TWO Oxfordshire councils have said they will oppose the Oxford-Cambridge expressway in all forms.

Highways England is set to open a consultation for people to give their view about the potential £4.5bn road in September.

But South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have voted to oppose it totally.

Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire council’s leader, said: “This new expressway would have significant adverse impacts on Oxfordshire.

“It will bring more traffic create a major source of air and noise pollution, destroy farmland and habitats and increase CO2 emissions, all of which are incompatible with the recent Climate Emergency declared by this council in April.”

Both announced they had signed non-disclosure agreements with Highways England about the expressway before May’s local elections to discuss where the road might go.

It is expected other Oxfordshire authorities have signed one but the city council said it had not been asked to.

Last September, two options for the road were announced. One would pass west of Oxford – and into the Vale – and the other south of the city in South Oxfordshire.

But opponents have urged for money to be channelled into public transport, such as the East West Rail project. That starts in Oxford.