From: 160 Autumn 2024
Author: Geoff Gibbs
Those Freemen living in Oxford may have heard that the Godstow Car Park on the north edge of Port Meadow has recently been refurbished and that it will soon, if not already by the time you read this, operate a charging scheme. We have clarified that as Freemen of Oxford, we qualify for exemption from these parking charges at this car park (there is no exemption for Freemen using the Walton Well Road car park at the southern end of the meadow). This exemption applies to all Freeman, not just to graziers.
The exemption will be based on a list of provided car registrations, so if you wish to take advantage of this you should e-mail carparks@oxford.gov.uk under the suggested title “Wolvercote Godstow Road Car Park - Freemen of Oxford Exemption” and inform them of your name, car registration, and the fact you are a Freeman of Oxford. They will then need to verify that you are a Freeman before adding your registration to the list of exemptions. We suggest you retain any acknowledgement received from the Council of your exemption.
Please note that at the time of writing the method of verification and confirmation of exemption has not yet been finalised, so we cannot yet give any indication of how long it may take from application to exemption. Once finalised, confirmation of the instructions for exemption, and the verification process, will be made available on the Freeman’s website: oxfordfreemen.org.