headington/obstructions
From:
Derek Powles
Date:
Aug 14 09:50 UTC
Short link
>I had in my mind that there was some kind of legislation that set minimum
> pavement widths to be that sufficient for two wheelchairs to pass each other
> (~1.8 to 2m).
>
> From what I can tell, it can vary by council, each having their own
> guidelines. But given that I hear some parking "consultations" (ho ho) in
> Iffley contain options to park on the pavement, I'm guessing that there's no
> such design metric here.
This is happening in all CPZs where the the road is considered too narrow for
cars to pass each other with a line of parked cars.
>
> You can't blame businesses for wanting to maximise their appeal to buyers (I
> hear cafes are quite competitive in Headington...) and isn't it their fault
> that there are various problems for historical reasons;
Surely this is not a 'fault', front gardens were converted so that the houses
could become shops!
In Wharton Road, the reverse has happened, most shops have been converted to
houses with front parking/gardens
> and isn't the 'cafe
> culture' what planners have in their heads whenever we see 'mood boards' for
> road redesigns? Sometimes you've just got to make the best of what history
> has given you [*].
The proposed London Road development mentions 'decluttering'.
>
> For signage stuck in the public footpath, I'm sure a word with the
> proprietor is the best course of action rather than attempts to co-opt the
> privately-owned frontage (which I'm quite sure will cause the cooperation
> shutters to roll down so fast you'll get whiplash). After all, it _is_ an
> offence to place goods or signs which cause obstruction or include
> commercial advertising, within the Highway, with a maximum fine of 1000.
>
>
> [*] I remember some years ago a newspaper article complaining that
> cornmarket street was 'too wide' - as if some Fawltyesque 'move the hotel a
> couple of inches to the right' were possible!
If I remember correctly Cornmarket street was narrowed in places in favour of
wider pavements with flat 'curbs'.
>
.