A version of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), typically found in urban areas, has quietly spread across hundreds of countryside roads. LTNs favour pedestrians and cyclists over drivers, often featuring lower speed limits of 20mph and obstructions such as flower boxes and enforcement cameras. However, a rural equivalent has emerged and is gradually making its way across the countryside.
Quiet Lanes Regulations
Several roads across at least six counties, including North Yorkshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire, have been subjected to 'quiet lanes' rules. Introduced by New Labour, the Quiet Lanes and Home Zones (England) Regulations 2006 allow authorities to impose speed orders on designated roads.
Oxfordshire's Proposals
The latest local authority to adopt the scheme is Oxfordshire County Council, which has proposed closing certain rural roads to through traffic to encourage cycling and walking. While many quiet lanes already exist in the county, the council's new scheme goes beyond signage-based lanes, described as 'a step further than the existing Department for Transport policy'. Proposals include installing quiet lane signage, physical measures such as gates and bollards, and potentially reducing the national speed limit of 60mph to 20mph on some roads.
Tim Bearder, the Liberal Democrat leader of Oxfordshire County Council, told the BBC that many people 'want to go out and enjoy the rural landscape but they're just put off by dangerous roads'. He added, 'We can reallocate that road space for the benefit of cyclists, pedestrians, people who want to ride horses, and it means people have got this safe access to enjoy the countryside.'
Concerns from Locals
However, locals have raised concerns. Farmer Steve worried about machinery access: 'I just think it's madness - you can't just close roads to vehicles when you've got HGVs delivering to and collecting from farms.' The council responded that HGVs might be required to take 'an alternative and more appropriate route' and clarified that they will not be 'cut off' from their destination.
Edmund King, president of the AA, believes the council's plans go further than the initial intent of the 2006 act. He noted that two pilot Quiet Lanes projects were introduced in Norfolk and Kent in 1998 as part of a Countryside Agency initiative responding to a lobbying campaign by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Their purpose was to give precedence to those riding, cycling, or walking, as well as local access over through or fast traffic. King said they work 'well', adding that most motorists respect these lanes and give priority to horse riders, walkers, and cyclists. He added, 'There may be some exceptional cases where motor vehicles could be restricted without compromising access to farms, fields or homes, but these are likely to be few and far between.'
Council's Justification
Rebekah Fletcher, Oxfordshire's Cabinet Member for Transport Management, 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.'
A Local Government Association spokesperson commented: 'Councils recognise the impact that traffic has on their different communities and work hard to tackle it, working with communities to deliver the best results. Residents also expect local government to deliver cleaner air and safer streets in the places where they live and work, in order to improve quality of life in their locality, and to support more affordable means of travel.'
