Public to have their say on Oxfordshire's first 'quiet lane'
A six-month consultation has opened on a trial aimed at cutting traffic
A public consultation has opened on Oxofrdshire's first 'quiet lane' which is restricting through traffic on Shepherd's Pit Lane in Stanton St John.
Oxfordshire County Council is inviting people who live and work in the area, along with the wider community, to give their views on the scheme.
The council said it is also assessing other locations that could form part of its wider pilot programme, which plans to test up to ten quiet lanes across the county.
How the lane works
A gate has been installed at the Bayswater Road end of the lane.
It aims to create safer routes for people walking, wheeling, cycling and riding horses by cutting the amount of motor traffic using the lane.
Access will still be allowed for residents, farmers, landowners, businesses and emergency services.
Other through traffic will be directed onto the B4027 Wheatley Road and Bayswater Road instead, which the council says was already the most direct route for drivers.
The restriction itself is a locked gate with a 1.7 metre gap, allowing people walking, wheeling, cycling and riding horses to pass through at all times.
Verge protection measures and signage have also been put in place, alongside a reduced 20mph speed limit.
What the council says
Councillor Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: "Quiet lanes are part of our commitment to making roads safer and encouraging sustainable travel.
"By removing through traffic, quiet lanes can reduce vehicle numbers and speeds, lower the risk and severity of collisions, and make minor roads feel calmer and safer for people who walk, cycle, wheel and ride horses.
"The Shepherd's Pit Lane quiet lane was developed following local concerns about road safety and through engagement with the local community.
"It will now be trialed using the same locally led and evidence-based approach that will be applied to future quiet lane schemes across Oxfordshire.
"This trial is an opportunity to see how a 'fully filtered' quiet lane works in practice, gather feedback from local people and collect robust evidence before any decisions are made about its future.
"I would encourage anyone with an interest in the trial to share their views."
Why the trial is happening
The council says the trial was developed in response to concerns about road safety and limited opportunities for safe walking and cycling between Stanton St John village and Oxford.
It follows engagement carried out during 2025 and 2026 with village residents, landowners and the parish council.
The trial is the first to be delivered under the council's new countywide quiet lanes policy and pilot programme, which was approved in May 2026.
Under the policy, gates or bollards will be used in quiet lane trials rather than signs alone.
The council said this reflects updated evidence, including Department for Transport evaluations and findings from the Transport Research Laboratory, which found that sign-only quiet lanes generally do little to reduce traffic volumes or speeds.
What happens next
The measures are being introduced through an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, a legal process used to test changes in place before a permanent decision is made.
Traffic surveys carried out in October 2025 will be repeated during the trial to measure its impact.
The council will also monitor traffic volumes, vehicle speeds, road safety outcomes and feedback from the public throughout the trial period.
The consultation will run for at least six months, while the trial itself is set to last for at least a year, and up to eighteen months in total.
At the end of the experimental period, the Cabinet Member for Transport Management will make a public decision on whether the measures should remain in place, be changed or removed.