. Local Plans also include creating 700 hectares of new employment space, helping to ensure that people living here have access to excellent job opportunities close to where they live. 

There is a wide network of walking and cycling routes across Oxfordshire, with some varying in quality and not all are accessible to all users. This includes well-known national and regional trails like the National Cycle Network routes (5, 51, 57, 442, and 544), the National Byway Network, the Oxfordshire Way, the Cotswold Way, the Hanson Way, the Thames Path, the Ridgeway, the Chilterns Cycleway, and the Chiltern Way. Within our towns and villages, the regional and national trails are supported by a network of footways and cycleways. Oxfordshire also benefits from a comprehensive Public Rights of Way network with residents enjoying 4,200 kilometres of footpaths, bridleways, byways, and restricted byways, giving people access to enjoy the outdoors. This includes the development of Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs), the Strategic Active Travel Network (SATN), School Streets and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs). The LCWIPs and SATN will support funding bids and developer contributions to allow for the delivery of identified schemes and improve walking and cycling availability across the county.

There is an extensive and well-developed commercial bus network, with the highest per-capita usage of local services of any shire county in England[2] . Oxfordshire’s core bus network is comprised of inter-urban routes connecting the county’s towns to Oxford and frequent urban routes within Oxford itself. These routes are complemented by other inter-urban routes and more locally focused and rural routes. 

For rail, Oxfordshire occupies a pivotal point, with rail lines heading north, south, east and west passing through the county. Oxford is at the heart of the county's rail network and is located at the junctions between the Cherwell Valley Line, Chiltern Mainline (Oxford Branch) and the Cotswold Line. Didcot is located on the electrified Great Western Mainline at Didcot Parkway station, with Bicester North and Banbury located on the Chiltern Mainline. All the stations in West Oxfordshire are located on the Cotswold Line (Hanborough to Kingham). Services from Oxford to Milton Keynes are due to commence in 2025/26 on East West Rail, building on the existing branch line serving Oxford Parkway and Bicester Village, further underlying Oxfordshire’s importance at the heart of the rail network[3] .

In terms of the highway network, the county relies on the strategic road network, primarily the A34, which carries up to 74,000 vehicles per day[4]  and the M40 (London/ M25 to Birmingham/ M6/ M42), which carries up to 90,000 vehicles per day[5] . However, there are several other key highway corridors that support local connectivity, including the A40, A420, A41, A44, A417 and A4074.

Structure 

MAP Plans are being developed for all communities across Oxfordshire, with the initial focusing on places where many people live, work, or where major new developments are planned over the next 15 years. 

Each MAP Plan will be adopted separately following a period of engagement with key stakeholders and after a period of public consultation, as set out in more detail later in this document.

Each MAP Plan will contain: 

• A Vison.
• Area context.
• Challenges and opportunities.
• Planned infrastructure delivery.
• Objectives and actions.
• A delivery plan.

MAP Plans are being developed for the areas outlined in Table 1, with these listed by district. The areas outlined below, ensure that all towns, villages, and communities within Oxfordshire are included within a MAP Plan. The geographic extent for each the MAP Plans listed in Table 1 are shown in Figure 1.

Table 1 MAP Plan Areas by District

Figure 1 MAP Plan Areas

LTCP Vision

The MAP Plans will help to achieve the vision of the LTCP. The LTCP vision is a clear long-term ambition for transport in Oxfordshire and underpins the Objectives and Actions set out in the MAP Plans:

"Our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan vision is for an inclusive and safe net zero Oxfordshire transport system that enables all parts of the county to thrive.

It will tackle inequality, be better for health, wellbeing and social inclusivity and have zero road fatalities or serious injuries. It will also enhance our natural and historic environment and enable the county to be one of the world’s leading innovation economies.

Our plan sets out to achieve this by reducing the need to travel and private car use through making walking, cycling, public and shared transport the natural first choice."

Targets and aspirations

The targets and aspirations of the MAP Plans will be consistent with those set out in LTCP, which are shown below. These targets will be used to quantify the impact of schemes against the wider targets and aspirations across Oxfordshire.

By 2030 our targets are to: 

• Replace or remove 1 out of every 4 current car trips in Oxfordshire
• Reduce car vehicle miles driven in Oxfordshire by 20%
• Increase the number of cycle trips in Oxfordshire from 600,000 to 1 million cycle trips per week
• Reduce road fatalities or serious injuries by 50% 

By 2040 our targets are to: 

• Deliver a net-zero transport network
• Replace or remove an additional 1 out of 3 car trips in Oxfordshire 

By 2050 our targets are to:

• Have zero, or as close as possible, road fatalities or serious injuries

Deliver a transport network that contributes to a climate positive future

Movement and place

Historically, strategic transport planning prioritised and ensured the efficient movement of motorised vehicle traffic along distributor roads, where pedestrians were excluded or marginalised. This led to buildings being set on the space between streets rather than on them[6] . This delivered street layouts which did not factor in human interactions and ease of access to vital amenities. People may wish to walk and cycle to the shops, the doctors and schools, but do not feel empowered to do so by street designs with limited crossing facilities, narrow pavements, poor cycling infrastructure and limited public transport. 

For example, the length of time a pedestrian crossing is allocated for is based on timings which are unsuitable, not inclusive and maintain the flow of motor traffic. Current UK guidance is based on a calculation first devised in 1950’s that people walk on average 1.2 metres per second[7] , this was updated to 1 metre per second in 2019 on a case-by-case basis. However, research published by University College London[8]  found that men walk on average 0.9 metres per second and women 0.8 metres per second.  Factoring the most vulnerable members of our communities this time drops further, showing how people are disadvantaged at crossings, creating a barrier to movement. If the wait time is too long or away from the desire line people will often cross before a signal changes, putting themselves and other road users at risk.[9]  This shows the existing imbalance on our streets and the need to prioritise people, which will create safe places for people to move around, supporting the council’s Vision Zero strategy outlined in Policy 15 and create liveable neighbourhoods supporting Policy 13. 

A change in the Highway Code in 2022[10]  placed pedestrians at the top of the transport user hierarchy, aiming to protect those most at risk. Policy 11[11]  of LTCP builds on this approach and shows our commitment to delivering an urban environment which is easy and enjoyable for people to walk and cycle, creating communities which prioritise the movement of people. This will be embedded further through the council’s emerging Street Design Code and incorporating Kerbside Strategy. This will also recognise the importance of place within communities, improving the quality of life for residents, supporting growth and creating sustainable communities. 

Figure 2 Movement and Place Functions (Source: Manual for Streets) 

There are two distinct functions determining the character of a street which are ‘Movement’ and ‘Place’, as outlined Figure 2.    The ‘place’ function denotes the significance of a street or junction in human term[12] . Place distinguishes streets from roads, as roads mainly function to accommodate the movement of vehicular traffic. Streets are a key part of making a place attractive for those who live and work there and impact the overall quality of life for local people.

It is important to recognise that streets have a Movement and a Place function, as outlined in Figure 2.  When designing our streets, place should be considered in the same context as movement to deliver streets which serve multiple functions[13] . This will enable sustainable, liveable and healthy communities to thrive for decades to come.

Place  

Recognising the ‘place’ function of streets is the first step in creating better places. The council has ambition to go further, by creating ‘thriving communities for everyone in Oxfordshire’ – where people want to live, work and be part of something different.We will deliver places which enable healthy behaviours to be the norm. We will achieve this by using a healthy place shaping approach. There are six key components of place as set out below. These six components will allow the council to use the lens of place shaping to help deliver a people-focused approach to improving our streets. This builds on the concepts of movement and place and Healthy Streets outlined above.

Six components of place

• Travel and connectivity
• Economic growth
• Health and wellbeing
• Social and community
• Culture and assets
• Climate and environment

Every action included within the MAP Plans will be categorised to show which of the place components is relevant to that action, with coloured tabs illustrating this. 

Streets play a role in communities and have a significant impact on people’s experiences of travel and everyday lives. Designing streets that prioritise people will create places where people feel welcome, safe and choose healthier behaviours such as walking, wheeling and cycling, along with encouraging social interaction. To achieve this aspiration, we will use a ‘Healthy Streets Approach’, as set out in Policy 11 of LTCP. The outcome of this approach will improve how everyone experiences streets. We will also articulate how each MAP Plan improves the lives of Oxfordshire’s communities using People Postcards, which provide examples of how the interventions might influence different people’s lives who live, work or visitor a specific community. 

Delivering a ‘Healthy Streets Approach’ is a gradual shift to a system focused on people and provides a framework for integrating public health, transport, and planning. It will support the delivery of a net zero transport system, integrating walking, wheeling and cycling with public transport and micromobility. 

The healthy place shaping and healthy streets approaches are applied and promoted in the Movement and Place Plans. This will enable us to achieve the aims of the LTCP and be a Place Shaper of choice. 

Policy and evidence base

Policy context

There are a range of policies at national, regional, and local levels that provide context for each MAP Plan. These policies have set out high-level ambitions and aspirations which each MAP Plan will look to deliver. The alignment with these policies will ensure that we are working towards a common goal. The council’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan and supporting strategies are integral to the development of each MAP Plan. Each MAP Plan forms a part of the LTCP and sets out local transport strategies for Oxfordshire. Each MAP Plan will also sit alongside other LTCP supporting strategies, including the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) 2024, Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs), OxRail 2040: Plan for Rail, the Mobility Hubs Strategy, and the emerging Kerbside Strategy, as outlined in Figure 4 below. 

Figure 4  Policy Context Map

MAP Plan objectives and actions will be formed into a delivery plan, which will set out how the objectives and actions will be delivered and prioritised over the coming years. Following this, individual schemes will be developed on a case-by-case basis and then completed through work with our partners and, most importantly, the communities. All schemes will be developed following a ‘Vision Led’ approach and using the council’s ‘Implementing ‘Decide & Provide’ to ensure they are achieving the requirements of the LTCP and supplementary national guidance.

In 2022, Oxfordshire County Council adopted a vision led approach to planning, ‘decide and provide’, updating the previous approach ‘predict and provide’. ‘Predict and provide’ can be broadly described as an approach to transport planning that uses current or historical traffic patterns to determine the future needs for infrastructure. However, this approach tends to simply maintain the status quo by maintaining dependence on the private car through provision of additional highway capacity for more private cars. 

By contrast, the ‘decide and provide’ approach to transport planning decides on a preferred vision of the future and then provides the means to work towards that, whilst also accommodating uncertainty about the future. This offers the opportunity for more positive transport planning and will help to implement the LTCP transport user hierarchy by considering walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport from the outset. 

Evidence base

Each MAP Plan will be informed by comprehensive evidence, ranging from national, regional, and local sources. The evidence gathered establishes the existing conditions in each area, which will help us identify the challenges and opportunities in the area. Much of the evidence comes from existing strategies, which also play a dual role of providing the policy context for each MAP Plan. 

In parallel, council officers will undertake site visits for each MAP Plan area to understand the local complexities, challenges, and opportunities. This has provided valuable insights and the ability to know a place, which is instrumental in refining the objectives and actions based on the feedback received.  

Stakeholder engagement and public consultation

The development of the MAP Plans has involved extensive collaboration and consultation with district councils, town and parish councils, key stakeholders and our communities as shown by Figure 5. This ensures that the views and opinions of all parties are considered. This approach fosters an inclusive environment, where local members, our communities and council officials have the opportunity to provide meaningful contributions.

Figure 5 Engagement and Consultation Process 

In engaging with our communities and stakeholders we have used a variety of methods to encourage collaboration. This has been done through meetings, online presentations and via public consultation for participants to provide feedback to help us shape the MAP Plans. Ensuring the MAP Plans are transparent and represent diverse perspectives. Our comprehensive approach identified many suggestions for improvements, leading to meaningful revisions in the final version of the MAP Plans, thereby enhancing their relevance and effectiveness.

The MAP Plans will provide a framework for the future development in each area. As such, further engagement will take place as schemes are progressed, this process will include co-production to ensure the schemes are implemented using a people first approach.

Updates, monitoring and funding

Updates 

The MAP Plans will be live documents, with updates made, where required. This will ensure that they reflect the latest policy guidance, future Local Plans, speculative growth, new or updated government guidance, funding streams, and the development of schemes. Where updates are required, the MAP Plan and associated documents will be updated accordingly.

Monitoring 

It is the intention that the MAP Plans will be monitored via the updates, reflecting any changes to the Objectives/ Actions and the Delivery Plan associated with a plan as this takes place. 

As the MAP Plans form Part 2 of the LTCP, their focus is on achieving the vision, targets, and aspirations of the LTCP. As such, to measure the success of the MAP Plans, they will be assessed as part of the county wide LTCP targets. The achievement of the LTCP is reviewed annually as part of the LTCP monitoring process, with a report detailing the progress towards the targets published on the council’s website. 

Funding 

Some of the policies identified in the MAP Plans will require funding and partners to deliver. However, the council cannot fund these directly from reserves and is reliant on either central government funding or developer contributions for most transport and public realm improvements. We will work with our partners to identify alternative funding sources to support the delivery of identified schemes.