New quiet lanes are set to be trialled across Oxfordshire where there is local support, with the aim of making minor roads safer for walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding.
At a glance
| What has happened? | Oxfordshire County Council has approved a pilot quiet lanes programme. |
| What are quiet lanes? | Minor roads where through traffic is restricted to make space safer and calmer for people walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding. |
| What measures could be used? | Physical filters such as gates or bollards, quiet lane signs and speed limit changes, typically to 20mph. |
| Will access be kept? | Access will be maintained for residents, farmers, businesses and emergency services. |
| Who can suggest schemes? | Parish and town councils, working with local county councillors. |
| What happens next? | Proposed sites will be assessed, locally discussed, consulted on and trialled before any permanent decision. |
Oxfordshire County Council has approved a new approach to quiet lanes, allowing pilot schemes to be developed on minor roads where communities want to reduce through traffic.
The programme was agreed by the council’s cabinet on Tuesday 19 May and is intended to make rural and edge-of-village routes feel safer for people walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding.
Unlike traditional quiet lanes, which often rely mainly on signs, Oxfordshire’s new approach will prioritise physical measures to stop through traffic, supported by lower speed limits and signage.
The council says access will continue for people who need to reach homes, farms, businesses and land, as well as for emergency services.
What are quiet lanes?
Quiet lanes are designated minor roads where motor traffic is managed so that vulnerable road users can share the space more safely.
In practice, that could mean a road remains open for local access but is no longer available as a cut-through for drivers trying to avoid busier main routes.
Oxfordshire County Council says the aim is to reduce vehicle numbers and speeds, lower the risk and severity of collisions, and make minor roads calmer for people using them without a car.
The policy is aimed particularly at rural areas where conventional cycle lanes or pavements may be difficult, expensive or inappropriate to provide.
Why signs alone are not enough
The council says Oxfordshire’s new approach goes further than older quiet lane schemes based mainly on signs.
Its cabinet report says evidence from previous quiet lane initiatives suggests sign-only schemes have not reliably reduced traffic volumes or speeds.
Because of that, new Oxfordshire schemes will normally include traffic restrictions, such as modal filters, gates or bollards, together with speed limit changes, typically to 20mph.
Quiet lane signage will still be used, but as part of a wider package rather than as the main intervention.
Where could quiet lanes be considered?
Oxfordshire County Council’s live pilot page lists 11 applications that have been received and are now being assessed. These are not all approved schemes, and each will need to go through the council’s assessment, engagement and decision-making process.
| Road or area being explored | Parish | District | Submitted by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Road, Blackthorn Village | Blackthorn | Cherwell | Blackthorn Parish Council |
| Station Road, Blackthorn Village | Blackthorn | Cherwell | Blackthorn Parish Council |
| Road through Bainton, from B4100 to Stratton Audley Road | Stoke Lyne and Caversfield | Cherwell | Stoke Lyne Parish Council |
| Hanwell Lane, from Hanwell to Great Bourton | Hanwell and Bourtons | Cherwell | County Councillor Chris Brant |
| Evenlode Lane, Fawler | Fawler | West Oxfordshire | Fawler Parish Council |
| Roads connecting Towersey to the B445 and A4129 | Towersey | South Oxfordshire | Towersey Parish Council |
| Battle Road, Goring-on-Thames | Goring-on-Thames | South Oxfordshire | Goring-on-Thames Parish Council |
| Bagley Wood Road | Kennington | South Oxfordshire | Kennington Parish Council |
| Sunningwell Road and/or Green Lane | Sunningwell | South Oxfordshire | Sunningwell Parish Council |
| Sugworth Lane, from Kennington Road to Oxford Road | Radley | Vale of White Horse | Radley Parish Council |
| Kingston Hill | Aston Rowant | South Oxfordshire | Aston Rowant Parish Council |
The council is also moving forward with Shepherd’s Pit Lane in Stanton Saint John, a quiet lane proposal that was already under development before the new policy was agreed.
Following engagement events and subject to feedback from statutory consultees, the council says the Shepherd’s Pit Lane trial is expected to start and the consultation to go live later this summer.
How will the pilots be chosen?
The council says proposed quiet lanes will be assessed using a countywide framework so decisions are consistent and evidence-led.
Factors will include safety, traffic levels, speeds, the availability of suitable alternative routes, environmental benefits, local access needs and community support.
Routes with very high traffic flows are unlikely to be suitable for quiet lane treatment. The cabinet report says ideal quiet lane conditions are found where motor traffic is already relatively low, while moderate-flow roads may need stronger filtering if they are to work safely for shared use.
The council also says suitable alternative routes for through traffic must be available, so overall journey times for drivers should usually be only slightly affected.
What happens before a road becomes a quiet lane?
New schemes will not simply appear overnight. Oxfordshire County Council has set out a staged process for the pilots.
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Application | A parish council, with support from the local county councillor, submits a request and explains the local case. |
| Initial assessment | The county council considers whether the road is suitable, including traffic data and possible alternative routes. |
| Initial proposal | The council works with the parish council on possible measures, costs and high-level designs. |
| Informal engagement | Local residents and stakeholders are asked for views, concerns and preferences. |
| Formal proposal | The council prepares detailed measures and costs after considering engagement feedback. |
| Decision | The Cabinet Member for Transport considers whether to approve an experimental traffic regulation order. |
| Trial and consultation | The scheme is introduced as a pilot and monitored during a statutory consultation. |
| Review | The council reviews data and feedback before deciding whether to make the measures permanent, amend them or remove them. |
What drivers need to know
Quiet lanes are not intended to stop residents, farmers, deliveries, businesses or emergency services from accessing properties and land.
The main change would be for drivers using a minor road as a through route. Depending on the final design, they may need to use a more appropriate alternative route instead.
Physical measures could include gates, bollards or other filters that prevent through traffic while allowing walking, cycling, wheeling and horse riding to continue.
Some schemes may also include new 20mph limits and supporting signs.
Council says programme will be locally led
Councillor Rebekah Fletcher, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said quiet lanes were about ensuring local roads worked for the communities that live there.
She said: “Quiet lanes are about making sure local roads work for the communities that live there, not as cut-throughs for traffic they were never designed to carry.
“This new approach will help us to prioritise walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding, and give us a clear and consistent way to provide quiet lanes where there is strong local support.
“We will use evidence to make sure schemes are safe, effective and sensitive to their surroundings. By piloting schemes first, we can get them right before any permanent decisions are made.
“I look forward to working with parish and town councils and local councillors on this locally led and innovative programme.”
How residents can have their say
Parish councils and local county councillors are expected to play a central role in bringing forward and shaping proposals.
Residents affected by a potential quiet lane should look out for local engagement from their parish or town council before any formal scheme is submitted for decision.
If a pilot is approved, it will normally be introduced through an experimental traffic regulation order. Oxfordshire County Council says the statutory consultation on an ETRO will run for at least six months and can last up to 18 months.
During that period, the council can collect traffic, speed and safety data, consider objections and make changes before deciding whether to keep, alter or remove the measures.
Why the policy matters
The quiet lanes programme sits within Oxfordshire County Council’s wider transport aims, including safer roads, more active travel and reduced reliance on private car journeys where alternatives are practical.
The council’s cabinet report says the policy supports its Healthy Streets ambitions, Vision Zero commitment to eliminate death and serious injury on the road network, and Local Transport and Connectivity Plan goal of a safer, more inclusive and net-zero transport system.
For rural areas, the practical importance is that quiet lanes may offer a way to improve walking, cycling and horse-riding links where building separate paths or cycle lanes would be difficult.
Supporters are likely to see the programme as a way to tackle rat-running and make lanes safer. Some drivers and residents may have concerns about displacement of traffic, access, journey times and the location of filters. Those issues are expected to be considered through the local engagement and consultation process.
Key questions for each proposed quiet lane
| Is there strong local support? | The council says schemes should normally come from parish or town councils with local county councillor support. |
| Is the road suitable? | Traffic volume, speed, safety and road character will be assessed. |
| Is there an alternative route? | Through traffic must be able to use a suitable alternative route. |
| Who still needs access? | Residents, farms, businesses, deliveries and emergency services must still be considered. |
| What physical measures are proposed? | Filters could include gates, bollards or similar measures to stop through traffic. |
| How will success be measured? | The council will collect evidence, including traffic and speed data, before deciding whether a pilot should become permanent. |
FAQs
What is a quiet lane?
A quiet lane is a minor road where through traffic is restricted or discouraged so that walking, wheeling, cycling and horse riding feel safer and more comfortable.
Will cars be banned from quiet lanes?
Not entirely. The aim is to remove through traffic while keeping access for residents, farmers, businesses, deliveries and emergency services.
What physical measures could be used?
Oxfordshire County Council says new schemes will include physical measures to prohibit through traffic, such as gates or bollards, along with signs and speed limit changes.
Will all proposed sites go ahead?
No. The roads currently listed are applications being explored. Each proposal must be assessed, locally discussed and formally approved before any pilot is introduced.
Will there be consultation?
Yes. The council says pilot schemes will be subject to statutory consultation through experimental traffic regulation orders, allowing measures to be tested and reviewed before any permanent decision.
How long can a trial last?
The council says statutory consultation on an experimental traffic regulation order will run for at least six months and can last up to 18 months.
Which quiet lane is furthest advanced?
Shepherd’s Pit Lane in Stanton Saint John was already under development before the new policy was agreed. The council expects that trial and consultation to start later this summer, subject to engagement and statutory consultee feedback.
Where can people find the latest pilot site information?
The latest list of sites being explored is available on Oxfordshire County Council’s quiet lane pilot sites page.
