West End Link

1.5 Concluding Comments

At the time of writing, this Options Report is not the adopted policy of OCC’s highways department. No position has yet been announced.

In an update to Witney Traffic Advisory Committee in September 2023, the County team wrote [13]:

“Bridge Street Area Options Appraisal Report (stage: Investigation/ feasibility). Officers have finalised the Bridge Street/West End Link Options Assessment report from consultants Pell Frischmann. This work includes the transport impact across the area of the Local Plan housing allocations at North Witney and East Witney and reviews the merit of the proposed West End Link Road given the adoption of the Oxfordshire Local Transport and Connectivity Plan policy document in 2022. Engagement and publication of the report is now being planned for after the Witney High Street and Market Square public realm engagement concludes in October [2023]. Initially this will involve Local Members before widening to other stakeholders including WODC, and the North Witney Strategic Development site among others. Following the engagement, the county will confirm its position through the forthcoming Witney Area Travel Plan, a subsidiary document to the Oxfordshire Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, which will be subject to public consultation in its own right.”

The planning application for North Witney has been submitted before OCC’s position was decided. Their position will likely emerge during the consideration period for the application.

Consultation on options for central Witney has now started, and OCC gave a briefing to WODC, WTC and PC (Hailey and Crawley) Councillors on 18 January 2024. Content from this briefing has been used by WING in the preparation of this appendix. At the time of writing (April 2024) the wider consultation by OCC to the public has not yet taken place.

WING takes the position that the West End Link Road must be a prerequisite of the development going ahead. This might take the form of a planning condition or a reason for refusal of the plans in their current form.

References

  1. "WODC Local Plan 2031, Witney Sub Area pages, p151 and Policy WIT2, p154 and WIT6 p165.," [Online]. Available: https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/pxvnq5j3/witney-sub-area.pdf .
  2. "WODC Local Plan 2031 Annual Monitoring Report 2021-23, One mention of WEL, Table 26 Identified Highway Infrastructure Schemes, p58, saying it is associated with North Witney SDA.," January 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/sgeeixem/2021-to-2023-local-plan-annual-monitoring-report-january-2024.pdf.
  3. "West Oxfordshire Infrastructure Delivery Plan 2016 Update, p13 and p61 say West End Link is needed.," [Online]. Available: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/roads-and-transport-major-projects/appendix12west-oxfordshire-infrastructure-delivery_planextracts.pdf . [Accessed March 2024].
  4. "Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, 2022-2050, Oxfordshire, p147-148, Policies WIT2, WIT3, WIT6," 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/roads-and-transport-connecting-oxfordshire/LocalTransportandConnectivityPlan.pdf. [Accessed March 2024].
  5. "WODC Local Plan 2031 Transport and Movement Policy Section, phasing commentary p93, Policy T2, p97," [Online]. Available: https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/udpd3l0j/7-transport-and-movement.pdf. [Accessed March 2024].
  6. "Access to Witney- TAG Options Appraisal Report (Shores Green recommendation report)," July 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/roads-and-transport-major-projects/atw_tag_options_appraisal_report.pdf. [Accessed 2024 March].
  7. "Bridge Street Area Transport Options Appraisal – stakeholder consultation site.," 2024. [Online]. Available: https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/witney-bridge-street-oar .
  8. "Hailey Neighbourhood Plan, 2015- 2031, Referendum Version V9, July 2019, commentary on WODC Policy WIT2 in the North Witney SDA.," [Online]. Available: https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/flmhngyh/hailey-neighbourhood-plan.pdf . [Accessed March 2024].
  9. "Witney LCWIP, p57 action refs 5, 6, 89," [Online]. Available: https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/witney-lcwip. [Accessed March 2024].
  10. "Witney Air Quality Action Plan 2023-2028 - Draft.," 2023. [Online]. Available: https://yourvoice.westoxon.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/aqap-chipping-norton-and-witney/3. [Accessed March 2024].
  11. "The latest West Oxfordshire Air Quality Reports," [Online]. Available: https://www.oxonair.uk/policies-and-reports/west-oxfordshire. [Accessed March 2024].
  12. "New 1,250-home development in Witney dubbed 'carmageddon'," 21 March 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/news/24200126.new-1-250-home-development-witney-dubbed-carmageddon/. [Accessed March 2024].
  13. "Oxfordshire County Council Infrastructure Locality Team Update - to Witney TAC," September 2023. [Online]. Available: https://democracy.witney-tc.gov.uk/documents/s11900/2023.09%20OCC%20Update%20to%20Witney%20TAC%20-%20final.pdf. [Accessed March 2024].
Previous
1.4 The Bridge Street Options Report 2023