Plea that Oxford United new stadium 'must not shut key road'

Liberal Democrat Dan Levy has raised concerns about the potential closure of Oxford Road when the League One club plays at its prospective stadium in Kidlington.

“That is not the policy that I will follow,” Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for finance said at a meeting on Tuesday (November 7).

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The council agreed to lease The Triangle, an area of land south of Kidlington Roundabout, to the club for its new stadium in September.

At a club exhibition last month, information boards on the new stadium said Oxford Road would be closed to traffic for an hour before a match and up to two hours afterwards.

The key road runs from Kidlington to North Oxford and past Oxford Parkway station.

At Tuesday's meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor for the Otmoor division, Calum Miller, said he was “very concerned” about the idea suggested at the exhibition.

An aerial view of where The Triangle will be (Image: Ed Nix)But Mr Levy said the council would not allow the road to be shut.

“I would expect the police to have real concerns about what happens at the end of games if there’s 16,000 people coming out,” Mr Levy said.

“They will also have concerns about getting emergency vehicles to and from the ground, and to Kidlington and other places.”

Thames Valley Police has previously raised “significant concerns” about how the roads around The Triangle will “function safely” as a result of the stadium.

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Mr Levy, who was a director of Stockport County between 2005 and 2007, said he expected Chiltern Railways and the bus companies to also have concerns.

He said agreeing the lease with the club had been “a lot less swift than I would have liked”.

“If you look at the history of Oxford United and their moves, you’ll see that getting this wrong has enormous and expensive consequences for the public purse and people who support Oxford United," he said.

“I am absolutely determined we will not get it wrong this time.”

The council has imposed several conditions on the Yellows as part of the lease, which included getting planning permission from Cherwell District Council and meeting zero carbon commitments.

“These things are not optional,” said Mr Levy.

“If Oxford United want to move to this new stadium, they are going to have to come up with plans that work for this council, residents of Kidlington, and the football club.”

He said he was determined the decision was taken “sensibly, speedily and works for the club and residents”.

An Oxford United spokesman said: "We are looking to build one of the most sustainable stadiums in the country.

"Our aim is for 90 per cent of fans to come to the stadium by public transport and active travel, a huge shift from current matches at the Kassam. 

"On matchdays, we want to get fans in and out of the new stadium as quickly and safely as possible, with the minimum  disruption to residents in Kidlington and North Oxford.

"We are considering all the options and focusing on finding a solution that ensures safety for all road users and keeps Kidlington moving.

"We will be releasing a full transport assessment as part of our planning application which will set out options in detail.

"We absolutely appreciate what the councillors have said and can assure everyone that we are working with Oxfordshire County Council and other stakeholders to design a scheme which meets the requirements and which works."