A plan to enhance cycling and walking routes across Didcot and its surrounding areas has taken another step forward. 

Didcot councillors are encouraging the Government and developers to support a newly approved infrastructure plan to enhance walking and cycling routes in Didcot and the surrounding areas.

Oxfordshire County Council has approved the Didcot Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which will set out how to improve the town’s active travel network. It aims to reduce widespread reliance on private motor vehicles and congestion.

Approval was given last Thursday, (December 14) by Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport management at a delegated decisions meeting.

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Formally approving the plan is expected to make it easier for the council to negotiate funding from developers and the Government to deliver the improvements it proposes.

The LCWIP aims to provide a 10-year plan for the delivery of cycling and walking interventions to maximise the uptake of active travel.

The council believes a joined-up network of walking and cycling routes will improve road safety and make walking and cycling for local journeys more attractive as an alternative to using private motor vehicles.

The LCWIP intends to tackle these barriers with potential improvements such as new and improved crossings (including over the River Thames), junction redesigns for walking and cycling, removal or modification of barriers on walking and cycling routes to improve accessibility and on-carriageway cycling improvements.

Further improvements include: the provision of segregated cycle tracks and additional high quality cycle parking, permissions for cycling on some routes where it is not currently permitted, footway widening and public realm improvements and new and improved walking and cycling routes between Didcot and other key local destinations outside the town.

Ian Snowdon, county councillor for Didcot West, said: “I would always encourage people to walk, cycle and be more active. This will be good for Didcot if it is delivered, however I hope this goes beyond words.

“Words are cheap and actions may not always follow. I look forward to money being spent on maintenance of our current walkways and cycle paths, half of which are overgrown and unusable, as well as the building of new ones.”

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Jane Murphy, county councillor for Didcot East and Hagbourne, said: “I welcome this decision for Didcot, but I hope the surrounding villages are not forgotten as they also suffer from a lack of cycle tracks and walking paths.

"This could even serve as a bigger project to join them up with the town to make it easier for everyone to get around.

“Residents surrounding villages are always asking me about cycle routes, especially one between Wallingford and Didcot, and it’s ideal to have more safe, local travel options so people don’t always have to jump in the car.

“Now that this has been agreed, the hard work begins by securing the funding to substantiate the idea.

"It’s great to see a plan approved but developers and the Government need to get behind this to ensure it becomes a reality. I just hope it’s not another project that gets filed.”