WITNEY is to get a dedicated cycle path linking a major new housing estate with the town centre.

The Woodgreen cycle track will run from Woodstock Road to Newland and serve the north eastern Madley Park development, with almost 1,200 new homes.

The scheme has just been approved by Oxfordshire County Council which is providing about £30,000 of the total cost of £150,000.

Half of the money is coming from Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, and a further £45,000 from developers involved in the Madley Park development.

Part of the route will use the existing footway - converted for dual cycle and pedestrian usage - and the rest made up of new paths.

Ian Hudspeth, the county's cabinet member for transport, said the project was in line with the council's Better Ways to School programme which promotes alternatives to car travel and cutting down on the school run part of rush-hour traffic.

He added: "Witney is changing and we need to keep up with that pace of change as much as possible."

The town already has a dedicated cycle path linking Cogges to the town centre and another along Station Lane.