Protestors call out MP for supporting Oxford’s congestion charge
The £5 charge, which was approved by the Lib Dem-led county council, was introduced on six of the city’s roads on October 29.
A group of protestors have called out an MP for supporting Oxford’s congestion charge, after gatecrashing an event in support of small businesses.
Four Lib Dem MPs, including Layla Moran who represents Oxford West and Abingdon, went to Covered Market this morning to speak to business owners and call for them to be supported in the upcoming Budget.
Just as the event was about to start, dozens of protestors appeared outside Tap Social where the MPs had gathered, in opposition to the congestion charge.
Businesses owners have said they are already “struggling and suffering” because of the charge being introduced and have reported losses compared to this time last year.
The protestors held signs made by Open Roads for Oxford, a new group who are launching a legal challenge against the council, while some shouted “why not next year” and “out of touch”.
Susan Gutteridge, who owns Nothing, which sells jewellery in the Covered Market, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that trade was at least 50 per cent down this month compared to the same time last year.
She said: “My business is struggling and suffering as a direct result of the congestion charge.
“At the beginning of November, which is traditionally when things start to get very busy, my sales have gone through the floor.
“I’m furious at the way this council … is just imposing these things on to us.”
Graham MacDonald, who runs Wicked Chocolate and iScream, said: “Covered Market traders have seen quite a significant downturn since the congestion charge was introduced.
“The people who live in surrounding villages and towns just aren’t coming into Oxford – they’re heading off to Swindon, Reading or Newbury.
“It just feels like the people who brought the charge in haven’t consulted us, haven’t spoken to us.
“They say they understand, but we see no sign of it at all.
“In January and February when nobody is spending money, all the income that we’ve made in those six weeks carries us through until the tourists start to come back.
“I’m not on a salary – I open my doors every day and hope people walk in and spend money. I’ve got no guarantee that they will.”
Emily Scaysbrook, co-owner of Hoyle’s on the High Street, said: “We want to engage with them, we want to tell them how businesses are struggling.
“If we have to come to where they are to get them to talk to us, that’s fine by me. They need to understand what they are doing to businesses.
“It’s a shame that they are not practicing closer to home what they’re asking for from central government.”
Layla Moran spoke to some of the protestors, and then spoke to the owners of some of the businesses within the Covered Market about the budget.
When asked about the protestors, she said what they had levelled at her was “entirely legitimate”.
She said: “The congestion charge has only just come in, so we need to wait and see how in the medium and longer term it is affecting people.
“What we don’t know yet for sure is how much of this is things we can control, i.e. the congestion charge, and how much we don’t have control over, like what Rachel Reeves is going to do.
“I’m so pleased the protestors came today, because I’ve been trying to work out how can I talk to them more.
“I continue to support the principle that we need to do something about the congestion and traffic in Oxford.
“I have also been assured by the county council that there are changes that can be made, for example levels, where it comes in, exactly where they are.
“The county council decide, but my job as the MP is to advocate on behalf of businesses and residents.
“The detail of how this operates is really important, because those are tweaks that we can make.”
She added that Botley Road reopening would have the biggest positive impact on businesses.
“There’s lots of people who aren’t currently coming into the centre because they think they can’t park in the Westgate car park, and if they don’t have exemptions that’s true.
“When Botley Road reopens, suddenly they can, and we might find that footfall increases again, so we’ve got to get that road open.”
Charlie Maynard, Lib Dem MP for Witney, said: “I think we should just hold our breath and see what that data says.
“They may be having losses now, which may or may not be related to the congestion charge.
“It would be convenient to blame the county council for all of that, but I’m not sure the county council deserves that blame when a huge chunk of those issues are national issues.
“If it’s a disaster, that’s different, but I suspect it won’t be.”