Plan to improve sustainable transport at Oxfordshire science hub is approved

A plan to create a healthier, better connected and more sustainable future for an Oxfordshire scientific hub over the next 25 years has been approved.

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today adopted the Science Vale movement and place plan that sets out 22 objectives and accompanying actions to create a long-term transport strategy for the area, which is spread across the districts of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse.

They prioritise people walking, wheeling, cycling and using public transport over private car use.

The Science Vale area has a concentration of world-class innovative research and enterprise facilities. It covers Wantage and Didcot, surrounding villages and the employment sites at Culham Campus, Harwell Campus and Milton Park.

It is home to around 73,000 people and this is expected to rise to more than 170,000 by 2050, which highlights the need to address challenges such as congestion, air quality, rural accessibility and pressure on public transport.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “Oxfordshire is embarking upon sustainable and positive change – placing people, communities and places at the heart of this.

“The movement and place plans, including this one for the Science Vale, are key to this. They reflect the needs and aspirations of our communities, help to protect our natural environment and deliver the homes, businesses and leisure facilities that our communities need and enjoy.

“A significant shift in this strategy has been putting people at the heart of plan making, alongside movement and working towards understanding the meaning of place at a local level.”

The plan’s objectives include:

• Creating a comprehensive active travel network that is safe, comfortable and direct by updating national cycle routes, improving lighting and surface quality, reducing severance caused by busy roads and adding cycle hubs.
• Public transport improvements including better bus frequencies, improved interchanges and long-term rail enhancements, for example support for a Wantage and Grove station.
• Supporting economic growth and innovation, given the area’s global reputation for life sciences, fusion research and space technology and the importance of dependable, low carbon connectivity.
• Protecting nature and the environment, with a focus on improving public spaces and strengthening community identity.

The plan’s vision received strong support during a public consultation.

There are 12 proposed movement and place plans for Oxfordshire that the council will be looking deliver over the next year or so. They will act as supporting documents to the council’s wider local transport connectivity plan, which was adopted in 2022.

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