Oxford City Council has maintained it followed the proper processes when submitting its planning application for a £10m bridge over the River Thames.

The Oxpens River Bridge which will stretch from Oxpens Meadow to Grandpont Nature Park was given the green light in March.

Following an appeal, the plans to build the new pedestrian and cycle bridge bridge were passed by one vote.

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City councillors made the decision at a 'special' planning review meeting on April 18 in which security was called following shouts of "lies" and "shame on you" from objectors.

At a council meeting on Tuesday, July 9, campaigner Dan Glazebrook accused the authority of failing to conduct a legally required environmental impact assessment.

(Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

Since then, the council has released a statement insisting it followed the appropriate process.

The statement said: “The planning application includes ecological, environmental risk, arboricultural and biodiversity assessments.

“Public consultation on the proposed development was undertaken before submission of the planning application.

“The scheme was reviewed before finalisation and submission of the application to the local planning authority.”

The council also addresses criticism over the bridge’s locations, saying that other areas were explored before the present one was chosen.

It added that the bridge would deliver a net biodiversity gain.

“The proposed bridge has been designed considering the ecology and arboricultural importance of Grandpont," the council statement added.

It continued: “The scheme has been designed to minimise the impact on Grandpont, affecting only a small area of the park and the trees within it."

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It would also "improve the choice of routes for people accessing the area now and in the future".

The bridge is funded by the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal which is described by the council as an "appropriate use" of the grant.

However, Friends of Granpont Nature Park has described the council statement as a "series of obfuscations and half-truths". 

The action group's response added: “The small woodland which will be destroyed to make way for the bridge is one of the most biodiverse parts of the Grandpont nature reserve, and its construction will result in irreversible biodiversity loss on the site.

"The council’s own guidelines specify that such losses must be avoided altogether wherever possible, and replaced on site where not."

Meanwhile, Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, had submitted the Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge scheme to the Secretary of State for Transport for approval as it has to do for any new structure over navigable waterways. 

This is a separate process from the planning application process which was approved by the city council.

Subject to approvals, construction work on the bridge is expected to start later in 2024, with the bridge scheme expected to be completed in 2025.

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About the author

Rob is a digital reporter who also helps covering sport stories.

He joined the Oxford Mail in February 2023 having previously been at sister paper The Bucks Free Press for two years. 

Rob completed a journalism course at Darlington College and can be found on X at @RobertFolker.