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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As highways authority, the council said it would issue fines and other fees – likely to total tens of thousands of pounds – against the company for closing the slip road in Marston without a valid permit, leading to an increase in heavy traffic travelling through the villages of Elsfield and Woodeaton.

By failing to obtain the necessary permit and working outside the agreed statutory process, the company prevented the council from managing the wider impact of the roadworks to minimise disruption.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “It’s completely unacceptable that they did this unilaterally and without agreement.

“We, as highways authority, need to agree and schedule roadworks in a planned and considered way and I will be challenging this company about why this happened.

“It has caused immense disruption to residents who have seen heavy goods vehicles, double decker buses and a huge amount of traffic diverted on to a single-track road through their tiny villages.

“This must not happen again, and we will be making that perfectly clear to the utility company involved while also making sure that this work is completed as soon as possible.”

The council has taken formal enforcement action in relation to the permit breach. A fixed penalty notice has been issued in accordance with national regulations – the highest level of penalty ordinarily available for this category of permit offence.

In May, the council’s lane rental scheme came into force – a system which allows it to charge companies up to £2,500 per day for working on the busiest roads at peak traffic times.

As the work took place on a designated lane rental road during periods where charging applies, the firm is expected to face fees of around £60,000.

Council officers will continue discussions with the company to ensure that appropriate improvements are made and that a similar situation does not arise again.

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Oxfordshire County Council will carry out drainage improvements on Buttercross Lane from 3 – 28 August. The road will be shut from its junction with Willowbank while the work is carried out.

As the route is the only means of vehicular access, traffic management including marshals will be in place to manage the movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

Councillor Liz Leffman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: “Residents have had to put up with flooding at this location for far too long due to a lack of proper maintenance by the developer prior to the road’s adoption by the council as highways authority.

“Officers have worked hard to come up with a solution to this problem, which was far from straightforward to resolve. Once completed, this should significantly reduce the risk of the road flooding whenever there is heavy rain.

“Although marshals will be present while the work takes place, there may be times when it is not possible for people to gain immediate passage through the site. When this happens, we would ask for patience and co-operation from the public.”

Before the project begins, survey work will take place to identify the depth of underground apparatus throughout the site. This element could result in some delays for those wishing access through the site.

Warning signs will be installed at the junction of Station Lane and Buttercross Lane two weeks before the start date.

During the work, one side of the carriageway will be left open, when feasible to do so, to allow residents to move through the site.

Temporary ramps will be installed on the kerb line to assist larger vehicles that need to travel through the site. This operation will be done under the guidance of one of the marshals.

Overnight barriers will be installed at the site while the work takes place, although one lane will be left open to enable the public to exit and enter Buttercross Lane.

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Utility firms such as water, electricity, gas and broadband providers, plus developers and other companies, often intervene on road networks, leading to delays and congestion.

A lane rental scheme, which Oxfordshire County Council applied for in 2023 and was approved by the government last November, allows a highway authority to charge up to £2,500 per day for work on the busiest roads at peak traffic times.

Roads included in the Oxfordshire scheme, which begins on 5 May, are listed on the council’s website.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “It is in everyone’s interests for utility companies to minimise the impact their work has on our highway network, and a lane rental scheme is one way to achieve this.

“If they know they are going to be charged for the length of time they spend there, it is an incentive to complete the job as swiftly as possible. We look forward to being able to implement it and reap the benefits for everyone in Oxfordshire.”

Charges will apply during peak periods, including weekends and bank holidays, except on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Emergency safety repairs are granted a 48 hour grace period.

The LRS incentivises those working on the highway to prioritise off peak hours and to complete the work as quickly as possible to reduce their costs.

It also encourages greater use of new technology to speed up the work and more collaboration between promoters where costs can be shared.

Any surplus money raised by the council will be used to help manage and improve the highway network.

The council has been operating a permit scheme for road and street works since 2020 and receives about 30,000 requests a year. These requests are coordinated, inspected and enforced to reduce the impact on the travelling public.

However, the permit scheme – which will continue to operate – only allows council costs to be recovered and, unlike LRS, doesn’t allow the council to impose specific charges to discourage those requesting to work on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

The council’s own roadworks will not be exempt from the charges.

Roughly nine per cent of the highway network is liable for charges, based on factors such as traffic volume, pedestrian flow and bus frequency.

Similar schemes already operate in London, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex and government evaluations have shown each to be an effective way to reduce the duration of work and the impact of resulting congestion on the busiest parts of road networks.

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Utility firms such as water, electricity, gas, broadband providers, plus developers and other companies often intervene on road networks in Oxfordshire and elsewhere leading to delays and congestion. A lane rental scheme allows a highway authority to charge per day for work, restricted to the busiest roads at the busiest times.

Such schemes already operate in London, Kent, Surrey and West Sussex and government evaluations have shown each to be an effective way to reduce the duration of work and the impact of resulting congestion on the busiest parts of road networks.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Whether as pedestrians, cyclists, motorists or nearby residents, we are all familiar with the frustration of the sudden arrival of utilities companies to dig up the roads and create severe problems on the network.

“The work is very often emergency-related and councils have no option to agree to it given that otherwise people’s homes and businesses would potentially be cut off from water, electricity or other essentials.

“However, it is in everyone’s interests for these utilities to minimise their impacts and a lane rental scheme is one such way. If they know they are going to be charged for the length of time they spend there, it is an incentive to complete the job as expeditiously as possible.

“This type of scheme has been seen to work elsewhere. We were told in late October by the Department for Transport that we could implement a lane rental scheme of our own and we are now eager to implement it and reap the benefits for everyone in Oxfordshire.”

The LRS would encourage those working on the highway to prioritise off-peak hours and to complete the work as quickly as possible to reduce their costs. Any surplus money raised by the council would be used to help manage and improve the highway network.

The council has been operating a permit scheme for road and street works since 2020 and receives about 30,000 requests a year. These requests are coordinated, inspected, and enforced to reduce the impact on the travelling public.

However, the permit scheme charges only allow council costs to be recovered and, unlike LRS, doesn’t allow the council to impose specific charges to discourage those requesting to work on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

The benefits of an LRS include:

• encouraging collaborative working between works promoters
• improving the quality of work (to avoid return fees)
• works are undertaken outside of key times
• working smarter will reduce the time taken to complete works, including better use of technology.

Core principles of the scheme will include charging for working during peak hours. The council’s own roadworks will not be exempt from the charges.

Roughly nine per cent of the highway network would be liable for charges, based on factors such as traffic volume and bus frequency.

Any surplus income arising from the scheme must be invested back into the highway network to help improve the operation and management of it.

Investments can be delivered by both the county council and works promoters who have paid into the scheme and will be determined by a joint panel spanning both local authority and utility companies with an independent chair in line with Department for Transport regulations.

Minister for Roads and Buses, Simon Lightwood said: “This Government is pushing for smoother and faster journeys, which is why I’m delighted to approve Oxfordshire County Council’s lane rental scheme.

“We know just how frustrating roadworks are, but this scheme will finally hold utility companies to account and incentivise them to get on with works faster. That means less time stuck in traffic, helping get people get from A to B quicker and growing the economy as part of our Plan for Change.”

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Road users are now being asked to watch out for the next stage, which will involve highway crews repainting the lines and markings, and installing reflective road studs in the coming weeks.

Phase one of Oxfordshire County Council’s £7.4 million surface dressing programme, delivered by its highway contractor M Group, began in April and finished on 15 June. Around 70 towns and villages were visited, with 938,336sq m of carriageway treated.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “We were very lucky with the weather this spring and early summer. Surface dressing is extremely weather dependent, and we only had to rearrange a handful of shifts due to rain.

“We are grateful for the cooperation of road users during this time and ask them to be patient during the repainting process too. I hope they are noticing the improved quality of many of these roads.”

The road markings programme began earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed by mid-July. It can only be started around four weeks after the surface has been treated.

The second phase of the surface dressing programme will take place from 30 August - 8 September. This followed requests to avoid disruption to two key locations during the main phase and will take the total amount of carriageway treated to over a million square metres.

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.

Richard Lovewell, M Group Business Director, said: “We’re very pleased to be supporting Oxfordshire County Council to deliver another widescale surface dressing programme.

“A programme of this scale and complexity requires exemplary collaboration across all partners from the council to our sub-contractors Hazell and Jefferies and Wilson and Scott. Thanks to all involved, especially the teams who have been working in sometimes gruelling heat to get the programme completed to schedule in order to minimise disruption to the public.”

Surface dressing is a cost-effective highway maintenance measure which, on average, extends the service life of a road by eight to 10 years. It seals the road surface to keep out water, one of the major causes of deterioration and potholes.

It 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.

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The road, north of Wardington, was closed by Oxfordshire County Council on Monday after the sinkhole appeared in the centre of the carriageway. Emergency diversion routes were immediately put into place.

Following visits to the site by inspectors, the council’s contractors are planning to begin repair work today. It is hoped that the road can be opened and the repairs completed by the end of the month, depending on what is found once water is pumped out and excavation work starts.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This is an extremely busy road, which is why we have made it a priority to have a repair programme in place within days.

“We will reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so. We hope this will be by the end of December but, unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to work of this nature. In the meantime, we would urge motorists to follow the diversion routes that are in place to ensure everyone’s safety.”

The suggested diversion route is between A423 Southam Road and the A425 Daventry Road.

It is believed that the sinkhole is a result of the recent flooding of the River Cherwell, causing washout of fill to affect a brick water pipe (culvert) running under the road. The most recent inspection of the culvert by the council’s highways teams, carried out before the flooding, showed no cause for concern in the culvert’s condition.

The washed out material has blocked the watercourse, submerging the culvert. The water will be pumped out to enable the culvert to be inspected, so that the full extent of required repairs can be determined.

The culvert may need to be temporarily replaced by a pipe to enable the sinkhole to be backfilled and the road reopened while a longer term repair is planned.

Cllr Gant added: “This is a pretty stark example of the kind of pressure our large and rural road network is experiencing from extreme weather. I am very grateful to our officers and contractors for getting out on site as soon as possible to put a plan in place for mitigation and repair.”

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Diversions will be in place between 8pm on Friday 2 August and 6am on Monday 5 August while the roundabout is closed.

Motorists are asked to be aware of the closure and to use the suggested alternative routes.

There will be no travel along the eastern bypass between the Heyford Hill roundabout and the B480 Cowley Road interchange in both directions during the closure.

Westbound traffic travelling along the eastern bypass will be reduced from dual carriageway to a single lane, with traffic then taken off at the B480 Cowley interchange to join the signed diversion route.

Eastbound traffic travelling along the eastern bypass will be subject to a similar lane closure as well as a speed reduction, so traffic arrives at the Heyford Hill roundabout in a single lane at safer speeds. From there, traffic will be diverted around the diversion route.

The Sandy Lane West slip road will also be closed where it joins the eastern bypass heading west towards Littlemore roundabout.

Bus companies will still operate a service between Sandford-on-Thames into the city. This will utilise Oxford Road, Cowley Road, and Church Cowley Road before resuming its usual route.

Arrangements are in place for residents in the affected area to continue to access their homes while the closure is in place.

By carrying out the work over a single 24/7 closure, the resurfacing can be completed quicker and more cost effectively with as little disruption as possible.

There will be separate crews working both day and night to ensure continuous working throughout.

The alternative approach would have seen the work taking place over 11 separate nights of closures, causing more disruption to residents and businesses, increasing the cost, and leading to a potentially poorer standard of work due to more opportunities for water to enter the road surface.

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The southern side of Banbury Road, from the roundabout to Lodge Close, will be closed for three months from today (Monday 22 July). The closure will be in effect for 24 hours a day, seven days a week with narrow lanes in place on the northern half of the road to manage traffic. The closure has been planned in the school summer holidays when fewer vehicles are expected on local roads. However, journeys may take longer. 

The Banbury Road will reopen to all road users at the end of October 2024. 

Councillor Judy Roberts, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, said: “I want to thank Bicester residents, commuters, and businesses for their patience as we reach the halfway point on this work. 

“We are now entering the busiest phase of this project and are asking people to plan their journeys in advance and follow diversion signs. The Banbury Road will reopen to all road users at the end of October.” 

During the closure, traffic towards Bicester will be diverted both ways using the ring road. Drivers should follow all diversion signs. The Fringford Road will be reopened. 

Pedestrians and cyclists will be diverted along Southwold Lane and the Banbury Road. Residents can access their properties during the closure using the vehicle and footpath diversions. Buses will be diverted using the Buckingham Road, with two new temporary bus stops provided for the 500 bus route. 

During the road closure, work will take place to: 

• create a new island on Banbury Road south 
• install a new central island adjacent to the Fringford Road and on the roundabout east and west approaches 
• complete the second half of the toucan crossing on the A4095 
• construct new drainage and footways 
• surface the Banbury Road south up to the roundabout approach splitter island

The new junction has been designed to safely increase vehicle capacity, using traffic signals, while also providing better pavements and cycle paths and safer crossings. When finished, it will help Bicester to manage the increase in traffic as new houses continue to be built in the area.  

More information

The work is fully funded by central government, with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government providing £5.5 million and £5.9m secured from the Growth Deal. 

Oxfordshire County Council is working with Galliford Try to construct these improvements. 

The signalised junction will include: 

• adding new traffic signals to each arm of the junction 
• reducing the speed limit from 40 to 30 miles per hour 
• maintaining access for drivers to turn right from Fringford Road 
• separate crossings and paths for pedestrians and cyclists at the western and southern arms of the junction 
• buffer zones between the cycle track and the carriageway along three of the junction arms

Stages of work 

Work began in February 2024 on the Fringford Road, with the removal of the existing roundabout island. Work on the B4100 northbound followed in the spring. 

When phase three finishes, work will take place on the A4095 westbound from October 2024 through to January 2025. 

Construction is scheduled to finish with road surfacing on the B4100 in January and electrical works in early February 2025. 

More information can be found online at oxfordshire.gov.uk/banburyroadroundabout. 

Oxfordshire County Council is planning to make minor changes near the junction to create a separate lane for vehicles travelling to the city centre, accompanied by more road markings. A two-lane northbound approach to the Church Cowley Road junction will be reinstated. This will include the removal of a small number of the cycle lane wands.

This follows local feedback and a review of recent accidents – several of which have involved a motor vehicle and a person cycling.

Bill Cotton, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director for Environment and Place, said: “We are very concerned that there have been several serious road traffic collisions in this area. The works are an important safety action to protect road users and local residents in Rose Hill.

“The works are intended to improve the visibility of vulnerable road users, reduce incidents in this location, and address concerns that vehicles are using the adjacent Rose Hill slip road to bypass the junction.”

During the works it is expected that there will be a single lane closure on the road, therefore, they will be carried out in the evening to minimise disruption.

These works form a part of wider highways review and safety improvements being carried out through the city and county, and the location will continue to be closely monitored. There are no other changes proposed near the junction as part of these works.

Ends

For more information about this release contact the Oxfordshire County Council communications team on 01865 323870 or email press.office@oxfordshire.gov.uk

The first Respect our Workforce Week runs from 11 - 15 March. It is organised by campaign group Stamp it Out and is supported by Oxfordshire County Council, its highways contractor Milestone and has the backing of Thames Valley Police.

The past decade has seen a rise in reported incidents, with a minority of motorists or residents taking their frustration out on roadworkers over delays as improvements are made to the network.

In Oxfordshire, some workers have been confronted with a knife, racially abused, physically manhandled and even threatened with shooting.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “It is completely unacceptable for people to act in this way against those who are working in dangerous locations in all sorts of weather conditions to improve the condition of our roads.

“I was shocked to learn that 70 per cent of roadworkers are the victim of verbal or physical abuse every month, while half say they have been verbally abused in the last seven days. That’s why we are supporting the Respect our Workforce campaign and urge everyone to treat those working on our roads with common courtesy.”

Milestone has formed a roadworker safety group as part of its commitment to ensuring the health and safety of everyone working on the highways and created an app for employees to report verbal threats or assault.

Jim Daughton, Milestone Operations Director, said: “No one should face abuse simply for doing their job. At Milestone we are committed to ensuring the safety of everyone on the road network – and that includes our staff.

“Our teams are now equipped with body worn cameras and site CCTV is in place, where necessary. The message today is clear: abuse to highways operatives will not be tolerated.”

Kevin Robinson, Founder and Campaign Director of Stamp It Out, said: “Respect our Workforce Week marks a vital point in this campaign. It is not acceptable to abuse a doctor, nurse, teacher, or retailer worker, so why should those working on the public highway accept this too?”

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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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Work will be carried out on the A4144 Woodstock Road, between the Wolvercote roundabout and St Anne’s College, just north of St Giles, 10 – 25 August.

To minimise disruption, the work is taking place between 8pm and 5am, and two-way temporary traffic lights will be in operation over a short section to avoid closing the road. Side roads will be closed if they fall within the traffic lights while the work is taking place.

All traffic management will be removed outside of the working hours and at weekends and marshals will be in place to help manage the flow of vehicles and assist motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and residents.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This is a key road into Oxford and so it is important that this vital work is carried out to improve the carriageway.

“Because of the closure of the Botley Road due to Network Rail’s redevelopment of Oxford Station, this work is taking place overnight and during the school holidays to reduce the impact on the rest of the network.”

Bus services will continue as normal along the Woodstock Road although some stops will be suspended if they fall within the extent of the traffic management.

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Oxfordshire County Council will ask the government to allow it to introduce a lane rental scheme (LRS) which allows organisations working on the county’s busiest roads at the busiest times to face extra charges.

If approved, the LRS would encourage those working on the highway to prioritise off-peak hours and to complete the work as quickly as possible to reduce their costs. Any surplus money raised by the council would be used to help manage and improve the highway network.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We know only too well that roadworks during peak hours can have a huge impact on Oxfordshire’s road network. LRS would put the onus on the organisation causing the disruption to plan their projects carefully and consider other road users or face financial penalties.

“Only a handful of other authorities around the country have adopted this, so Oxfordshire County Council would be at the forefront of this policy, which has already successfully led to behaviour change from those carrying out roadworks in other parts of the country.”

The council has been operating a permit scheme for road and street works since 2020 and receives about 30,000 requests a year. These requests are coordinated, inspected, and enforced to reduce the impact on the travelling public.

However, the permit scheme charges only allow council costs to be recovered and, unlike LRS, doesn’t allow the council to impose specific charges to discourage those requesting to work on the busiest roads at the busiest times.

Benefits of the LRS include:

• encouraging collaborative working between works promoters
• improving the quality of work (to avoid return fees)
• works are undertaken outside of key times
• working smarter will reduce the time taken to complete works, including better use of technology.

Although specific details of the scheme would need to be developed if approval is given, core principles could include no charge for the first two days of a project, off-peak hours operating from 9.30am to 3pm, and the council’s own roadworks would not be exempt from the charges. Roughly five per cent of the highway network would be liable for charges, based on factors such as traffic volume and bus frequency.

Any surplus fees arising from the scheme must be invested back into the highway network to help improve the operation and management of it.

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Network Rail has issued an update about its plans to replace the rail bridge over Botley Road in Oxford, as part of its wider project to expand the station on the western side. It will involve full closures of Botley Road to through traffic for several months at a time in 2023 and 2024.

Network Rail has had detailed discussions with the government and Oxfordshire County Council and is now working to a new approved project timeline:

• 11 April 2023 to the end of October 2023: Botley Road closure for through traffic for utility diversion work.
• March 2024 - October 2024: Botley Road closed to through traffic for highway work.

Network Rail originally planned for a 12 month closure starting in January 2023, but this had to be amended due to the complexities involved.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “It is great to hear we have confirmed dates from Network Rail for work to start to redevelop Oxford Station. It will improve capacity for passengers and freight and is vital for the development of projects such as East West Rail and other improvements.

“As with any project of this scale, it will inevitably mean disruption – in this case the closure of Botley Road for two significant periods. While this cannot be avoided, we will do all we can to minimise the impact on the rest of the road network. We will work closely with Network Rail and our other partners, such as the bus companies, to keep the city moving during this period.”

The county council is assessing the impact this may have on the timing of its own schemes in and around Oxford. The traffic filters trial in Oxford, approved by the council’s cabinet, will now be delayed. It cannot start until after Botley Road has fully reopened to traffic in autumn 2024.

It is expected that the other main routes into Oxford will get busier. Limited roadworks on these roads will be allowed to help mitigate this. Further parking/loading restrictions may also need to be considered. Use of bus and park and ride services will be strongly promoted for those visiting Oxford.

Between 11 April and October 2023 while the first closure is in place:

• Motorists who usually use Botley Road to get into the city are advised to use the Seacourt Park and Ride or take an alternative route.
• Buses will turn around just before the rail bridge allowing passengers to continue their journey into the city centre on foot.
• Pedestrians and cyclists will have access throughout the work.
• Network Rail is working with emergency services on access arrangements.
• Residents’ access to their homes will remain at all times, with some diversions in place.

Work is continuing to take place to look at how to ease the pressure on the rest of the road network and further details will be released as soon as they are available.

Claire Mahoney, Programme Director for Oxfordshire Connect at Network Rail, said: “Replacing the bridge at Botley Road near the station in Oxford is a critical part of the works required to improve the station for the city, increase rail traffic in Oxfordshire and improve the highway for buses into the city. There was never going to be an easy way to do this work, it’s extremely complex and needs to be carefully coordinated with multiple utility companies.

“We’ve split the work into two parts this year and next year, so that we reduce the impact on the city’s residents. We’re working closely with the city and county councils, and transport providers, so it’s easier to work and move around during the closure, but we know this is going to inevitably cause disruption. We urge residents and businesses to understand the impact on them and plan ahead whilst the works are in place.”

It is hoped that work to repair a water main on Osney Bridge on Botley Road, involving Thames Water and the Environment Agency, can be arranged during this year’s closure to avoid further disruption for road users in the future.

For information on the project visit networkrail.co.uk/oxfordshireconnect or for the latest highways information www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/oxfordstation

Anyone wishing to get the latest information on the project can sign up to receive e-mail updates at lineside.networkrail.co.uk/oxfordshireconnect

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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Detailed discussions with the county council had led to the conclusion that there should be a 12-month closure of Botley Road to traffic for the duration of the work, which will include replacing the rail bridge over Botley Road. However, Network Rail has now said it is not in a position to meet this start date.

In a statement, Network Rail said: "Replacing the bridge over Botley Road to facilitate a new platform, western entrance and road improvements is an incredibly complex project, which needs to be completed by the end of 2024 in time for the start of East West Rail services.

"We are working with partners to refine our plans for the delivery of the works to enhance the station and do not now need to start the full closure of Botley Road in January. Part of this review is looking at how to reduce the impact of our work on the local community. Further details will be confirmed in the coming weeks."

Due to the scale and nature of the works on the highway, including the need to divert vital utility services such as water, gas and electricity, the impact on Botley Road will be significant. The council, Network Rail and others are discussing a new way forward.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Although we were disappointed to learn about the need to delay the start of works for Oxford Station, as the highways authority, Oxfordshire County Council will continue to work with Network Rail and discharge our duty to manage the highways network effectively.

“Once any new arrangements have been confirmed, we will work with Network Rail and other partners to make sure the details are communicated clearly and accurately to everyone who might be affected.”

The county council will assess the impact the change of timing from 9 January will have on the timing of its own schemes in and around Oxford, including the six trial traffic filters.

Further announcements will be made once discussions with Network Rail have developed further in the coming weeks.

More information about the project can be found at www.networkrail.co.uk/oxfordphase2

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Oxfordshire County Council has been exploring ways of improving safety at The Plain since the death of a young woman on her bike at the junction in a collision involving a lorry on 1 March 2022.

It was one of several tragedies that prompted the council, in June, to adopt the Vision Zero strategy – an ambition to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

Roadworks at The Plain roundabout, Cowley Road, Iffley Road, Cowley Place and St Clement’s Street will begin on 21 November and are expected to finish by 25 November. Work will be carried out through the night (8pm to 5am) to minimise disruption.

The changes to The Plain include:

• amendments to road markings and traffic signs
• installation of road studs, bollards and cycle stands
• installing light cycle lane segregation units
• vegetation clearance.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “We have spent a considerable amount of time investigating ways of improving safety at The Plain roundabout. These changes were drawn up in collaboration with cycling groups and we are grateful for their help in this process.

“Our commitment to Vision Zero means we will continue to work with local cycling groups to help ensure new cycling infrastructure is designed and delivered to maximise safety. We want people to feel safe and secure when travelling around the city and county by bike and it’s clear that we need to continue to improve.”

The work will involve temporary traffic lights on The Plain with the Cowley Road arm closed to vehicles. Vehicles greater than 7.5 tonnes and buses will be diverted down Iffley Road and Between Towns Road.

Vehicles under 7.5 tonnes travelling towards Cowley will be diverted along Iffley Road then Temple Street. Vehicles travelling towards the city centre will be diverted to Stockmore Street then Iffley Road.

For the duration of the closure, each night, both Temple Street and Stockmore Street will operate one way systems and the low traffic neighbourhood bollards will be removed.

The Plain roundabout has the highest cycle flow of any roundabout in Oxfordshire – and one of the highest in the UK – with around 12,000 bike journeys per day during university term times. It is also a critical junction for many of the city’s bus services.

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Network Rail has issued an update about its plans to replace the rail bridge over the Botley Road in Oxford, as part of its wider project to expand the station on the western side.

Detailed discussions with the county council led to the conclusion that there should be a 12-month closure of the Botley Road to traffic for the duration of the work.

Due to scale and nature of the works on the highway, including the need to divert vital utility services such as water, gas and electricity, the impact on Botley Road will be significant. Network Rail plans to publicise further details in mid-November.

During discussions with Network Rail, the county council fully explored a traditional approach of a series of lane closures under temporary traffic lights. However, a condensed 12-month programme with a point closure of Botley Road for the duration of the work is considered preferable as it reduces risk to timeframe/programme.

This method of accommodating the railway work would preserve access to businesses and services along Botley Road and minimise the likelihood of the substantial queueing that would occur with just lane closures. Such queues would then ultimately impact on the A34 and bus journey times.

The currently proposed start date for the works and closure is 9 January 2023.

Pedestrian and cycle access through the closure points is planned to be maintained throughout – although the specific route through may change. It is planned that buses will operate to either side of the closure so those on through-journeys will need to do a short walk and change buses.

Emergency Service access will be provided with the specific arrangements likely to vary depending on the stage of works. 

It is expected that the other main routes into Oxford will get busier. Limited roadworks on these roads will be allowed to help mitigate this. Further parking/loading restrictions may also need to be considered. Use of bus and park and ride services will be strongly promoted for those visiting Oxford.

More detailed information on all of this will be communicated by Network Rail to local communities from November via letters, briefings and drop-in sessions. Further information about the project can be found at www.networkrail.co.uk/oxfordphase2

People can sign up to receive e-mail updates about the work via https://lineside.networkrail.co.uk/oxford-phase-2

The county council is assessing the impact this may have on the timing of its own schemes in and around Oxford.

The council recognises that there would be challenges implementing the six trial traffic filters during the works for the replacement of the rail bridge and the closure of Botley Road as a result. If the council’s cabinet agrees to implement the trial filters, there would be a further recommendation that this should happen after the Botley Road reopens.

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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 roadworks at Marsh Lane, Oxford, will include resurfacing between the A40 Northern Bypass overbridge and Brookfield Crescent, kerb and footway repairs and drainage improvements.

Although there may be delays while the work is carried out, Oxfordshire County Council has designed the traffic management to minimise the impact on residents, businesses, and all road users.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance, said: “There has not been any structural maintenance of this road for many years and this work is necessary following considerable deterioration. Despite our efforts to minimise the impact, delays are likely throughout the works, so we would urge everyone to review their daily route, mode of transport and time of travel.

“Where possible, we would ask people to consider alternatives to driving such as using the bus, the park and rides, cycling, or walking.”

The £1 million project will be carried out in two phases:

• Phase 1: Initial work is due to start on Monday 24 January and will last for six weeks. It will include kerb and footway repairs and drainage improvements. It will be carried out during the day under temporary traffic signals.
• Phase 2: The main carriageway resurfacing is expected to start on Monday 7 March and will last for three weeks. This will be carried out in stages and will involve the closure of Marsh Lane, with signed diversion routes in place during this period. Work will be carried out from 7pm - 6am and Marsh Lane will be fully reopened to traffic outside of these periods.

Staff will be positioned at either end of the work to direct traffic and pedestrians to ensure the safety of the public and the workforce. Delays are possible and people are asked to be patient and considerate.

To minimise the impact to residents during the night-time working phase, the noisiest activities will stop by 11pm. Although the remaining operations are not completely silent, the site team will be briefed to complete the work with as little disruption and as quietly as is practicably possible.

More information about the project, including regular updates, can be found on the Marsh Lane webpage of the Oxfordshire County Council website.

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Oxfordshire County Council is bringing in the seasonal initiative on certain roads from 5pm on Friday 3 December until Tuesday 4 January. Emergency roadworks will still be permitted, but only when necessary. In these cases, measures will be taken to mitigate the impact on road users.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Roadworks are necessary to maintain and improve infrastructure, but we need to strike a balance to allow traffic to flow as freely as possible. That is why we are imposing a seasonal restriction on non-essential roadworks on a number of key routes as people travel to enjoy the festive period, do their Christmas shopping and support local businesses who have struggled throughout the pandemic.

“If you are travelling into Oxford, we would urge you to put on a face covering and use the bus, including the park and ride sites, where possible. It will help you beat the congestion and avoid the need to find parking spaces, which are in limited supply in the city, especially at this time of year.”

Some major infrastructure work will continue due to the nature of the work that is already in progress but, where possible, traffic management will be reduced to the minimum. Night-time working, where all traffic management is removed during the working day, will be permitted.

The main roads where roadworks will be halted are:

Central Oxford

• Queen Street
• St Aldates
• Cornmarket Street
• High Street
• Longwall Street
• George Street
• St Giles/Magdalen Street
• New Road
• Hythe Bridge Street
• Park End Street
• Banbury Road
• Woodstock Road
• Oxpens Road

Rest of the city and county

• A40 Oxford Northern bypass including North Way, Elsfield Way
• A40 M40 to Headington
• A40 Burford to Wolvercote
• A41 M40 to Bicester Esso roundabout
• A41 Esso roundabout to Buckinghamshire border
• A44 from Enstone to Salford
• A44 B4437 to A40
• A361 from A44/A3400 into Chipping Norton to Old London Road
• A361 Bloxham Road from Wykham Lane to Hennef Way
• A361 Williamscot to Junction 11
• A361 Fullbrook to Signet
• A415 Marcham Interchange to Abingdon
• A415 Clifton Hampden to Marcham
• A417 Grove Park Drive junction (Ardington) to East Challow
• A417 Park Road from A420 to Step Farm
• A420 Botley to Shrivenham
• A420 Oxford High Street, St Clements, Headington Road, London Road
• A422 County Boundary to Drayton
• A423 Little Bourton to Hennef Way
• A423 Southern Bypass Road A423 Thameside Henley
• A424 Westhall Hill to A361
• A3130 Milton Interchange to Didcot
• A4074 Shillingford to B4009 junction
• A4074 Sandford on Thames to A4142/A423 junction
• A4095 Chesterton to A4421
• A4130 Brightwell to Wallingford including around Wallingford to A4074
• A4130 from Hadden Hill to Rowstock
• A4130 New Street, Hart Street Henley, Fairmile to B480
• A4142 Eastern Bypass Road
• A4144 entire length
• A4155 county boundary at Playhatch to County Boundary Marlow Road
• A4158 Iffley Road/Rose Hill/Oxford Road
• A4165 Banbury Road entire length
• A4183 A34 to Abingdon centre including Stert Street, Stratton Way, High Street
• A4185 A34 to Rowstock
• A4260 Adderbury to Hennef Way
• A4260 from Langford Lane to A44
• A4421 entire length (except Charbridge Lane which will be closed by East West Rail)
• B430 entire length
• B480 Watlington Road Stadhampton to The Plain
• B4000 County Boundary to Bourton
• B4009 South Stoke to County Boundary
• B4016 Appleford to East Hagbourne
• B4017 Drayton to Abingdon
• B4017 A420 to B4044
• B4019 Coxwell Street to Badbury Hill
• B4020 entire length
• B4030 Vendee Drive
• B4035 North Newington turn to Banbury Cross
• B4044 Eynsham to A420
• B4100 A43 to A41/A4421 junction
• B4100 County Boundary near Hanwell to A422
• B4100 Warwick Road Banbury
• B4150 Marsh Road, Marson Road
• B4449 Stanton Harcourt Road to B4044
• B4477 A40 to B4020
• B4493 from A417 to A4130
• B4495 Marston Ferry Road, Headley Way, Windmill Road, The Slade, Hollow Way, Between Towns Road
• B4495 Weirs Lane
• B4508 county boundary to A420
• B4508 Majors Road to Longcot.

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The original restrictions were brought in by Oxfordshire County Council in May after an inspection revealed stonework on the northern arch of the bridge – which carries the A415 across the River Thames in Abingdon – had become displaced. Temporary traffic lights were brought in to protect the damaged part of the structure.

In late July, the council moved the temporary traffic signals further apart to create a dedicated space for ‘active travel’, particularly cyclists and pedestrians, over the bridge. However, they have now been moved closer together to reduce the amount of time motorists will have to wait and to ease traffic queues.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “This has been an excellent opportunity to trial a scheme which encourages more cyclists and pedestrians to use the bridge sustainably. We know the benefits provided by the extra space was really welcomed by many people who felt safer as a result. We've learnt lessons from it and will continue to look at ways of increasing active travel across our network as we try to cut emissions and improve health and safety.

“We recognise that the end of the school holidays means we have to modify the scheme for the benefit of all road users, and I would like to thank the public who took part in our consultation for taking the time to give us their valuable feedback.”

It is likely to be several months before work can start on repairing the bridge and possibly more than a year before it is completed. The complex nature of repairing this historic bridge, which was built in the 15th century, and uncertainty over the availability of subcontractors with the specialist skills, are factors in the amount of time the work will take.

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Thanks to consultation responses from residents and organisations in January and February, final scheme designs have been agreed by the county council and are now set to be implemented.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “I’d like to thank all those that contributed their views in the consultations on the schemes for Bicester and Witney. The consultations have helped us to design schemes that are right for the towns and that make a lasting difference in the council’s goals of increasing journeys made by cycling and walking.”

“Active travel and climate action are at the heart of our plans. We have put forward schemes that will have the greatest impact in terms of air quality, physical activity and environmental benefit. Both schemes are projects which go to the heart of supporting healthy and vibrant communities.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted to learn that work is set to begin on this scheme, benefitting both businesses and residents alike, as well as supporting a shift towards cleaner travel. As the Local Enterprise Partnership for Oxfordshire, we continue to play a vitally important role moving forward, securing investment that enables and unlocks new opportunities for our many businesses and communities right across the county.”

The work has been delivered at pace thanks to funding of £1.4 million secured by the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) from the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

In Witney, an enhanced cycling and walking connection between Tower Hill and Madley Park will be created, incorporating the town centre, shops, schools and businesses. Following consultation feedback, Holloway Road will remain open and the proposed bus lane on Corn Street has been deferred to be considered within the Witney transport strategy review.

The work in Bicester incorporates the eastern end of Middleton Stoney Road. This scheme will boost cycling and walking from the expanding south and west of Bicester and provide connectivity into the town centre through Oxford Road/Kings End and Causeway, as well as an off-road route through Piggy Lane. A decision on Causeway has been deferred until the detailed designs have been prepared and discussed with stakeholders.

Shared paths will be widened in both towns to three metres wherever possible to create a safer environment to cycle and walk.

Work on both schemes is set to be completed in May, offering residents a great chance to enjoy more active travel journeys from the summer.

The ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ spread is made using yeast extract, a by-product of the beer brewing process and is an early example of recycling and the ‘circular economy’ – where waste products are utilised, rather than disposed of.

Now Oxfordshire County Council is applying these same principles in a completely different area – road repairs and gully cleaning. Over a four year period, the approach could potentially stop 1,000 tonnes of CO2 being emitted and save £4.3 million of council taxpayers’ money. It will also cut the amount of waste that is sent to landfill sites and reduce the amount of new material that is dug out of the ground.

It's difficult to imagine anything useful being salvaged from the dirty water and solid matter – largely silt – recovered by tankers during the process of cleaning gullies. But you’d be surprised.

Oxfordshire County Council contractor Skanska is currently taking part in a trial with the company Combined Drier Technology to reprocess and reuse the waste, thereby reducing the amount that has to be disposed of expensively.

Using purpose-built de-watering bays in the county council’s depot in Drayton, near Abingdon, water is removed and filtered. Depending on the quality, the water can be re-used or discharged into the foul drainage network under a trade effluent discharge consent.

The de-watered gully waste is then dried, allowing it to be screened and graded, recovering as much of the original waste as possible and removing any non-recyclable contaminants. These recycled materials could then potentially be used in highways works as fill material for resurfacing, topsoil replacement, or be fed into the production of recycled aggregates, subject to appropriate material and chemical testing results and stakeholder agreement. During the trial period, this drying and screening is being undertaken at a third-party permitted facility. However, the equipment used is mobile which would allow it to be deployed to the Drayton depot if the trial proves successful.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “This initiative is a great example of the new thinking and commitment that will be needed to meet our climate action goals. We’re pleased to have been able to collaborate on this with Skanska and their supply chain to reduce both costs and carbon emissions with an innovative solution.”

Oxfordshire produces approximately 1,000 tonnes of gully waste annually. If successful, the new methods of dealing with it could save up to £27,000 a year and prevent four tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere.

Despite only being seven months into the trial, refinements are being made all the time. These include plans for the generators – which were previously diesel powered but now use gas-to-liquid fuel – to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil, cutting emissions by 90 per cent compared to diesel.

The Drayton depot is also home to a mobile plant which processes waste generated from repairs to the county’s roads.

One of the by-products of road and path resurfacing – created as a result of asphalt being removed from a surface sub-base – is known as ‘asphalt planings’. Annual maintenance of Oxfordshire’s highway network produces significant quantities of this material, which can be recycled. However, approximately 8,000 tonnes of this are classified as ‘asphalt waste containing coal tar’ (AWCCT), a toxic material which makes it expensive to dispose of safely and difficult to recycle.

But Skanska – through the efforts of OCL Regeneration Ltd, a company within its supply chain – has found a way of treating and utilising the AWCCT and thereby reducing Oxfordshire County Council’s annual hazardous waste costs.

Asphalt planings are transported to the OCL plant at Drayton where they are crushed, graded and then mixed with foamed bitumen, cement and water to form a cold lay asphalt material, which can then be re-used elsewhere in road maintenance. This means that the scheme minimises the use of ‘virgin’ materials to reconstruct roads.

The process also involves treating the material at Skanska’s Horton-cum-Studley recycling site – specially chosen as journey distances were 60 per cent shorter than those for importing virgin materials. All the parties involved maximise carbon savings by making sure every journey between Drayton and Horton-cum-Studley involves full lorries – transporting material to be recycled one way, and the finished product in the opposite direction.

To a large extent, these changes are as much about altering mindsets as they are about amending working practices.

Waste is now being recognised as a potential feedstock for the recycling process, rather than something which needs to be disposed of as quickly and as cheaply as possible – whilst also adhering to legal requirements. And rather than following the carbon-intensive linear pattern – where new, virgin materials are sourced for projects – more thought is given to the use of recycled materials, and planning of up to a year in advance is carried out so that this can be achieved in suitable areas.

Oxfordshire County Council, along with Skanska and OCL Regeneration Ltd, recently took part in a webinar organised by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment to highlight its pioneering work in developing the circular economy.

All these changes, and many more, feed into Oxfordshire County Council’s ambitions to tackle climate change. Last year, the council approved its Climate Action Framework, which set out its plans to make itself a carbon neutral authority by 2030, and to enable Oxfordshire as a whole to become zero-carbon by 2050.

Oxfordshire County Council will be doing some preparation work along the A40 on a short section of the road just to the west of the Wolvercote roundabout. The work is part of plans to improve the A40 with upgraded cycle and bus infrastructure.

The preparation work will include some vegetation clearance and a small temporary compound will be created alongside the A40 in early December. The compound will be used while the main work to improve the A40 takes place from February 2021 until late 2021.

The main work will be starting in February 2021 and will include widening of the road to offer improved cycle/footpaths as well as bus lanes. The dates for the enabling work will be from 3rd December with the main works starting in February with completion planned for December 2021.

The footpaths/cycle paths will be slightly diverted but will remain open as normal throughout most of the work. There may be some management required for things like a temporary footpath and the vegetation clearance, but access will be maintained. For the main work, the new, temporary path will be used.

The completed work will include improvements to the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts as well as provision of enhanced bus services along the A40 and A44 corridors including bus priority, new bus stops, improved waiting facilities and opportunities for interchange.

Both lanes of the A40 will be kept open during the preparation work but there may be traffic flow reduction with lane widths. No night work is planned at this stage, but Saturday morning work is expected to take place.

The work will also mean that there are very slight diversions of the cycle paths alongside the A40 in early 2021, but access to cyclists and pedestrians will remain and will not be restricted.

Oxfordshire County Council apologises for any inconvenience that may be caused during the period. The work has been designed to keep the area open to business as usual as far as possible.

The work is supported by the government’s Local Growth Fund which has seen the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) – working alongside Oxfordshire County Council – secure £8.4 million of funding for the project.

For more information about this release contact the Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council communications team on 01865 323870 or email press.office@oxfordshire.gov.uk

In October, work will start on the first phase of the Bicester A4095 road realignment scheme. The work, funded by Homes England and the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, is designed to address expected congestion between Howes Lane (A4095) and Bucknall Road, ensuring road capacity keeps pace with the housing and economic development in and around Bicester.

The new road realignment will also help to support the North West Bicester eco-town development, delivering up to 6000 much needed new homes and related community infrastructure.

The scheme has been helped with £23.5 million of funds from the £150 million Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal the Oxfordshire Growth Board agreed with the Government to accelerate the building of already planned housing that requires infrastructure investment to bring them forward.

The first phase of the work will be a bridge under the railway (a rail underbridge) to accommodate the realigned Howes Lane together with a separate underpass through the railway embankment at Bicester. The underpass will open a new route for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, eliminating the current obstacle of the railway embankment.

The building of both the underbridge and underpass beneath a live railway, the twin track NAJ2 Marylebone to Aynho line, is a specialist and challenging engineering project. This has been achieved through the close and collaborative working, for over a year, on design and delivery of the scheme by key partners of Oxfordshire County Council including Network Rail, Cherwell District Council, adjoining landowners and utility firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.

A brief railway closure over the Easter period of 2021 has been agreed with Network Rail to allow safe insertion of the steel underbridge while minimising disruption to the public.

The work is due for completion by July 2021. Both bridges will deliver the first phase of the A4095 realignment to be followed by the roadworks to complete the scheme; reducing local traffic congestion, improving connectivity and supporting the goal to open the Bicester eco-town and its promise of 6,000 new homes.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment said:

“Investment in better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians along with real sustainable travel options is a vital part of our growth strategy. New homes are much needed in Oxfordshire but only in locations where they can be built with sustainable supporting infrastructure.

This work along the A4095 will allow Bicester to grow with real active travel options for future residents to enable it to be healthy and sustainable community.”

Cllr Lynn Pratt, lead member for economy, regeneration and property at Cherwell District Council said:

“The realignment of Howes Lane, and associated improvements for walkers and cyclists have only been possible because of extensive collaboration between Cherwell, Oxfordshire County Council, Network Rail, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and local landowners.

“Delivering this new infrastructure will not only ease congestion in the area but also unlock a vital parcel of land in north west Bicester, enabling the provision of 6,000 homes under the Garden Town scheme.”

The key route carries up to 32,000 vehicles a day on the section between Witney and Oxford and is single carriageway in some sections.

The development is great news for the people of Oxfordshire, allowing the council to improve sustainable travel for residents, communities and business whilst supporting thousands of new homes and jobs.

The sum of £102 million will deliver the Housing Infrastructure Fund 2 A40 Smart Corridor which comprises:

• An extension of the dual carriageway from Witney to the proposed Eynsham park and ride, including improving cycling facilities along the route
• An extension of the A40 westbound bus lane from west of Duke’s Cut canal and railway bridges close Oxford near to the proposed Eynsham park and ride
• A40 capacity and connectivity improvements to widen access at Duke’s Cut canal and railway bridges, extending the eastbound and westbound bus priority lane, prioritising bus rapid transit at this pinch point

The work will increase A40 capacity for all users of the route between Witney and Eynsham, while providing a high-quality, congestion-free public transport, cycling and walking link for travel between Witney, Eynsham and Oxford to encourage residents and travellers to adopt active travel to slash emissions and improve air quality.

The HIF 2 scheme will also deliver capacity and connectivity improvements at the Duke’s Cut canal and railway bridges. This will include an eastbound bus route over the bridges on the approach to Wolvercote and improved cycling facilities, including a link joining the A40 cycle route to the National Cycle Network route 5, along the Oxford Canal.

Users will also benefit from interchange at the planned Eynsham Park & Ride, allowing them to use a bus to and from the site, part of the A40 Science Transit 2 Scheme.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said:

“The signing of this funding agreement for more than £102m from Homes England is pivotal and will help ease congestion on the A40 giving it a much-needed upgrade to support sustainable growth in West Oxfordshire.

"The A40 is already above capacity severely affecting residents and businesses. The massive improvements we can now deliver with this funding will reduce congestion, improve public transport, making journeys more reliable and shorter and linking this route to the future Eynsham park and ride.”

Cllr James Mills, Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, said:

“The importance of this funding cannot be underestimated. The A40 has been beyond its capacity for many years and this will help relieve congestion on a key route from Witney to Oxford and beyond.

“It will also form part of an integrated transport strategy involving the planned Eynsham Park and Ride and Hanborough Station which is designed to help with housing and population growth in the future, particularly around Eynsham and the Salt Cross garden village site.”

Each year thousands of days-worth of disruption are caused on the roads by repairs and installation of new infrastructure.

From December the council will introduce a new system that means companies wanting to work on roads around Oxfordshire will have to apply and pay for a permit in order to work on the highway.

These will clearly set out how the work will be done, the duration, times of work and how traffic will be managed. When there are clashes between different sets of work the council will also require companies to collaborate more closely to minimise disruption.

Companies that need to work on the roads will benefit from the fact that securing a permit means that they have effectively booked the road space that they need. The permit scheme operates to conditions that are the same across the UK, meaning it will be easier to work consistently across council borders.

While the council will have the power to refuse permission for planned work to take place if it believes the proposed timings or planned approach will cause unnecessary disruption, emergency unplanned work needed for things such as pipe bursts will be unaffected.

Less days of disruption

Until now the county council has had a system of ‘noticing’ which relied on mutual cooperation between anyone needing to work in the road and the council.

Because of this, over-running or badly managed work has been difficult to deal with effectively due to the limited sanctions available to the county council.

Under the new permit scheme, the county council will have greater ability to manage and control works on the highway as well as enhancing the existing relationships with works promoters to the benefit of all involved including the travelling public.

Better for all and less ‘hassle factor’

The council’s highways team hope to achieve:

· A reduction in roadwork duration - removing around 8,900 days of work from Oxfordshire’s roads annually – around a 10% reduction

· Improved quality of works completed and enforcement of failed works.

· Improved coordination and management

· Less ‘hassle factor’ such as additional journey planning and inconvenience from works put on the travelling public.

Powers to step in if things go wrong

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Roadworks are always essential to making sure everyone has water, gas, electricity and broadband supplies while repairs and resurfacing mean that people are able to get around.

“People get frustrated when their journeys are interrupted by road works and, while essential disruption can’t be avoided, we need the powers to step in when things go on too long or aren’t being managed as they should be.

“In the past we have worked quite well with companies and work closely to coordinate roadworks. But when things don’t go to plan our powers have been limited – now we will have incentives for work to be done on time and teeth to take action when it’s not.”

It is expected that income from the permit scheme, around £1m a year, will cover its costs. The scheme will piloted in December with the full scheme, including charges and enforcement, is expected to begin in February 2020.

As the image shows, we have resurfaced a large area of road approaching the roundabout to ensure it’s safe for residents 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/.

The picture shows just one of the areas of crumbling tarmac which our crew dug out and filled with a long-lasting bitumen mix, before sealing the edges 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/.

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.”

As the images show, we have resurfaced long stretches of the road, strengthened the edges and repainted the lines to make sure the road is safe for its users.

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/.

As the photos show, a large section of the old, worn-out road has been resurfaced with fresh micro-asphalt tarmac complete with sealed edges.

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/.

As the pictures show, large section of the road has been dug out, resurfaced and sealed to ensure a smoother, safer drive for local residents.

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

With over 1,600 miles of public rights of way and 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/.

As the photos show, a large section of the old, worn-out road has been resurfaced with fresh micro-asphalt tarmac complete with sealed edges.

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/.

Have you spotted a bridge that could do with some repair on your travels? Report it at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/.

As the images show, this cost-effective machine made quick work of filling in areas of worn out tarmac to make sure they are safer for local cyclists and drivers.

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/.

This time, as you can see from the pictures, it's made short work of some areas of worn out tarmac to clear the way for the resurfacing team to lay some fresh new bitumen.

As usual the finished article is rolled and sealed at the edges making for a smoother ride for all.

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/.

As the pictures show, the road was in desperate need of repair, so our team got to work on patching a large section to ensure it was safe for the many cyclists and drivers that use the road every day.

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, and much more, 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/.

Several parts of the road surface were beginning to show signs of wear and tear, so our crew have laid down fresh bitumen-based tarmac to ensure a good road 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/.

A large section of the road has been resurfaced to ensure a smoother, safer drive for local residents.

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

As the pictures show, this relatively small road leading up to the junction in Greys Green was in desperate need of treatment.

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/.