Conservatives have 'considerable concerns' over Witney North

A proposal for a major housing development of 1,250 homes in the area from Woodstock Road to Hailey Road has now been published online by the North Witney Consortium.

Mr Courts said after attending the public consultation meeting he and local Conservative councillors have "considerable concerns".

He said: “Witney is a town that has very much taken its fair share of new homes over the years.

"In the case here I am concerned that the infrastructure has not been given proper thought.

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"I am most concerned about the proposals not including any plans for a West End Link Road, a second river crossing, to alleviate congestion, which has been promised for years as part of this possible development.”

Cllr Dean Temple, who represents the Witney North ward at the Town Council, added: “This appears to be yet another clear demonstration of the anti-motorist approach adopted by our local council, which has led to the unpopular closure of Witney High Street, LTNS in Oxford and crude, ineffective blanket 20mph changes.

"All of this, in order for the council to meet its massive reduction in car journeys of a quarter by 2030, with no sensible plan to achieve it.

He said: “To hope that all of these people will cycle or walk everywhere in our rural area, or that Witney’s existing congestion can remain unaddressed, is simply pushing ideology over reality."

Crawley Parish Council, which is adjacent to Witney North, has also raised concerns that the West End Link road is not included in the plans.

They said:  “As a result of the problem on Bridge Street many drivers are choosing to avoid Witney town centre and are seeking alternative routes.

"The nearest bridge over the Windrush is in Crawley where residents are suffering from a substantial increase in the volume of traffic.”

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Meanwhile North Witney Action Group has always opposed the area being earmarked for development due to flood risk.

It believes that the new proposal has major flaws, including a flooding risk and increased traffic.

Stuart Harrison, chair of North Witney Action Group, said: “Without the West End link you can’t build North Witney. That was always implicity understood. 

“What you are left with is 1,200 houses being accessed by the existing road network. 

“They have said, we would like to sell you a chair with two legs. This site is nonsense from day one and always has been."