FAQs

The project is looking at whether a dedicated route for walking, wheeling (such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs) and cycling (commonly referred to as ‘active travel’) could be created between Haddenham, Haddenham & Thame Parkway Station and Thame. Buckinghamshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council are working together to investigate the project. 

There has been local interest in better sustainable transport connections between Haddenham and Thame for many years. The two communities are close together and many people travel between them to get to work, school, shops, services and the railway station. However, the main roads carry high levels of traffic and do not have footways, and whilst off-road permissive paths and public rights of way exist, their legal status and usability varies, and there is not a continuous off-road route that currently allows for cycling between the two settlements.  

The project is intended to benefit a wide range of people, including residents, commuters, students, visitors and rail passengers, as well as offering wider health, wellbeing and environmental benefits. It is being planned primarily for people walking, wheeling and cycling, with consideration of horse riders where appropriate. The project is supported by local and regional transport policies, which identify this connection as an important active travel route and acknowledge the potential benefits that it could offer.  

No preferred or final route has been selected, and no decision has yet been made to deliver a route. The current stage of work is required to provide an understanding of opportunities and challenges and gather local feedback before future decisions are taken.  

This appraisal and public engagement activity helps the councils to assess and understand which options may be most suitable for further investigation.  

Previous studies have explored some possible routes between Haddenham and Thame. However, much of the earlier work was completed before current national active travel best practice design guidance was published. This guidance sets out key principles that should be considered in order to provide high-quality infrastructure. There is a desire to develop a project that meets today’s guidance and standards.  

This appraisal uses updated information and a structured assessment process based on current guidance and best practice. It considers factors such as flood risk, ecology, and biodiversity. The appraisal provides information to help public understanding and provides a stronger evidence base to support future decisions by Buckinghamshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council.  

Importantly, the appraisal is not selecting a preferred route. Instead, it aims to identify which options may be worth studying further and which options face significant challenges that could make delivery difficult, expensive or environmentally harmful. This engagement activity provides an opportunity for the public to review the appraisal information and provide feedback. 

An "option" is a possible way of connecting Haddenham, Thame and the Parkway Station. It is not a final route, detailed design or construction proposal. At this stage, options are broad indicative route corridors that help us compare different possibilities.  

The project team reviewed previous studies, local policies, existing roads, public rights of way, permissive paths, environmental information, flood risk information and connections to important destinations such as the station, schools, employment areas and town centres.  

From this work, 22 options were identified and grouped into four broad corridor groups. Some follow the A418 and Thame Road corridors, while others used public rights of way, countryside routes or corridors passing through areas such as Long Crendon or Kingsey.  

The purpose of identifying a wide range of options is to ensure that all realistic possibilities can be considered fairly and consistently before narrowing the list. Through the assessment, some options have been found to have significant anticipated challenges relating to flooding, wildlife, engineering or land requirements, while others are anticipated to offer a better balance between user benefits and deliverability.  

Any option that is taken forward would still require more detailed design work before an exact route alignment could be identified. 

The identified options were assessed using a two-stage process based on Department for Transport guidance for transport projects.  

The first stage looked at whether options faced major challenges that might make them difficult to deliver. This included reviewing environmental impacts, flood risk, engineering requirements and how well the option matched the project's objectives.  

The second stage looked in more detail at options that performed better in the first assessment. These options were compared against factors including safety, directness, accessibility, connectivity with wider active travel networks, anticipated land requirements and anticipated legal considerations.  

The appraisal used available evidence and desk-based information so that all options could be compared fairly. At this stage, detailed route design or site surveys have not been completed. The appraisal should therefore be viewed as an early-stage comparison rather than a final design assessment.  

We are now inviting public input on the assessment as part of the appraisal process. The online questionnaire also allows for additional options to be put forward. 

The route has not yet been designed, so we do not know exactly what it would look like. 

If the project moves forward, the design would aim to follow national guidance from Local Transport Note 1/20 (LTN 1/20), as well as considering other relevant guidance for rural active travel routes including the Rural Design Guide. This guidance aims to create routes that are safe, direct, comfortable and attractive for people of all ages and abilities.  

Depending on the location, the route could include different types of infrastructure. This might include shared-use paths, upgraded public rights of way, crossings, traffic management measures and improvements alongside existing roads. Some examples of these types of infrastructure are included on the information boards for public engagement.  

The final design would need to respond to local conditions, including road layouts, land availability, environmental constraints and safety requirements. Further technical studies and surveys would be needed before detailed designs could be produced.  

The assessment looks at options linking Haddenham, Haddenham & Thame Parkway Station and Thame.  

The recommended  options provide different ways of connecting to the station and surrounding areas. Future design work would consider how any route could link with existing and planned active travel networks in both Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.  

At this stage, no decisions have been made about the detailed onward connections within either settlement. The Thame Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) identifies potential opportunities for new and improved connections within Thame. Within Haddenham, new or improved connections are being considered as part of the planning process for development sites. These connections would be considered as part of future design work if the project progresses. 

The project aims to provide a route that can be used legally, safely and comfortably by people walking, wheeling and cycling. Wheeling includes users of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.  

At this stage, indicative options are identified but detailed infrastructure has not been designed, so it is not yet possible to confirm how and where users would interact. That decision would depend on the final route location, available space and relevant design guidance.  

The project will consider the legal rights of users. Where practical, the project will consider the needs of horse riders. Some options could involve the upgrading of existing public rights of way or creation of new paths which may provide opportunities for equestrian access. However, the needs of different users would need to be balanced during later stages of design. 

A project aim is to avoid negative environmental impacts where possible and reduce or mitigate impacts where they cannot be avoided.  

The study area includes floodplains, watercourses, priority habitats, important trees and locations that may support protected species. These factors can affect where a route could be located and how it could be designed.  

As part of the appraisal, all options were reviewed using available environmental information. In several cases, options scored less favourably because they would be expected to have greater impacts on wildlife habitats, flood risk areas or environmentally sensitive locations.  

If the project progresses, detailed ecological surveys, biodiversity assessments, tree surveys and flood risk assessments would be carried out where necessary before any final decisions are made. 

The appraisal looked at what private land exists and whether options may interact with private land because this can influence how easy or difficult a route may be to deliver it would be to build. In general, options that may need to use extra land outside of the existing road or footpath boundary can be more complicated and take longer to deliver. For example, a route next to a main road might need some extra land outside of the existing road boundaries so there is enough space to keep people safely away from traffic. This is a common challenge for rural active travel projects. 

At this stage, route options are only ideas showing the general areas the routes could follow. The exact route has not been decided, and no decisions have been made about which land or how much may be needed.  

If the project moves forward, more detailed work would be carried out in with landowners and other affected parties. Any future decisions would follow the correct legal and decision-making processes. 

Buckinghamshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council have both agreed to carry out this options appraisal and public engagement activity. 

No preferred route has been selected, and no final decisions have been made.  

The purpose of this engagement is to present the findings of the options appraisal and seek views from local people, stakeholders and other interested parties. The councils are asking for feedback on the assessment, the issues that matter most to people and any local knowledge that could help inform decision making and future work.  

The appraisal identifies a recommended shortlist of options that may be suitable for further investigation, but this is not the same as selecting a preferred route. Further technical work, consultation and decision-making would still be required before any route(s) could be chosen.  

The current engagement is focused on gathering views about the options appraisal. We want to understand what matters most to local people, whether there are issues we may have missed and whether there is local knowledge that could help improve the project.  

After the engagement period closes, the feedback will be reviewed alongside the technical evidence. Buckinghamshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council will then decide what happens next.  

If the project progresses, further work may include design development, environmental studies, business case preparation. Further engagement with landowners, statutory bodies and consultation with local communities is expected as more detailed work is developed and future decisions are considered.   

Currently we cannot state whether the route will be delivered, how it would be funded or when construction could begin. 

While the assessment has identified options that may be suitable for further investigation, there is still significant work to complete before delivery could be considered.  

Future work may include environmental surveys, engineering studies, landowner discussions, design development, business case preparation and further engagement and consultation. Decisions would also need to be taken by both Buckinghamshire Council and Oxfordshire County Council.  

After engagement and once the feasibility study is complete, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire will decide whether to take the project forward and this could involve selection of a preferred option(s).  

If the project progresses, the next stage of work would be to conduct surveys to understand the potential impact on important wildlife habitats, watercourses or environmental features including trees and also underground services such as sewers and gas mains and engagement with landowners.  

Future funding opportunities, such as developer contributions and government funding, would also need to be considered if the councils decide to progress the project. The councils have and are continuing to secure funding contributions towards the scheme from local development sites.

 We would like to hear from as many people as possible, including people those who don’t currently walk, wheel or cycle.  

We last asked for public input on this project some time ago. Since then, things may have changed. People may travel differently, local priorities and conditions in the area may have changed and there may be new issues and opportunities we should know about. We would like to hear your views so we can understand what matters to the community today.  

Local people often have valuable knowledge about places they use every day. Your feedback will help us understand what matters most to the community and will be considered alongside the technical assessment when decisions are made about the next stages of the project.