Frequently Asked Questions

Oxfordshire County Council is committed to tackling the challenges of climate change, decarbonisation, housing growth, air pollution and the growing public health crisis of physical inactivity by a range of innovative transport measures. The scheme is prioritised in recognition of the need to improve walking, wheeling, and cycling connectivity along the Garsington Road (B480 corridor).

Encouraging more active travel is core to our approach to transport solutions. This is built on the Oxford Transport Strategy within our  Local Transport and Connectivity Plan which has the ambition that Oxford will become a world class cycling city with an outstanding public realm for walking. 

• Creating a new 200 metre section of footway and cycleway with line and markings to separate them on the southern side of Garsington Road between the junction with Hollow Way and the roundabout at the junction with John Smith Drive. 

• Providing suitable measures to prioritise safer access for people when walking, wheeling, and cycling across the petrol station entrance and the Phipps Road, Napier Road, and St Luke’s Road junctions.   

• Adding a new crossing with lights at the Garsington Road / John Smith Drive Roundabout (western side of the roundabout) to enable safe space for pedestrians, people wheeling and cyclists to cross the road together. 

• Adding a new crossing on the northern and southern arms of the Garsington Road / John Smith Drive Roundabout (the entrances to Oxford Business Park). 

• We may need to move the Voi e-scooter parking bay to a nearby point and adjust the positions of some existing signs and streetlights to accommodate these changes and are currently looking at options for this. 
  
  

Planning consent is not required for these improvement works. The work would be carried out on land within the boundaries of a road by the county council, as the highway authority, and would not include any works that may have significant adverse effect on the environment.  

The scheme does not include any proposal for planting.  

The current plan is to start the improvement works during summer 2024 (if approval is given for the scheme to go ahead for construction).  These works would then finish construction in autumn 2024.  

The Garsington Road (B480 corridor) will mainly remain open for the duration of the works. There may be occasional overnight closures, during works to install the new crossing with lights at the Garsington Road/John Smith Drive Roundabout and during cycleway surfacing at the Shell petrol station entrance. We will be able to advise on times closer to works beginning (should the scheme go ahead).

The UK government’s Department for Transport has allocated funding of £646,500 from the Active Travel Fund Tranche 3 (ATF3). An additional £130,000 has now been provided by Active Travel England (ATE) to support the delivery of this scheme.  

We will coordinate works to minimise the impact on the network as far as possible. Information signs will be erected to highlight the planned works, dates, and duration of works. We will maintain normal access and emergency access to properties during the works. We recognise that there may be some minor traffic disruption during the works and we will monitor conditions closely and respond accordingly. Further details of proposed traffic management arrangements will be available closer to construction. 

The construction team would provide controlled and safe entry and exit points to the construction site during the improvement works. The team would also ensure that only authorised personnel and vehicles can access the site and that the safety of workers and the public are protected. 

The width of the proposed cycleway and footway varies along the route. The majority of the route is within the minimum width of 2m cycleway and 2m footway (one way). There are some pinch points along the route where they are less than 2m.   

We are not currently proposing to make any change to the current speed limit on Garsington Road, which is 30 mph 

The road has existing streetlights. The scheme does not include any proposal for installing additional streetlights.  

• Informal Public Engagement: February – March 2024 

• Preliminary Design & Statutory Consultation: April 2024 

• Detailed Design & Cabinet Member Decision: June 2024 

• Start Construction: summer 2024 

• Complete Construction: autumn 2024 

• Design of Phase 2 of the project: summer 2025 

There may be some noise and dust from the equipment that would be used for the work. The construction team will seek to reduce noise and dust as far as reasonably practical, and we apologise in advance for any inconvenience that these works may cause. 

Emergency services will carry on business as usual. We do not expect to disrupt emergency services during these works. 

The details of the contractor will be available closer to construction works starting, should the works be approved.

We are not planning to remove any trees during these works should the works be approved. 

Rules for all types of road users have been updated in The Highway Code to improve the safety of people walking, wheeling, and cycling. The code clarifies that when people cycling are going straight ahead at a junction, they have priority over traffic waiting to turn into or out of a side road, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. Road users are reminded to be considerate of other road users and be mindful of possible blind spots or distractions. 

In many cases cyclists use the pavement because they feel the road to be too dangerous. By extending the cycle path and ensuring it is clearly marked this helps cyclists to be better aware of people on the footway, and keep on the cycle path side. 

The scheme is being designed in line with LTN 1/20 Cycling Infrastructure Design to meet the  standards of access and inclusion. This includes detailed standards on the layout of footways and crossing points including dropped kerbs, tactile paving, and facilities at signalled controlled crossings. 

If you would like to know more about the project, you can contact us by email: garsingtonroadactivetravel@oxfordshire.gov.uk