Campaigners for and against Witney's contentious Cogges Link Road plan are stepping up efforts to gain the public's support.

Another wave of leaflets is going into every home in the town, this time produced by Witney Town Council and hand delivered by councillors.

It urges local residents to support the £15m link road before public consultation comes to an end on November 28.

The campaigning comes hard on the heels of two similar drops, both by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), which has distributed 12,000 leaflets — against the link road and in favour of the Shores Green option.

CPRE spokesman David Condon said he welcomed the council's move to involve the public. He added: "It looks like they have finally woken up to the fact it's a big issue, which is arousing a lot of comment in Witney.

"Good for them, even though they have a different opinion on what should be done. Debate is needed on the issue, a debate which might not have started if it hadn't been for us."

The town council has consistently supported the link road.

More than 20 years after it was first suggested, Oxfordshire County Council will finally make a decision in January.

As well as the leaflet campaigns, both sides have held exhibitions in the town, with the county council promoting the Cogges Link and the CPRE the Shores Green scheme, which would see the Oxford Hill junction with the A40 Witney bypass turned into a four-way junction.

Witney's mayor Alvin Adams, said: "I think it's a minor tragedy the link road has not been built after all these years, because of the traffic chaos and environmental issues in Bridge Street. Shores Green will take people on a much longer route to get in and out of the town centre. It won't solve the problem."