From 21 September, Oxfordshire County Council will be carrying out traffic signal installation and improvement work to Islip Bridge to keep it safe, improve pedestrian access and reduce unsuitable through‑traffic in the village.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: “The work is needed because the bridge has deteriorated due to higher traffic volumes, including heavier vehicles. Action is required to protect the bridge and ensure safe use for everyone.

“We appreciate that the scheme is likely to cause significant disruption, but we will endeavour to complete the work as safely and quickly as possible.”

The first phase, from 21-25 September, will involve temporary traffic signals for preparation works.

Phase two, from 28 September - 20 November, involves the full closure of Islip Bridge to all motor vehicles, including buses. A signed diversion route will be in place, although pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained at all times.

The work will include the installation of permanent three-way traffic signals controlling vehicle movements across Islip Bridge; narrowing the carriageway to three metres to protect the bridge structure; installing a new 1.5 metre-wide footway on the west side of the bridge; and traffic calming on the southern approach.

Drainage repairs, resurfacing, footway improvements and new road markings will also be carried out, while Mill Street will be made one-way in advance of the scheme.

Staff will be present at either end of the bridge during the closure to manage safety and provide assistance.

Access to nearby properties and businesses will be accommodated where possible, although short delays may occur.

During the bridge closure, the H5 bus service between Bicester and the John Radcliffe Hospital will serve Islip from the north and then follow the diversion via Kidlington Road, Bicester Road, A40, to Barton and vice versa. 

A shuttle service will operate between Barton and the bus stop on the south side of the bridge.

The work was scheduled to take place after the summer harvest period, when agricultural traffic flows are lower. This helps reduce the impact on the surrounding road network, supports local communities and helps reduce the risk of delays.

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Oxfordshire County Council ‘s principal highways contractor M Group has welcomed the arrival of a 3.5-tonne highways maintenance truck – the first hydrogen-powered vehicle across the company’s 10,000 vehicle UK-wide fleet.

It marks a significant step in both M Group’s and the council’s commitments to reducing carbon emissions.

Compared to diesel, HVO and hydrogen fuel has significantly lower tailpipe carbon emissions by an average of 30 - 40 per cent. It also reduces emissions affecting air quality, such as nitrogen oxide, which support cleaner air across Oxfordshire.

While the fuel source is new, the vehicle is not.

Hydrogen technology specialists ULEMCo have retrofitted a standard maintenance truck, with the conversion funded by M Group. ULEMCo will also adapt a second vehicle, expected to be a medium or larger HGV, which will join the Oxfordshire fleet early in 2027.

Richard Lovewell, M Group’s Business Director, said: “M Group Highways has an ambitious target of being net zero carbon by 2040. We’re excited to be working with Oxfordshire County Council to trial practical solutions that can accelerate the journey to net zero.”

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: “The climate emergency is the biggest challenge the planet faces, and we are committed to not only reaching our own net zero target as a council by 2030 but to enabling Oxfordshire to be carbon neutral well ahead of 2050.

“We are delighted to be working with M Group to trial this innovative technology which will mean lower emissions and cleaner air across Oxfordshire.”

The dual fuel vehicles will be used to transport crews and materials to sites to carry out repairs and improvements on Oxfordshire’s roads.

Highways crews have received in depth training on how to refuel, maintain and operate the converted vehicles, with a particular focus on driver and public safety.

The drivers’ experience – along with a host of metrics, such as costs and fuel usage efficiency – will help assess the overall success of the trial.

With HGVs and trucks contributing around 17 - 21 per cent of road transport emissions, Oxfordshire’s trial could be pivotal in accelerating the UK’s transition to hydrogen-powered vehicles.

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This week, Oxfordshire County Council and its highways contractor M Group used Wildmere Road in Banbury as a test site to trial 15 different methods of filling in potholes or ‘patching’ minor defects.

Some of these methods are already used in Oxfordshire, while the others were new technology sourced by M Group.

Wildmere Road was closed and a 700-metre stretch was divided into sections. Each section had a different type of pothole or patch repair carried out to get a direct comparison of the various methods.

It is the second time the council has carried out a pothole repair innovation event, following a similar trial in Steventon in 2023, believed to have been the first of its kind in the country. Seven repair methods were trialled in 2023, making this week’s event a much larger undertaking.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: “The impact of potholes on our roads this winter, not just in Oxfordshire but nationwide, has been unprecedented.

“We are committed to seeking new and innovative methods of carrying out repairs on our 3,000 mile road network. Technology is changing all the time and it is important to test the latest products to maximise value for money when it comes to highway maintenance.

“The 2023 event led to us adopting several new methods of repair, and ruling out others, so we hope this latest trial will provide evidence and information for our contractors about what repair methods work best by testing them on the same stretch of road.”

Since January 2026, M Group has repaired more than 33,000 highways defects – compared to 37,042 potholes filled in the whole of the 2024 - 25.

This was against a backdrop of perfect pothole-forming weather conditions this winter – a prolonged freeze followed by a protracted period of rain, which led to an unprecedented increase in the number of emergency pothole reports. The council was receiving more than 1,000 reports a week, reaching over 1,300 defects in a single week in early March.

As a result, the number of repair crews was increased from seven to 25 to reduce a backlog of potholes caused by the weather. More specialist crews and equipment were also brought in, including a ‘Bobcat’ planer, Dragon Patcher and thermal road repairs.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “From introducing the Dragon Patcher back in 2015 to hosting the UK’s first pothole trial day in 2023, M Group and Oxfordshire County Council have a strong track record of working together to find better ways to maintain and repair roads.

“This latest trial is about building on that progress. By testing new products and approaches we can ensure that we are using the best value materials in the right conditions and the right places, increasing efficiency and durability, and delivering better value for Oxfordshire residents.

“With wetter winters and hotter summers, it is vital we keep adapting our maintenance techniques to cope with increasing pressure on our road networks.”

Wildmere Road will be monitored regularly over the next two years to allow comparisons of the type of repair, equipment, material, and labour used, and the time taken.

This will include an understanding of the potential results, longevity of repairs, waste generated, carbon impact, use of recycled content and productivity that may be achievable.

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Eighty-seven roads will be improved as part of an £8 million Oxfordshire County Council highway maintenance programme beginning this spring.

The council and its principal highway contractor M Group will be visiting 62 towns and villages between April and June to carry out surface dressing work.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “The places with the best roads there are the ones that don’t get potholes in the first place.

“Oxfordshire has some of the busiest roads in the country, with 4.79 billion vehicle miles travelled in 2024. Heavy traffic puts huge strain on road surfaces.

“Reactive pothole repairs are expensive and inefficient. Preventative maintenance, such as surface dressing, is far better value and stops potholes forming in the first place.”

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “Surface dressing is the most cost-effective and efficient way to increase the life of our roads. It prevents water ingress, improves skid resistance and ultimately protects the carriageway from future potholes.

“We’re proud to be supporting the council in delivering this forward-thinking investment in Oxfordshire’s road network. Delivering a programme of this scale demands real teamwork between the council and M Group working alongside our partners Hazell & Jefferies and Wilson & Scott.

“My thanks go out to everyone involved in pulling this complex programme together and to the crews who will be working tirelessly on the ground.”

The council is urging motorists to watch out for notifications of the work taking place and to drive carefully after it has been carried out.

Driving too fast on a recently treated road can result in broken windscreens or chipped paintwork, as the friction from the tyres can dislodge loose chips. There is also an increased risk of skidding while the new chippings ‘bed in’.

For these reasons, an advisory speed limit of 20mph will be put in place. It is important to adhere to these low speeds until all warning signs have been removed.

Surface dressing takes place after existing defects have been patched and involves applying bituminous emulsion onto the road as a binder. This is followed immediately by the application of chippings to dress the emulsion layer.

The method offers many advantages, including:

• Sealing the road surface to keep out water, one of the major causes of deterioration and potholes.
• Reducing the deterioration of the road surface.
• Restoring the necessary level of skid resistance to reduce skid-related traffic collisions.
• Enabling worn out road surfaces to last longer, increasing the time before structural maintenance is required.
• Maximising the cost effectiveness of limited highway maintenance budgets.
• Minimising traffic disruption and congestion as large areas of roads – up to 100,000 square metres – can be treated in a single day.
• The work is highly weather dependent and cannot be completed in wet conditions.

Updated details about the programme, including a map showing where and when the work will be taking place, will be available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

However, the work is highly weather dependent and cannot be completed in wet conditions. Therefore, the earlier in the spring it can be started, the more likely it can be completed with minimal disruptions as it provides extra leeway for days lost to rain.

Last year, the council treated over 1.4 million square metres of carriageway, whether in full-scale resurfacing programmes or preventative treatments, like surface dressing which prolongs the life of the roads treated by up to 10 years.

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Oxfordshire County Council and its highway contractor M Group will carry out the work to the whole interchange, including the circulatory carriageway and all approaches and exits.

The work will include kerb and drainage maintenance, ironwork adjustments, resurfacing of the existing carriageway and reinstatement of all existing and legal road markings and lines.

Traffic signal loops will also be re-cut to ensure the signals operate with the correct timings and sequencing once the junction reopens.

To minimise disruption, a 24/7 road closure is scheduled from 8pm on Friday 27 February to 5am on Monday 2 March, subject to weather conditions and any unforeseen circumstances, with work taking place both day and night.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This work is essential to maintaining the safety and long term condition of this busy strategic junction.

“By carrying it out over a single weekend with a full closure, we can complete the work as quickly and efficiently as possible while reducing overall disruption.”

During the closure, the entire Milton Interchange will be closed, including all A4130 approaches and exits towards Didcot and Steventon. There will be no access on or off the A34 at this junction and no vehicular access to or from Park Drive.

A fully signed local diversion route will be in place throughout the work.

Temporary three‑way traffic signals will operate on the A4130 to maintain vehicle access between Didcot, Milton Gate and the services area. Access to Milton Gate and the services complex will not be possible directly via the roundabout.

Access to Milton Park business park will be available using alternative routes through Milton village, Sutton Courtenay or from Didcot to the eastern end of Park Drive.

For safety reasons, there will be no pedestrian access around the roundabout from Milton Heights or Trenchard Avenue. Pedestrians from Park Drive will be diverted through a public right of way, rejoining the A4130 opposite the hotel.

A dedicated pedestrian route between Milton Gate and the services area will remain open, supported by pedestrian marshals. Pedestrian access along the A4130 from Didcot will remain open as far as Milton Gate and the services area.

Scheduled bus services will continue to operate, although routes will be temporarily revised. Passengers are advised to check bus operator websites for the latest information. Staff will be in place at all road closure points to help manage traffic and pedestrians safely and advance warning signs will be in place.

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Oxfordshire County Council and its principal highways contractor M Group are more than doubling the number of repair crews from seven to at least 16 to reduce a backlog of potholes caused by the weather.

Heavy rainfall and then colder weather from mid-December into January created a cycle of freezing and thawing – perfect conditions for creating new potholes.

The council aims to repair potholes within two hours, 24 hours or 28 days, depending on how big a risk they pose. About 875 of the 28 day jobs – around 35 per cent of the total – missed their deadlines by a few days because of the rise in reports at the beginning of January and other priority issues.

Crews have also faced many larger potholes, requiring substantial repair methods which – although producing high quality results – are more labour intensive and time consuming and reduce the number of defects that can be fixed in a day.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “It has been a difficult winter, but we are actively looking to improve the situation on our roads by making more resources available to repair potholes as quickly as possible.

“Our highways teams work very hard in all weathers and conditions to maintain the 3,000 miles of road for which we are responsible. We know how important the condition of our highways is for our residents, which is why we are taking positive action.”

Repair methods include two-person gangs cutting out and replacing the defective carriageway; a Dragon Patcher machine, which seals repairs with stone chippings and hot bitumen emulsion; and Bobcat machines, which can remove large areas of damaged road surface in minutes.

To reduce the number of outstanding repairs, the council and M Group are employing more sub-contractors, redirecting the Dragon Patcher to tackle safety defects full time, retaining the Bobcat crews for defect repairs rather than scheduled maintenance, and redeploying crews to where they are most needed.

More than 41,000 highways defects were reported to the council in the last 12 months, around 90 per cent of which were potholes. About a quarter of these were reported by members of the public through the council’s Fix My Street portal, with the rest logged during its own highway inspections.

Crews are also empowered to repair additional issues, which they spot while carrying out their instructions.

To ensure quality and consistency, 20 per cent of completed repairs are inspected to assess the completeness and workmanship.

The vast majority (97 per cent) of Oxfordshire’s pothole repairs are now cut square, joint sealed filled and compacted, to undertake a permanent fix first time. Contractors filled 37,042 potholes in 2024 - 25.

Members of the public are encouraged to report potholes using www.fixmystreet.com, preferably with photographs if it is safe to take one. Fix My Street reports are generally investigated within 10 days of being raised.

People can also log on to Oxfordshire County Council’s website oxfordshire.gov.uk to report potholes.

While reactive highway work is vital, particularly for potholes that cause an immediate danger, the council’s emphasis is on maintenance work to prevent potholes forming in the first place, which is much more cost-effective than repairing them afterwards.

It has invested nearly £14.5 million since 2024 on its largest surface dressing programmes for at least 20 years, treating around two million square metres of carriageway.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “We’re working closely with Oxfordshire County Council to respond to the leap in pothole reports over recent weeks. We’ve brought in additional resource and are currently working to bring in even more gangs whilst proposing initiatives including Bobcat and Dragon Patcher repairs.

“Potholes are frustrating for us all, but please remember the crews working hard to repair our roads at all hours and in all conditions should be treated with respect.”

In recent years there has been a rise in reported incidents of abuse and threatening behaviour, including filming operatives as they work to post on social media, with a minority of motorists or residents taking their frustration out on roadworkers over delays as improvements are made to the network.

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Meet the highways teams taking a more agile approach to maintenance and improvements in Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council and its principal highways contractor M Group has deployed highways asset response teams (HARTs) to carry out minor repairs, cleaning, and other work in towns and villages where they are most needed.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Following concerns raised by our communities in relation to highway improvements and maintenance, we're taking a more proactive approach. This initiative strengthens our collaboration with local communities.

“These teams are equipped to deliver on the ground remedial work, addressing issues more quickly.

“By being present and responsive within the community, we’re not just maintaining infrastructure, we’re building trust, improving safety, and ensuring that local concerns are acted on swiftly and effectively.”

Work carried out by the HARTs includes cleaning street signs, removing damaged railings, clearing vegetation, resetting uneven slabs and kerbstones, cleaning debris from footways, patching road defects, repairing footway defects, and removing fly posters and redundant street barriers.

In the first 10 weeks of the programme the teams cleared vegetation from 313 sites, cleaned 213 signs, removed 63 illegal signs or posters, repaired 128 potholes, fixed 17 footpaths and completed 87 other tasks such as cone removal, general tidying up, and installing barriers.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “We know that seemingly minor issues like dirty signs or overgrown hedges can have a real impact on how people experience their local area. That’s why we’re proud to be deploying the highways asset response teams to deliver fast, visible improvements that residents truly notice.

“It allows our skilled teams to ‘blitz’ an area, fixing a wide range of issues in one go. Results so far have been outstanding. Our teams love being able to make such a meaningful difference in one go, and the feedback from the community has been fantastic.”

Locations are chosen based on a high volume of reports to the council’s Fix My Street portal, engagement with town and parish councils, as well as places where temporary safety measures had previously been installed.

Areas visited so far by the HARTs have included Bicester, Banbury, Witney, Abingdon, Didcot, Wantage and Grove.

They also work closely with the council’s highways engagement team to keep residents informed, providing clear updates on what can be resolved immediately and what may require further action.

Cllr Gant added: “Over the coming months, we’ll be engaging more closely with town and parish councils to identify priority areas where their local knowledge and presence can help us respond more effectively to community needs.

“This evolving partnership is all about making sure resources are focused where they’re most needed, ensuring timely and visible improvements that matter to residents.”

Reporting road and street problems on Fix My Street, which is on the council’s website, remains the most effective way to report local issues.

Highways officers monitor reports daily and assess whether the locations are suitable for action. Providing detailed information, such as accurate locations, clear photographs, and measurements – where practical and safe to do so – greatly streamline the response process.

It helps the teams assess and resolve issues more efficiently, reducing the need for repeat visits and ensuring that resources are used effectively to deliver timely improvements.

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Oxfordshire County Council and its principal highways contractor M Group will visit 36 sites to carry out essential resurfacing. Work started at the end of June and is scheduled to run until 17 October.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Resurfacing plays a vital role in maintaining the county’s road network and this shows our ongoing commitment to investing in the highway network, reducing the number of defects and improving people’s journeys.

“This programme will extend the life of roads by preventing water getting in, reducing the need for frequent repairs, enhancing skid resistance for safer travel, and smoothing out road surfaces for a more comfortable ride.”

Richard Lovewell, M Group’s Business Director, said: “We are proud to be working with Oxfordshire County Council to deliver a comprehensive package of surfacing programmes to improve the county’s road network.

“We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as we carry out these essential works to enhance the quality and safety of Oxfordshire’s roads.”

The programme includes three main types of resurfacing:

• Safety schemes targeting accident prone areas to improve skid resistance.
• Surface inlay work where the road surface has deteriorated but the foundations remain sound. This involves removing and replacing defective layers.
• Structural maintenance, which is more intensive reconstruction for severely damaged roads.

In total, the work will cover over 111,000 square metres of road surface, using nearly 22,000 tonnes of material, with treatment depths ranging from 40mm to 250mm.

Disruption will be kept to a minimum, with work requiring road closures taking place at night wherever possible. However, disruption is likely at some sites where more intensive reconstruction for severely damaged roads is taking place.

The programme will affect some of the county’s A-roads, including:

• A40 Milton Common (July 14-August 22)
• A40 Swinbrook Road/Burford Road (July 29 – August 18)
• B4495 Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford (August 4-5 September)
• B4437 Charlbury (August 5-12)
• A361 Shipton under Wychwood, from Plum Lane to Dog Kennel Lane (August 7-13)
• A361 The Hill, Burford (August 8-20)
• B4044 Eynsham Road, Botley, Oxford (August 11-September 15)
• A420 Longcot (August 14-September 8)
• Tubney, A420 approach to A338 roundabout (August 21-23)
• A40 Witney eastbound bypass, Ducklington (August 25-27)
• Oxford Parkway park and ride surfacing (August 26-28)
• Wantage Road/Station Road, Wallingford (August 26-October 9).
• A40 Witney bypass, B4022 underpass (August 28-29)
• A4155 Reading Road, Henley (September 15-19)
• Banbury Road, Oxford, from St Margaret’s Road to South Park Road (September 18-October 9)
• A4155 Reading Road, Henley, from Station Road to Friday Street (October 8-15).

These dates include preliminary work which will usually take place under temporary traffic lights, ahead of the main surfacing work which will require road closures. All dates are subject to alteration due to the weather.

Motorists are asked to observe the diversion routes which will be in operation while the work takes place.

Updated details about the programme, including a map showing where and when the work will be taking place, is available on the council’s website. However, the programme will be subject to alterations depending on the weather.

The latest resurfacing work follows the council’s surface dressing road maintenance programme, most of which was completed between April and June.

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The affected section is off Abingdon Road between Folly Bridge and Donnington Bridge, with further works taking place near Isis farm house. Work is expected to start in late June or early July and last until late September 2025.

A combination of signed diversionary routes and local towpath width reductions will be in place until the repairs are completed.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This work forms part of our commitment to invest in the county’s blue-green infrastructure and it will safeguard this towpath for many years.

“We realise how popular this towpath is, both as a sustainable route into the city as well as for the many walkers who enjoy strolling along the riverside.

“If there was any way of carrying out these repairs without having to close this stretch, we would do so. But the safety of users and workers is our priority and so we ask people to be patient and observe the closure.”

The repair work aims to restore damaged stretches of the towpath along the river and safeguard the riverbank. The work involves the use of machinery and extensive reconstruction, which is why sections of the towpath must remain closed.

About 120 metres of the affected stretch will be subject to piling work, which involves structural piles being driven into the ground to provide strength where the soil is weak or unstable.

For their own safety, people are asked to adhere to the signed diversions and observe obstructions along sections with width restrictions.

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Four parish councillors are the latest recruits helping to fix problems on the county’s roads more quickly.

The Kidlington parish council volunteers received their training – and cans of spray paint to mark up defects – from Oxfordshire County Council last month to become Fix My Street ‘super users’.

They are among about 150 super users across the county trained to inspect potholes, blocked drains and damaged kerbing since the pilot scheme started in 2019. And the search is on for more.

All residents are encouraged to report road or street problems on Fix My Street, which can be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website. But super users can sometimes fast-track the process instances by ordering the defect repairs directly with our contractor.

Councillor Lesley McLean, Leader of Kidlington Parish Council, said: “Enrolling as Fix My Street super users is an ideal way of increasing community involvement in areas that will improve our village. There is huge public interest in fixing potholes and unblocking drains, and now our members can use their local knowledge and contacts to target the county council’s resources where they are needed most.

“Our residents can be reassured that the report they make on Fix My Street will be prioritised through local super users, where the criteria is met. We look forward to getting stuck in with our spray cans and doing our bit to make our roads safer.”

The super user volunteers are only expected to cover their local area on mainly residential or quieter roads, not A-roads, and only when it is safe to do so. All equipment and training is provided.

Although county council highways officers inspect their areas regularly, additional help from local people increases the number of defects that can be repaired and makes the process more efficient.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “I am constantly in awe of the work that volunteers do in our county, and I am incredibly grateful for the time and effort the Fix My Street super users put in to make our highways teams aware of problems on the roads.

“Their local knowledge, enthusiasm and hard work are helping us to resolve potholes, kerbing and drainage issues more quickly and efficiently. I would like to thank them for their efforts and invite more people to join them in improving the situation on the streets where they live.”

Any residents or organisations wanting to become Fix My Street super users should email volunteercoordinationteam@Oxfordshire.gov.uk for more information.

The Fix My Street super users are among the initiatives that form part of the county council’s Oxfordshire Together (OXTOG) programme of volunteers.

Other volunteering opportunities include road sign cleaning, maintaining public rights of way, school crossing patrols, managing salt bins, providing community transport, or joining one of the county’s more than 100 community action groups.

Details about OXTOG are available on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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Oxfordshire County Council and its contractor Milestone Infrastructure Ltd will be visiting more than 50 locations between 8 April and 3 June to carry out surface dressing work. The programme is part-funded by the government, with £2.629 million coming from the Department for Transport’s road resurfacing fund.

Around one million square metres of carriageway will be treated, making it the biggest surface dressing programme undertaken in Oxfordshire for at least 20 years.

Bill Cotton, Oxfordshire County Council’s Corporate Director for Environment and Place, said: “We know how important the quality of our roads is to our residents and this significant programme of work will help keep many miles of highways in a better condition for years to come.

“Surface dressing is one of the most cost-effective methods of roads maintenance and spring is the best time to start this programme of work. We would urge motorists to watch out for notifications of the work taking place and to drive carefully after it has been carried out.”

Driving too fast on a recently treated road can result in broken windscreens or chipped paintwork, as the friction from the tyres can dislodge loose chips. There is also an increased risk of skidding while the new chippings ‘bed in’.

For these reasons, an advisory speed limit of 20mph will be put in place. It is important to adhere to these low speeds until all warning signs have been removed.

Richard Lovewell, Business Director for Milestone’s Oxfordshire contract, said: “We’re proud to be embarking on Oxfordshire’s biggest programme of this kind in 20 years. Surface dressing is one of the best and most cost-efficient and sustainable way to extend the life of our county’s roads.

“Thanks to close collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council and our supply chain, we’ve planned the work in a way that minimises disruption and maximises efficiencies. We’ve also positioned Oxfordshire right at the start of the national surface dressing season.”

Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said: “Motorists in Oxfordshire deserve safe, modern and smooth roads they can rely on. I’m delighted to see Oxfordshire County Council making good use of the £2.6m government funding we have provided to tackle potholes and keep motorists moving across the county.

“We’re taking decisive action to resurface roads and fix potholes by investing an extra £8.3 billion in the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements, which is enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across the country, and made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.”

Surface dressing involves applying bituminous emulsion on to the road as a binder. This is followed immediately by the application of chippings to dress the emulsion layer.

The method offers many advantages, including:

• Sealing the road surface to keep out water, one of the major causes of deterioration and potholes.
• Reducing the deterioration of the road surface.
• Restoring the necessary level of skid resistance to reduce skid-related traffic collisions.
• Enabling worn out road surfaces to last longer, increasing the time before structural maintenance is required.
• Maximising the cost effectiveness of limited highway maintenance budgets. 
• Minimising traffic disruption and congestion as large areas of roads – up to 100,000 square metres – can be treated in a single day.

The work is highly weather dependent and cannot be completed in wet conditions. Therefore, the earlier in the year it can be started, the more likely it can be completed with minimal disruptions.

Updated details about the programme, including a map showing where and when the work will be taking place, can be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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The number of categories has been streamlined but they have now been split up into sub-categories to make it easier for people to find the section they are looking for.

In some cases, more information and illustrations have been provided to help users choose the most appropriate category.

The changes are aimed at reducing the number of reports sent to the wrong department or council, which can delay the problem being resolved.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We are incredibly grateful to all the people who take the time and effort to report matters to us on Fix My Street. They are our eyes and ears around the county, alerting us to issues affecting their neighbourhoods, which have not been picked up by our highways team’s routine inspections.

“Users may notice that we have made some tweaks to the system, which we hope will make it more straightforward for users and quicker for us and our partners at the city and district councils to deal with problems.”

The updated version also includes an aerial map of the county, as well as a regular map, to help people pinpoint the location of the problem.

The changes will be monitored over the next three months to see what impact they have, and the views of users will be sought.

More than 1,000 reports are regularly made to Fix My Street every week, with users encouraged to include photographs of the defect to help the inspectors.

Where the issue is Oxfordshire County Council’s responsibility, an inspector will prioritise it depending on how dangerous it is and the person making the report will be kept up to date on its progress.

The Fix My Street app can still be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

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Oxfordshire County Council carried out the work using ‘cold recycling’ with its contractor Milestone Infrastructure and its supply chain partners Aggregate Industries, Drayton Construction, Hazell & Jeffries and OCL Regeneration in September and October.

During this programme, over 4,000 tonnes of cold recycled material was laid, saving an estimated 75 tonnes of carbon – equivalent to 92 flights from London to New York. It also avoids the environmental impact of disposing of thousands of tonnes of waste planings – the top layer of road surfaces removed due to damage – and the need to extract virgin aggregates.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This is just the latest in a series of schemes we are carrying out with our contractor to improve the quality of Oxfordshire’s roads. By embracing innovation, we are making our residents’ money go further, helping ease the burden on highways budget and cutting carbon emissions in our own projects.”

Five schemes were completed across the county using cold recycling:

• Park Road, Didcot
• Kingham Hill Lane, near Cornwell
• Merton Road, Ambrosden
• B4450 Station Road, Kingham
• Aston Road, near Ducklington.

This technique involves recycling stockpiled road planings and processing them ready to be reused in resurfacing projects.

This material, known as Foambase® or cold recycled bound material, uses 94 per cent of recycled aggregates bound with foamed bitumen and other hydraulic binders. It uses just five per cent of the energy compared to that used in the manufacture of traditional asphalt. This offers a 50 per cent savings in embodied carbon compared with using standard materials.

Richard Lovewell, Business Director for Milestone on the Oxfordshire Contract, said: “Carbon reduction is a key strategic target for both Milestone and Oxfordshire County Council. It is therefore imperative that we look for new ways of working to maximise the use of recycled materials within our highway maintenance contract.

“Our innovative solution of recycling waste materials arising from other maintenance schemes not only reduces carbon emissions but also creates cost savings, especially through not having to pay high specialist disposal costs. This delivers the dual benefit of additional reinvestment into the county council road network whilst taking another step to achieve Milestone’s target of net zero by 2040.

“This project is another great example of Milestone and Oxfordshire County Council working together to deliver sustainable solutions to maintain the county’s roads.”

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The technique, known as in-situ cold recycling, also allowed the road to be reopened eight days quicker than by using conventional resurfacing techniques.

Oxfordshire County Council carried out the scheme on a road north of Berrick Salome, near Wallingford, with its contractor Milestone Infrastructure and its partner Stabilised Pavements Limited.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We know how important the quality of our roads is to our residents, as well as the need for the county council to reduce the embodied carbon of its highway maintenance work. That is why we’re delighted to be delivering this scheme to make our residents’ money go further and reduce disruption.

“Innovation is at the heart of what our highway teams do. This new technique could be another weapon in our armoury to help ease the burden on highways budgets and cut carbon emissions in our projects.”

In-situ cold recycling involves pulverising the existing carriageway in its original place and then mixing it with foamed bitumen and cementitious powder to create a new 300mm-deep strengthened carriageway.

The material is then compacted to return the recycled layer back to the required road level before a thin surface layer, known as surface dressing, is applied to seal the surface and provide the required skid resistance.

As the technique does not require the material to be heated and involves a lot less import of virgin materials, it is an environmentally friendly technique. It is estimated to reduce carbon by approximately 71 per cent compared to conventional surfacing of the same depth.

On this scheme alone, this is the equivalent of 227 tonnes of carbon – roughly the same as taking over 100 petrol cars off the road for a year.

The new road surface is expected to last for at least 20 years, with routine maintenance. It also has the benefit of cutting 564 lorry movements to and from site, reducing the impact on local communities.

This Berrick Salome project is the latest in a series of innovations on the county’s roads, following:

• A third trial involving the longer lasting Graphene Plus-enhanced asphalt Gipave in Middle Barton in August.
• A trial of new lower carbon materials at a Wantage access road scheme in August.
• The testing of seven different pothole repair methods on a road in Steventon in July.

Phil Raven, Head of Technical Design for Milestone on the Oxfordshire Contract, said: “As we look for new ways to reduce carbon emissions within highways maintenance, increasing the use of recycled materials in our surfacing materials is an important tool in Milestone’s plan towards achieving net zero by 2040.  This is the first time we have been able to use this particular technique on our Oxfordshire network.

“Not only can this lead to carbon reduction and a cost-effective way to repair a rural highway, it can reduce disruption to road users and reduce lorry movements in local communities. This project is a good example of Milestone and Oxfordshire County Council being at the forefront of using innovative techniques to maintain the county’s roads.”

The Berrick Salome scheme is a £740,000 project, which also includes significant drainage repairs. The scheme started on 21 August and is planned to last for five weeks. The 1,650-metre length of surfacing work was completed in six days.

The work is being carried out under a full road closure due to the narrow width of the road to ensure the safety of road users and the workforce. A signed diversion route is in place.

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Oxfordshire County Council is carrying out the trial in North Street, Middle Barton, with its contractor Milestone Infrastructure and their partner Aggregate Industries to develop the use of Gipave – a Graphene Plus-enhanced asphalt.

North Street is the third Oxfordshire site to trial the innovative material. A 725-metre stretch of the road will be laid with Gipave, while an adjacent length of road will be resurfaced using conventional high performance asphalt, so that the two surfaces can be compared accurately.

It follows a successful pilot scheme in Curbridge in 2019 – the first use of the product in the UK – and a trial on Oxford’s Marsh Lane in March 2022.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We know how important the quality of our roads is to our residents. That is why we’re delighted to be involved in this latest trial to see how we can make our residents’ money go further and make our road surfaces stay in good condition for longer.

“Innovation is at the heart of what our highway teams do, as we have shown with previous Gipave trials and our recent event in Steventon where Milestone tested seven different pothole repair methods on the same road. Increasing the lifespan of road surfaces will reduce the need for resurfacing work, ease the burden on highways budgets, and cut carbon emissions for the life cycle of a stretch of road.”

Phil Raven, Head of Technical Design for Milestone on the Oxfordshire Contract, said: “This is another significant step to test the benefits that this innovative material can bring. As we look for new ways to reduce carbon emissions within highways maintenance, developing materials that last longer is an important part of Milestone’s plan towards achieving net zero by 2040.

“Not only can this lead to longer term carbon reduction, it has the potential to reduce disruption to road users and achieve long term savings for highway authorities. This trial project demonstrates the benefits of international industry collaboration with a highway authority that is committed to trialling new innovations.”

Gipave, which has been developed by Iterchimica, also uses waste plastics which would not normally be recycled. Meanwhile the asphalt containing Gipave can itself be entirely recycled – promoting the ‘circular economy’ which reduces waste and the need for new materials.

Recent in-service testing and analysis of the original 2019 trial site showed the new asphalt material is forecast to increase the lifespan of the asphalt pavement by approximately 165 per cent compared to conventional resurfacing methods, with a corresponding carbon saving of 40 per cent over 20 years.

The Middle Barton scheme is a £450,000 resurfacing project which also includes kerb and drainage repairs. The scheme started on 17 July and is planned to last for four weeks.

The surfacing works are being carried out under full overnight road closures to reduce the disruption to road users and local businesses and residents.

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On Monday and Tuesday, 26 - 27 June, Oxfordshire County Council and its highways contractor Milestone Infrastructure used the road between Steventon and East Hanney as a test site to trial seven different methods of filling in potholes or repairing minor defects requiring ‘patching’. Some of these methods are already used in Oxfordshire – including the Milestone dragon patcher – while the others were new ones sourced by Milestone.

The Hanney/Steventon Road was closed and a 1km stretch was divided into sections. Each section had a different type of pothole or patch repair carried out to get a direct comparison of the various methods.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “As the highway authority, we are committed to seeking new and innovative methods of carrying out repairs on our 3,000-mile road network. That is why we are so pleased to be involved in this pioneering trial which could have a huge impact on improving the quality of the county’s roads.

“We are very proactive when it comes to repairing roads within the budget we have available but, like all councils, we are not given enough government funding for this work. That’s why we are so excited about this project, which we hope will increase value for money and improve the service we offer Oxfordshire’s road users.

“We hope this robust trial will provide evidence and information for our contractors about what repair methods work best by testing them on the same stretch of road.”

Last year, Milestone Infrastructure, a part of M Group Services, repaired 31,413 road defects. This was against a backdrop of perfect pothole-forming weather conditions – a prolonged freeze over winter followed by a protracted period of wet weather, which led to an unprecedented increase in the number of emergency pothole repairs.

Richard Lovewell, Business Director at Milestone Infrastructure, said: “As the leading highways maintenance provider, our focus is on delivering safer, greener highways for all and we are delighted to partner with Oxfordshire County Council on this innovative, controlled trial.

“Although many of the technologies seen are already in use across Oxfordshire, the learnings from comparing different repair techniques on the same stretch of road will enable us to determine the optimum solutions to maximise value for our customers, protect the environment and better serve the communities in which we operate.”

The trial will allow comparisons of the type of repair, equipment, material, and labour used, and the time taken. This would include an understanding of the potential results, longevity of repairs, waste generated, carbon impact, use of recycled content and productivity that may be achievable.

The next stage will involve contractors returning for at least four more days of work and additional testing and analysis to enable a longer-term review of the methods.

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Oxfordshire County Council has 13 teams out repairing the roads each day working within the funding the council has available. However even with the extra funding recently announced in the Chancellor’s Budget for local government, councils have for some time been significantly underfunded by central government for highway maintenance work.

Recently a national survey for the Asphalt Industry Alliance Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance (ALARM) survey - AIA The Asphalt Industry Alliance (asphaltuk.org) said that local authority highway teams in England and Wales only received around two-thirds of what they need from central government for highway maintenance and that £14 billion – £68,000 for every mile of local road nationally – is now needed to fix the backlog of carriageway repairs.

The county council is responsible for maintaining the local highway network in Oxfordshire, but not the trunk and motorway network which is managed by National Highways and includes the M40, A43 and the A34.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “We are being very proactive to repair roads within the funding we have available but we are in the same position as every council in the country – we are not given enough grant funding for this work by the government and that has been the case for many years now. The government needs to deal with this issue and give councils more help.

“Our highways teams work very hard in all weathers and conditions to maintain the 3,000 miles of road for which we are responsible. They also work hard to manage 2,000 miles of footway, 1,200 bridges, 400,000 highway trees and 80,000 streetlights.

“Every council in the country could do with more assistance from central government in doing this work but there is absolutely no shortage of effort and intent locally to do a good job. The period straight after winter is always the most difficult and we allocate resource with that in mind. In weather conditions that we have experienced, potholes can appear very quickly. We are prioritising those which pose the greatest safety concerns first. We will work very hard to repair potholes in coming weeks and months as we always do.”

Oxfordshire County Council currently spends more than £2m per year repairing potholes and over the past couple of years has changed the way repairs are done. The vast majority (97 per cent) are now cut square, joint sealed filled and compacted, to undertake a first time permanent fix. More than 30,000 defects were repaired in the last year financial year.

The county council has also invested in a ‘Dragon Patcher’. This machine is enabling the council to fill potholes at a reduced cost and therefore plays an important role in allowing teams to repair higher numbers of potholes on more minor roads that it may not otherwise have been able to afford to repair in the past. The dragon patcher allows for a much more proactive approach to dealing with defects that do not yet meet the criteria for urgent repair. The council still retains traditional pothole repair where appropriate.

The council would very much encourage members of the public to report potholes using www.fixmystreet.com, preferably with photograph. The reporters will be able to see if the defects have been reported previously, as existing reports will be visible. This also enables officers to react more quickly to reports in their specific areas and arrange repairs in line with the council’s policy.

People can also log on to the Oxfordshire County Council website www.oxfordshire.gov.uk to access Fix My Street and report potholes.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today adopted the plan, which includes hierarchies of road users and priority for roadworks in line with its Local Transport and Connectivity Plan and its commitment to climate action.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We face a huge challenge in meeting residents’ travel needs as the population and associated infrastructure grows, while avoiding the economic damage caused by severe congestion and enabling a zero-carbon Oxfordshire by 2050.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to make a significant shift away from private car use, towards more flexible working patterns and greener travel choices – reducing pressure on the road network and creating the space for local traffic improvements.

“Essential to achieving our priorities and policies is a transport system that enables the efficient movement of people and goods, while promoting greater use of sustainable travel modes.

“This network management plan explores the challenges that we face and explains how we will manage Oxfordshire’s highways to deliver an effective, sustainable transport system for people and businesses.”

Key objectives of the plan include minimising disruption, providing quality information to the travelling public, supporting active travel, improving journey time reliability, and maximising the effective use of road space.

The user hierarchy prioritises walking and wheeling, cycling, riding and public transport ahead of motorcycles, shared vehicles such as car clubs, and cars, vans, and lorries.

Network management will also make decisions to support road safety, especially following the council’s adoption of the vision zero strategy to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from road traffic collisions in Oxfordshire by 2050.

There are approximately 30,000 accidents on Oxfordshire’s roads, 1,700 reported injuries – including 300 of a serious nature – and 30 deaths, with a higher proportion of serious incidents than many local authority areas due to a higher amount of rural road links on the network.

The hierarchy for the priority of roadworks is:

• emergency repairs
• works of national importance (such as HS2 and East West Rail)
• county council new and improved infrastructure projects
• digital connectivity infrastructure projects
• large public events
• major utility infrastructure and works
• small scale utilities
• highway maintenance activities.

The county council receives more than 35,000 applications to work on the roads each year – 87 per cent of which come from utility companies – with approximately 600 live sites on the network at any one time.

The county council is responsible for the maintenance of more than 4,500km of roads in Oxfordshire. As in other parts of the UK, the condition of the road network has deteriorated over recent years as government funding has not kept up with need.

The report warns that the potential impact of housing and jobs growth on the county’s transport networks could see traffic on many junctions exceed capacity by 2031, with severe delays on many routes, especially the A34, A40, A338 and A4074.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved the adoption of the updated policy statement on Tuesday 20 September.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “The highway network is the lifeblood of the county and is the most valuable asset under the council’s control.

“Updating our approach to highway maintenance and asset management enables us to make sure it is more closely aligned with our policies and priorities. It means more active and sustainable modes of transport can be supported to offer a realistic alternative to private car use.

“We want to improve footways, cycleways and the facilities that better allow all network users to share the available space. This new approach will help to support our climate emergency work and improve access to nature and green spaces.”

The changes could involve adopting working practices, which have a lower carbon footprint, do more to support biodiversity and contribute to improved environmental conditions.

It could also mean prioritising a greater proportion of resources towards a strategy of preventative maintenance to reduce the need for reactive repairs.

In the last decade, there has been a growing national move by highway authorities towards managing their networks to achieve specific strategic objectives, rather than simply maintaining and operating them to meet their legal requirements. It is widely recognised that the highway network, if managed effectively, can enable economic, societal and environmental benefit and change.

The updated approach does not adversely affect the council’s ability to fulfil its other legal obligations. These include a duty to maintain roads in a safe condition, a duty to keep the traffic moving on the road network and the management of flood risk associated with extreme weather.

Oxfordshire’s highway network assets, which are valued at more than £6 billion, include:

• 3,000 miles of road
• 160,000 roadside drains
• 2,000 miles of footway
• 435 traffic signal junctions
• 1,200 bridges
• 400,000 highway trees
• 80,000 streetlights
• 2,600 miles of countryside rights of way
• 50,000 traffic signs.

The updated approach is intended to be more aligned to the policies set out in the emerging Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP). It will also support the council’s commitment to Vision Zero – an ambition to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

The LTCP was adopted by Oxfordshire County Council earlier this year. Its ambition is to create a net zero transport system by 2040, improving health and wellbeing, tackling the climate emergency, reducing private vehicle use and prioritising walking, cycling and public transport.

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The county council is now asking for the views of residents and roads users in two new online exhibitions on the plans opening at 12 noon on 10 May until 30 May.

The delivery of infrastructure is key to supporting sustainable development in Witney, Eynsham and related new developments in West Oxfordshire. Since Oxfordshire County Council secured funding from the £102 million Housing Infrastructure Fund 2 (HIF 2) in 2019, it has been working on designs, surveys, stakeholder engagement and land acquisition.

The council is investing in six major schemes, which will deliver:

• a new park and ride
• an extension of the dual carriageway around Witney
• new bus lanes and junction improvements. 

The first exhibition covers the details of the access to Witney road improvement scheme at Shores Green. The second covers the A40 HIF2 smart corridor plans, which include the A40 dual carriageway extension, integrated bus lanes and work at Dukes Cut.

Recognising advice from government on COVID-19 safety, it is not possible to hold a public drop-in exhibition on the plans. Instead, the council is holding online engagement sessions to present the proposals and provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions and offer comments.

Members of the project team will be online to answer questions about the scheme using a series of online live chat events. These will take place on:

• 17 May about the A40 smart corridor
• 18 May about access to Witney
• Saturday 22 May covering both schemes.

Questions must be submitted in advance and visitors are urged to visit the council’s webpage to check the timings of these live events. Any questions that can’t be answered immediately will be responded to as part of an updated Frequently Asked Questions, so please check back to the webpage for these updates.

People who cannot visit the webpage will still be able to share their thoughts and questions during this time. A printed summary of the exhibition material is available for those with limited access to the web.

The exhibitions will be open from 12 noon on Monday 10 May to 23:59 30 May.

For any queries email a40corridor@oxfordshire.gov.uk or call 01865 792422.

As the people of Oxfordshire look to return to work and school during the Summer, cycling and walking will become more important than ever – both offer zero emission ways to travel which will improve health and wellbeing as well as helping to address the need to keep socially distant.

A recent survey of all 63 Oxfordshire County Councillors found that the need to improve cycling infrastructure was a standout priority in terms of how Oxfordshire’s share of the government’s £250m Emergency Active Travel grant fund should be spent.

Amongst other practical and quick to implement measures, such as improving signage and sweeping the busiest paths and cycle lanes, keeping vegetation under control and fixing surfaces feature in our immediate plans of work. This is all part of keeping the network safe to use for cyclists and pedestrians as lockdown restrictions ease but will also hopefully encourage more people to walk and cycle in the long term.

The county council is developing a programme of work for the county’s city, urban, suburban and rural areas.

In each case, the work will pay particular attention to narrower areas that might be widened for greater access. Paths where any surface improvement work will also be identified so repairs can be made. As we work through the programme residents can expect to see more measures like this being prioritised across the county.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “In the coming weeks and well beyond, our cycleways and footpaths will form a vital part of our recovery strategy. They will enable residents of all ages to safely travel to a range of locations. Now that cycling and walking have become so popular, we are committed to enabling residents to continue to cycle and walk as ongoing lifestyle choices.”

If people encounter any issues whilst out walking, cycling or riding on the path network then these can be reported or checked on Oxfordshire County Council’s website. People can report a roadside vegetation problem, as well as other street problems, through our online reporting tool Fixmystreet.

Work to repair roads across Oxfordshire is continuing under strict safety rules meaning that the county council’s promised £32m repair pledge is delivered.

The government has stated councils should carry on with work to improve and make roads safe as long as it can be done within Public Health England guidance.

County Councillor Liam Walker, Cabinet member for Highways Delivery and Operations, said: “The first priority is safety. That means safety for the workforce and the public, but we also have to keep the roads safe and that’s why this work is so important.

“Even during the current restrictions the roads are being used and that is why work to repair potholes and other safety related problems has not stopped.

“Providing we can work safely on the larger maintenance projects like road resurfacing, the fact that roads are far quieter in terms of vehicles and passers by is an advantage.

“We are working closely with our contractors to assess each site before making decisions on where we will be working.”

Repair programme still being rolled out across Oxfordshire

This means that Oxfordshire County Council’s £32m capital investment for this financial year into improving roads, bridges, drainage, pavements and streetlights is under way.

Big projects on the programme for the coming months year include Oxford Road in Banbury, Northcourt Road in Abingdon, Burwell Drive and West End in Witney, Worcester Street, Hythe Bridge Street and George Street in Oxford.

At the moment teams are out carrying out surface dressing work on local roads across the county. This technique extends the life of the road surface and provides a new waterproof layer and improved grip for vehicles.

Three structural patching projects are also planned to take place shortly, these will be at:

• Spring Lane, Watlington
• Manor Road, South Hinksey
• A417 Challow Road, Wantage

Transport improvement work progress

Work in Headley Way, Oxford to construct cycleways and side road entry treatments on the Access to Headington Scheme and also to construct cycleways and resurface the carriageway on the A361 Safety Scheme between Bloxham and Banbury continues.

Working in compliance with the Pblic Health England guidance and with Covid-19 Social Distancing means that the contractor will take longer to complete the work. We are ensuring that disruption is kept to a minimum on these roads.

Surveying, ground investigations and design continues for future work on the A34 Lodge Hill junction near Abingdon and for work on the A40 west of Wolvercote.

Respect for road crews

There have been recent reports of road crews receiving abuse and criticism from members of the public.

The Government has classified a number of roles within the transport industry as key to delivering essential service during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. This includes highways maintenance workers.

County Councillor Walker said: “I urge our local communities to observe social distancing and not to approach our highways maintenance crews. Many of them are delivering critical work and should be applauded for their service during these uncertain times.”

Transport and Infrastructure work is going to be key to our economic recovery and so making sure our workforce are protected and respected is important. If you see anyone working on the roads – whether it’s council teams or people working for utility companies - they are performing a vital service. Please observe social distancing rules.

Keep reporting problems

Although the use of the roads has fallen dramatically in recent weeks anyone who encounters safety-related problems like potholes can still report them direct to the council via https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/

As the image shows, two large areas of crumbling tarmac have been dug out and filled with a long-lasting bitumen mix, with the edges sealed to ensure a good condition for years to come.

With almost 3,000 miles of road to look after across the county, we need your help – tell us how we can help you fix your street at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/.

With almost 3,000 miles of road to look after across the county, we need your help – tell us how we can help you fix your street at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/.

Oxfordshire County Council has been working with Highways Workforce to carry out trials of the Roadmender – a special mobile road-repairing machine that heats the existing road surface, combines it with some additional material which is then rolled, leaving seamless repairs.

Experts approve

The old road surface material is effectively recycled and rejuvenated in a relatively quick process, and recent trials in Wootton, Ducklington and Bodicote have been viewed favourably by our experts on the ground.

These recent tests are part of ongoing work being done by the county council to get the most out of the limited amount of money available to fix the roads.

Last month we announced an extra £13m for road maintenance in the coming financial year on top of our existing £18.5m programme of work – this follows last year’s additional £12m boost.

It is hoped that the Roadmender will join the county council’s defect-defeating arsenal that also includes the famous fire-breathing Dragon Patcher, which has been fixing rural roads for years.

Money is a major factor

These attention-grabbing techniques, along with more traditional daily work done by the road crews, have seen 7,277 potholes fixed since the start of this year alone.

Sean Rooney, our Service Lead for Highway Maintenance, said: “Money is a major factor when it comes to improving the condition of our roads and we need to do all we can get to get the most out of it.

“New ways of doing things need to be tested in real life situations to see how they perform. We have had some real successes which have gone from trials to business as usual, meaning our money goes further.

“One such trial has been the Paco Patch which is a system to repair the roads around loose or damaged drains and man holes. A trail last year led to some 250 Paco Patch repairs with only two problems reported.

“Of course, sometimes the trials in Oxfordshire and elsewhere show up problems and that experience is just as valuable. If something fails to perform we don’t use it until the problems have been addressed.”

Around a week ago a water leak was reported, substantial damage to the road surface was noticed and, following investigation, it was thought that water from a leaking mains pipe could have undermined the road.

While making repairs to their apparatus Thames Water team unearthed another problem – some more unrelated cavities under the road. After some hi-tech ground penetrating radar surveys and excavation the county council’s highway team worked together to come up with a plan to fill in the voids and resurface the road.

All being well the road should be reopened at the start of the week.

Worn out and potholed areas of road were first marked up, then dug out and resurfaced leaving behind a nice flat and smooth surface.

As you can see from the before and after pictures the ruts have been taken care of with a new flat resurfaced area.

You can report any problems you find, whether they are on the roads or footpaths, by visiting https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/

For those who don't get the 'Top Cat' reference it's perhaps easier to say that the vehicle you see in the first picture (almost out of shot) is able to dig up failed road surfacing leaving the area ready for our road crew to resurface it.

That's what they did this week on Oxford Road, Garsington. The second picture shows the finished article - newly resurfaced, flat and sealed round the edges. 

In the first picture you can see the temporary repairs which have been cut out and a newly surfaced area of surfacing put down with nice straight and sealed edges.

You can report potholes, or any problems you find on the roads, to us via https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/

As you can see from the pictures the big machinery was brought out to remove a layer and replace it with nice new, flat 'blacktop'.

Key points include:

• Finances are sound compared to other councils, with difficult decisions taken previously

• Council tax rise will deliver extra money for adults and children’s social care

• Proposal to extend £500,000 contribution for homelessness for an extra year in 2019/20, subject to consultation

• 10-year programme to improve transport network and release more money for road maintenance

• £15,000 for each of the 63 county councillors to spend on local priorities in their area

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said:

“For the first time, we have created a 10-year capital programme so we can take a longer view of the costs and benefits of road repairs. By taking the long view, we can spend less on filling potholes and more on repairs that will last for years.”

“I do not believe in raising taxes unnecessarily. But I am confident that people understand about the rising cost of social care. In return, we will always ensure the money is spent as efficiently as possible.”

Tough decisions

Last year I said the council had made some tough decisions. I don’t want to downplay the impact these decisions have had on council services. But without those difficult decisions we might be facing a very different budget.

By focusing resources where they have greatest impact, I can present an affordable budget to Council. Services for the most vulnerable adults and children across the county will continue.

Our finances are in good shape compared to the state of local government finances generally. Northamptonshire’s Chief Finance Officer was forced to issue a formal notice stop council spending. The public finance body, CIPFA, has warned that other councils may follow.

Our financial position is still extremely tight, and we must work hard to deliver the savings in the medium term financial plan. But I am confident we can and will make those savings.

We took difficult decision to reduce bus subsidies, and reorganise family support services and day services for adults. That meant that we could deliver a balanced four-year budget. Today we benefit from that difficult vote we all took in 2016.

In proposing this budget, we have taken into account comments from Performance Scrutiny Committee and public responses to the consultation.

People are rightly concerned about the impact of savings on services, and on the voluntary sector that does so much in our communities.

I am concerned about this too, and believe this budget will make the best use of scare resources. I would particularly like to highlight the way more than 30 community groups have stepped in to provide services such as ‘stay and play’ for families with small children.

We have provided some financial help, but it is those community groups that have made it happen. That is what we mean by ‘thriving communities’.

Finances in good shaped compared to other councils

From 2010, when we started a savings programme, to the end of this financial year we will have saved £360 million. Most of that money has been be reinvested in services, particularly for vulnerable children and adults.

This has been set against a back drop of the number of adult care packages we provide nearly doubling since 2010. The number of looked after children has increased by 60%, and demand for child protection services continues to grow.

With these sorts of budget pressures, we have to target our resources to provide vital services to those vulnerable adults and children who require them most.

It's a tribute to our staff that we have been able to make the savings while continuing to run services - day in, day out - that help our communities thrive.

Here are just some examples of the services we deliver:

• Assessing the care needs of over 10,000 vulnerable people and rising
• Providing long-term social care for 6,500 adults
• Organising a million hours a year of support a year, as well as assisting thousands of informal carers.
• Assessing almost 4,000 children, including over 1,500 child protection issues
• Supporting, currently, 700 looked after children, and 600 on a child protection plan
• Working to turn around 550 families with real problems so they can thrive
• Registering 20,000 births, deaths, and marriages
• Maintaining almost 3,000 miles of road
• Issuing or renewing over 40,000 concessionary bus passes in year
• Disposing of over 300,000 tonnes of waste
• Responding to over 5,000 fire and rescue incidents

That’s what business as usual looks like at Oxfordshire County Council. But demand for services continues to rise as our population grows and ages.

Demand for social care puts budget under pressure

The government has already recognised the pressure by allowing us to raise a 3% precept to pay for social care as part of Council Tax.

This year the government enabled us to increase Council Tax by an additional 1% in further recognition of the pressure on all social services.

This will mean we will raise the council tax by the maximum allowed without triggering a referendum of 5.99%.

I do not believe in raising taxes unnecessarily. I understand the impact on our residents who may not have had an increase in their wages.

However, I am confident that people understand about the rising cost of social care.

In return, we will always ensure the money is spent as efficiently as possible.

Government funding for councils was announced last week after the budget papers were printed. We have been given an additional £1.4 million, which is welcome news for Oxfordshire.

I feel we need to carefully consider how to best use the additional funding. I propose to increase our contingency fund so that we can respond to the demand for adult social care over the course of the year.

Long-term view of road maintenance

The government has recently provided an additional £916,000 this year for highways repairs. This will be used to do longer term patching work in the spring.

In the meantime, we will continue to carry out urgent repairs to our roads, which we all know have suffered over the winter.

For the first time, we have created a 10-year capital programme so we can take a longer view of the costs and benefits of road repairs.

I am hopeful that we will be able to spend our maintenance budget more effectively. By taking the long view, we can spend less on filling potholes and more on repairs that will last for years.

There will also be more money to spend on roads as a result of government funding. Although that money is for improving the road network, it means money that would have been spent on maintenance on those roads can be used elsewhere.

Last year I said I wanted Oxfordshire to have its own infrastructure fund. I’m pleased to say that yesterday cabinet agreed to sign the Oxfordshire Growth deal, worth £215 million.

This money is reflected in the new capital programme. I am becoming more optimistic that we will be able upgrade our road network in the coming years.

These are large amount of investment, that will fund the infrastructure needed to support the predicted growth in jobs in Oxfordshire and ensure our economy continues to thrive.

Investment in affordable homes and tackling homelessness

In addition to the £155 million for planning and delivering improved infrastructure, we have been given £60 million to deliver more affordable homes across Oxfordshire.

The affordable homes won’t come overnight, but homelessness is becoming a national problem, and Oxfordshire has its share of the problem.

I propose that we continue to fund homelessness support for an additional year in 2019/20 by £500,000. This will be subject to the current consultation on supported housing, and discussions with our City and District colleagues.

In this budget, I want to make sure that communities have a say in how money is spent.

Community say in local spending

To achieve this, I am proposing a Councillor Priority fund. This will be £15,000 a year for each councillor this year and next.

If successful, I would like to see the fund grow to give greater decision making to local members as they understand their divisions the best.

I would encourage members to work with others in their locality. Perhaps they could find match funding to gain greater spending power.

I know that residents are concerned about highways so that may be where most of the funds will be spent.

But the money could also be used for day centres, community bus projects, children’s centres, village hall or homelessness projects.

It will be the members who make the decisions, in consultation with their communities.

I also propose to commit £25,000 on improving partnership working with parishes and town councils, which already do so much in their communities. Together, we can do more.

Finally, there will be £30,000 set aside for World War One commemorations to mark the centenary of the Armistice in 1918. I welcome views on how that money can be most appropriately spent.

This budget is not only compassionate as it is:

• increasing the funding on adult social care by £11.7m
• increasing the funding on Children’s social care by £8.5 m

It is also about localism as we are providing funds that will deliver local solutions by County Councillors who know their divisions best.

This is a budget that delivers for Oxfordshire people and Oxfordshire’s thriving communities.

COUNCILLOR IAN HUDSPETH

Leader of the Council

Repeated cycles of ice, thaws and snow created the worst possible weather conditions for roads over the last few months leading to a rise in reports on Fix My Street from 3,000 pre-Christmas to 7,000 during January. These reports include all ‘defects’ people have spotted and will include signs, lines and blocked drains as well as potholes.

The county council has drafted in more staff to carry out inspections and contractors Skanska are sending out more teams to carry our repairs. Inspectors are now out across Oxfordshire assessing the public’s defect reports and ensuring that any that pose a safety problem are dealt with first and non-urgent problems logged for attention later.

New Dragon takes to the rural roads

An additional Dragon Patcher will be in action on the road network from mid-February travelling round on an ‘inspect and fix’ basis on the rural network.

Extra money for road repairs

Although fixing potholes costs money there is good news in the form of almost £1m in extra funding from the Department for Transport in recognition of damage done to the roads by bad weather.

This money will be spent on road patching later this year as that approach is seen to have longer lasting benefits and give better value for money. Defects that make roads hazardous will be dealt with within 24 hours as usual.

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment and Economy, said: “The public is rightly concerned about the state of the roads in Oxfordshire and this has been reflected in a big increase in reports they are making on Fix My Street.

“We want people to report any problems that they find so that, along with information from our own inspections, we can prioritise the right repairs quickly.

“Clearly the extra money from the DfT is welcome but the rise in reports of potholes on our roads indicates that there is a case for more government funding to tackle the problems on our roads.”

The link to the Oxfordshire County Council Fix My Street system is: https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ If a defect has paint markings around it then it has already been scheduled for repair and does not need a new report.

The original machine was shared with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, but the new machine will be dedicated to Oxfordshire.

Breathing fire, stone and asphalt

It is nicknamed the ‘Dragon’ because it breathes fire to de-ice and dry out the road surface enabling to work all year round. The area is then cleaned with compressed air and sealed with a stone mix and hot bitumen emulsion. With the pothole gone in just two minutes, the patcher can move onto the next repair.

County Councillor David Nimmo Smith, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “The dragon patcher is five times faster than traditional methods and can do more work for the money.

“It is also safer as it is operated from the vehicle’s cabin and we found that it was well suited to Oxfordshire’s rural roads. Since 2015, it has made 5,000 repairs to potholes and larger patches across Oxfordshire.”

Richard Lovewell, Operations Manager at Skanska, explained: “At Skanska we are always looking for innovative ways of working. An example of this was drawing on our global expertise to bring Sweden’s patching machine to the UK and help tackle the pothole problem for our customers.”

Thousands of miles, thousands of fixes

Last year, the pothole patching machine won the Highways Industry Project of the Year category, at the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards.

The original dragon patcher has been working hard over 2016 with great results:

• 23,000 miles covered across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire
• 29,779 potholes fixed across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire