Cherwell Street, Banbury
Welcome to the second consultation for the Cherwell Street, Banbury, bus service improvement project. This project includes the Bridge Street and George Street junctions.
The consultation will run from Monday 24 February to Sunday 23 March 2025.
We have been awarded government funding to improve bus services into and out of Banbury town centre. The focus is on improving the current George Street bus lane, access for buses into Bridge Street west and the crossing facilities and signalling at the Bridge Street junction.
Last year we worked with Stagecoach Bus and other partners to develop a preferred design option. We ran a consultation from 4 March to 1 April 2024 and you can view the 2024 consultation page here and read a summary of the findings and actions taken here.
Work has been done to address some of the feedback we received. We would now like to present an updated version of the preferred option and gather more feedback to help us finalise a design ready for construction.
About the proposed improvements
We are focusing on the Cherwell Street corridor in Banbury, between the George Street and Bridge Street junctions, and the Bridge Street and George Street junctions themselves.
This area is congested during peak times, which has a negative impact on bus journey times and reliability.
The project is largely funded by the Department for Transport's Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) programme. Therefore, improvements to bus service reliability and journey times are core requirements.
The proposed improvements include:
- bus priority measures including:
- implementing a longer running lane along Cherwell Street for left-turning vehicles travelling north-bound into Bridge Street (west)
- and adjustments to traffic lane allocation at the Cherwell Street/Concorde Avenue/Bridge Street junction, and the Cherwell Street/George Street junction
- improving pedestrian crossing facilities
- optimising traffic signal times
- changing traffic lane allocation
- and lining/signing improvements.
We also expect these changes to improve safety for people who walk, cycle or wheel between the town centre bus stops and the train station. More information is available in the consultation information document.
To meet government funding requirements, these improvements must be built by March 2026.
What has changed since the first consultation?
Elements of the preferred design we consulted on in 2024 require the removal of highway lanes and/or reduced highway capacity to improve pedestrian crossing facilities.
The design still requires these changes and in response to feedback we have investigated this further using updated traffic modelling data and detailed design work.
More information is included in the consultation information document and the modelling summary.
Wider Banbury improvements
This project forms part of wider improvements planned for Banbury and complements the extension of Tramway Road that will provide better access to Banbury Rail Station.
Additional funding for this project is provided by contributions secured from new developments.
Information to review
A consultation information document sets out the background to the proposed improvements and includes plans and drawings. We have also summarised the traffic modelling in a second document. Please read this information before completing the survey.
Have your say
Please fill in our online survey by clicking the ‘Take survey’ button below.
