The truth about the Eynsham Park and Ride and Road upgrades

The Eynsham Park and Ride and road upgrade is being delivered at no extra cost to us council tax payers, and contrary to certain political parties claims.

The original project was dreamt up by the previous Tory County Council administration and was a wildly ambitious ‘pet’ project that was to be funded by two different government bodies – one for the park and ride site and one for the road improvements. But no contingency for inflation was included and when the new LibDem led administration inherited the project, post pandemic, the funding no longer matched the costs.

So, the Park and Ride was constructed before it became unaffordable, with the cost of maintaining it falling on the contractor, while the council sought an increase in the funding for the road improvements. The Government, however, turned this down and, as the new administration was adamant that no council tax payers money was to be used for this, so the project was scaled back - the dual carriageway extension would only have gone as far as Eynsham, so wouldn't have solved much as it was.

With funding negotiations for this now complete the project can proceed. It will not only join the Park and Ride to the A40 but will also make changes at key junctions – the Eynsham roundabout and Cassington lights - to improve traffic flow as well as making a few other improvements. Public consultation was undertaken last November, as part of the planning consent process, and work has recently started on one of the sections of road improvement.

Although the LibDem administration inherited this project, the local LibDem councilors did not actually support it, as they didn’t believe it addressed the real issues with transport infrastructure in our area. The need for people to travel to and around Oxford from the West speedily and safely, by whatever is the most appropriate means, especially as the population of West Oxfordshire grows, is well understood. So, this is seen merely as a first phase in improvements to rail and road services that are planned and being negotiated. It takes time but progress is being made.’