Critics poured scorn on a public consultation on an A40 upgrade scheme after it was announced that plans to dual the road to Witney would not go ahead.

Oxfordshire County Council is asking for feedback on plans for the congested A-road only between Eynsham Park and Ride and Wolvercote.

The council cancelled plans to dual between the park and ride and Cogges at Witney because the £126million government funding will not cover the cost.

Disgruntled residents took to social media wondering why the council is "asking the people of West Oxfordshire, and Eynsham in particular, what they wanted in the first place: a dual carriageway in both directions all the way to the Wolvercote roundabout".

The revised A40 scheme is for bus lanes and widened pathways in both directions between Eynsham park and ride and Wolvercote roundabout (Image: Oxfordshire County Council) The A40 upgrade scheme, originally estimated to cost £180million, was halted two years ago while costs were reviewed although the Eynsham park and ride was built and abandoned.

Oxfordshire County Council is now confident it can build the first phase which includes bus lanes in both directions between the park and ride and Wolvercote with widened pathways on both sides.

A new junction will finally link the park and ride to the A40 and there will be five new controlled crossings, two upgraded controlled crossings at Witney Road and Cassington junction plus improvements to existing uncontrolled crossings.

Plans include 'capacity enhancements' at Lower Road roundabout and 'major capacity enhancements' at the two signalised junctions at Cassington.

There will be an eastbound bus lane over Duke's Cut bridges connecting to the eastbound bus lane at Oxford North, the new innovation district currently under construction at Wolvercote.

And the pathway on the south side connecting to Oxford North will be widened.

Subject to planning permission, the council said work could begin in early 2026 and last for two years.

Eynsham county councillor Dan Levy said he blamed the previous Tory administration and government for delays which led to spiralling costs.

He said the scheme was "tied to the large amount of new housing in West Oxfordshire" but funding from central government was not indexed to inflation "so to keep within cost, it has had to be shrunk in scope".

"Government refused to increase the funding. Central government has only recently agreed to release the money, and that has caused a long delay."

He added: "Most residents of Eynsham, including me, opposed it and would have preferred a rail option."

A new junction will finally link Eynsham Park and Ride to the A40 (Image: Ed Nix) But he said: "We will end up with better bus services, an improved bike lane, and much more free flowing junctions. Cassington residents will no longer have 10 minute waits to get on to the A40.

"So it will be a big improvement on what we have at the moment, and it won't cost Oxfordshire council taxpayers a penny."(Image: Ed Nix)

But Conservative county councillor for Hanborough and Minster Lovell Liam Walker said it was the current administration that had lost control of the costs and branded the public consultation 'a waste of time'.

He said: “The anti-motorist Lib Dems have made a complete mess of this project whilst they got distracted by their fantasy billion-pound trainline to Witney.

"What on earth is the point on consulting on the project after you’ve made a decision and where the views of residents will not impact the project?

"The council has allowed costs to spiral out of control and this will become the HS2 white elephant of West Oxfordshire when construction starts, and we will have years of misery for those travelling from Witney stuck in roadworks."

Oxfordshire County Council said the public consultation feedback will be included in the information provided to the planning authority for consideration as part of the planning application.