Please have your say on proposed freight zone for Ashendon

Buckinghamshire Council is proposing to reduce the volume of Heavy Goods Vehicles in the areas of Ashendon, Brill, Chearsley and Cuddington through the implementation of a 'freight zone’ and wants to hear your views.

This major public consultation on restricting through traffic to vehicles over 7.5 tonnes around Waddesdon runs from now until Saturday 17 February.

PLEASE HAVE YOUR SAY. It only takes a few minutes and a strong response will improve the chance of the proposals being implemented.

Waddesdon Area Freight Zone Consultation - Your Voice Bucks - Citizen Space

There are two drop-in events taking place at Ashendon Village Hall on:

Wednesday 17 January, 1pm until 8pm

Saturday 27 January, 10am to 5pm

The Zone is defined as the area which is: South of the A41 Aylesbury to Bicester road, East of the B4011 Bicester to Thame road, North of the A418 Thame to Aylesbury road and West of Rabans Lane in Aylesbury.

The proposals will reduce, not eliminate, heavy vehicles from our country roads. An analysis based on January 2022 ANPR data from all 12 entry points to the zone showed 35% of traffic over 7.5 tons going straight through without stopping. 40% was identified as stopping, leaving 25% of movements as indeterminate, some of which almost certainly added to the straight through total. It is this straight through traffic that the proposed measures seek to eliminate.

Traffic banned from entering the zone will be routed via the boundary A and B roads. This will not lead to any significant increase in traffic on those roads.

Enforcement of the Zone will be by both Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire Council which was given enforcement powers in 2022 and has established a Moving Traffic Offences team.

Steven Broadbent, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

"We're committed to making Buckinghamshire a more sustainable and pleasant place to live, work and visit, which is why we’ve created this freight zone proposal.

“Our aim is to significantly reduce traffic on local roads by preventing HGVs from passing through to ensure they take more appropriate routes. There would be an exception for vehicles travelling to destinations within the zone. This means deliveries and collections for local homes and businesses would be unaffected. Access would also be retained for buses, farm traffic and public service vehicles.

“If implemented, the Waddesdon Freight Zone will help to reduce the impact of HGVs on the community, and address concerns about road safety and air quality in the area."

Please have your say.