South Central Oxfordshire Transport Study - Welcome but More Work Needed

3.40.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Sep 2009

Speaking at today's meeting of the County Cabinet, Cllr Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition, said that she welcomed the production of the report on the transport study covering much of south Oxfordshire, especially as it had been thought that it would be delayed.

Zoé said, "This is a very important report which is vital for the District Councils of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse so that they can draw up local development frameworks, and for accessing key employment areas in the south of the county, such as Science Vale UK.

"However, more detailed work is still required and I therefore urge the Cabinet to press ahead with complete feasibility work for all recommended schemes, to include when highway schemes will be built and how funded, and to assess the impact of the development and transport schemes not only on the area directly covered by the report but to those areas just outside the boundary. This needs to be done as soon as possible if the District Councils are to complete their local development frameworks by the start of 2010.

"I'm particularly pleased to see mention of the Wantage Eastern Relief Road and Grove & Wantage railway station in the report. Both of these will be sorely needed if the area is not to 'seize up' with traffic each morning, should the new housing developments in Didcot, Grove and Wantage go ahead when the recession ends.

"I look forward to hearing more detail about the transport schemes proposed and to the consultation promised for local people."

Related Link:

Zoe's speech on the transport study.