West End Link

1.3 Proceeding without the WEL

The 2031 Access to Witney report modelled the West End Link as a bypass to Bridge Street, as well as the Shores Green slip roads, and concluded that traffic on Bridge Steet would be better with than without it.

The developers applying to build the North Witney housing estate have omitted the West End Link, citing Oxfordshire’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan 2022-2050 [4], which discourages the construction of new roads unless necessary.

The impacts of building 1400 houses without a second river crossing are likely to include:

• Increased congestion on West End, Bridge Street, Woodstock Road and Newlands into and out of Witney.
• Increased NO₂ levels and concomitant particulate pollution on Bridge Street, the Air Quality Management Area which has an Air Quality Action Plan [10], [11], that cites the WEL as part of the measures expected to bring Bridge Street air quality up and NO₂ levels down to compliance with national objectives.
• A missed opportunity to dovetail flood mitigation measures at the river.
• A missed opportunity to improve walking and cycling routes to connect residents to Witney.

The documents cited in this appendix suggest these impacts, and local residents are expressing these same concerns [12].