'Patients could die as a result of Botley Road blue lights ruling'

The road is being closed at the rail bridge from April 11 to allow a £161m station improvement project to get under way.

It was revealed last week that the closure would start from April 11 and run until October so utility cables could be rerouted as work begins to create a new western entrance to the station.

READ AGAIN: Botley Road closure will affect emergency services 

It had been hoped that police cars, fire engines and ambulances would be allowed through the road block.

But at a meeting on Wednesday the emergency services were informed by Network Rail this would not be possible for safety reasons.

Julian Le Vay, a spokesman for residents' group West Oxford Access, said he was stunned that emergency services vehicles would not be allowed through.

He added: "It is quite possible people are going to die because of this.

"Fire engines and ambulances will have to go round the ring road - it's not an overstatement to say this will put lives in danger.

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"The county council and city council seem to have decided that west Oxford is a private planet owned by Network Rail and what happens there is under Network Rail law.

"What happens if response times increase? 

"It's very concerning and we are planning a public meeting next week."

Network Rail is closing the road at the bridge from April 11 until October so contractors can reroute utility cables and start to build a new western entrance to the station.

The youth hostel building at the junction with Roger Dudman Way is being demolished and a turning circle for buses is being created.

It is understood that emergency services vehicles could use a location like Seacourt park and ride as a base while the closure is in place.

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Network Rail spokesman David Paull said earlier: "We have been in discussion with the emergency services as we have developed our plans and we have explored a number of different options, but unfortunately the risks involved in allowing any vehicles, including blue-light services, to travel through the work site are too great for all concerned.

"We will continue to work with the emergency services to explore any potential ways in which we can assist them with providing their vital support to the local community.”

He added: "We’re getting under way with a £161m project that will give Oxford a bigger, better station with improved accessibility and more train services for passengers and freight.

"We are also improving the road network near the station to make it safer for everyone. To do this, we need to temporarily close Botley Road near the railway bridge so that all the utility services that currently run beneath the road, from 11 different utility companies, can be moved.

"This is an incredibly complex task in a tightly constrained space so unfortunately the road needs to be closed for the work to be carried out safely."

Thames Valley Police said they would work with other emergency services to ensure response times were maintained. 

A spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said: “We continue to work closely with all our partner agencies on contingency plans to minimise disruption to our services while this work is carried out.”

The road will also be closed for a similar period next year, when the rail bridge will be replaced.

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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF