A campaign group has slammed Homes England for not revealing how it came to a decision to fund the Oxpens River Bridge aimed at providing a new route to connect more people to Oxford city centre.
The bridge would provide a walking and cycling route connecting planned regeneration projects, including the Osney Mead industrial estate and the Oxpens, to the city centre.
Plans for the construction of the bridge were approved by Oxford City Council in March and again in April after an appeal.
The estimated cost of the bridge is £10.3 million, with £1.5 million coming from the Housing and Infrastructure Fund, and the balance funded by the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal.
But campaigners have slammed the proposals due to the impact on a cherished green space and another bridge already being located nearby.
The Friends of Grandpont Nature Park, which opposes the plan, sent a Freedom of Information request to Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency responsible for facilitating more affordable housing, in August 2024.
The FOI requested that Homes England should release any documentation it had about its decision, such as the basis on which funds were provided, as well as any correspondence with Oxford City Council on the matter.
While FOIs have a statutory deadline of 20 working days, Homes England pushed back the deadline of the request twice, stating it needed more time to decide where the balance of the public interest lies.
It cited section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which states that the information is exempt from being released because it could prejudice the commercial interests of the project.
The group has not received a reply from Homes England since October.
While Homes England asserted that releasing the information inappropriately could negatively impact its ability to secure the development, the Friends of Grandpont Nature Park argue the public should know how its money is being spent.
A spokesperson from Friends of Grandpont Nature Park said: “Homes England’s refusal to explain how the Oxpens River Bridge is eligible for funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund is shocking.
“The public has every right to know how our taxes are being distributed.
“In the midst of a housing crisis, it is especially important that we are told how decisions are being made over tens of millions of pounds of public money being spent to supposedly alleviate that crisis.
“Instead, Homes England is citing commercial sensitivity to block basic public accountability over its use of our money.
“How can it be commercially sensitive, when this money is simply being transferred from one public body to another?”
The Housing and Infrastructure Fund is a government grant that provides funding for infrastructure that “unlocks” new housing developments.
When requested for comment, a spokesperson from Homes England said: “We can confirm the agency has received a Freedom of Information request relating to the Housing Infrastructure Fund and Osney Mead, Oxford.
“Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to issue our response as we require additional time to determine the balance of public interest and manage commercially sensitive information appropriately.
“The inappropriate release of information may negatively impact our ability to secure the development of new homes which would not be in the public interest.
“We have communicated our position to the requestor and apologised for any inconvenience caused by this delay.”
An Oxford City Council spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to comment and that it was a matter for Homes England.
The city council has said the bridge will contribute to improving walking and cycling routes in the city.
The Friends of Grandpont Nature Park previously expressed concerns about the destruction of local habitats in the park and said the project is unnecessary as there is already a bridge nearby.
The group has also criticised the development on the grounds that money from funds intended for infrastructure projects that “unlock” affordable housing will be used for Oxford University’s planned Enterprise Park, which will provide new labs and homes for graduate students and staff.
A statement from the group said: “This is effectively a £10 million public subsidy – from funds which are supposed to facilitate affordable housing – to a private commercial development of Oxford University.”
A spokesperson for Oxford University said: “The University supports the city council’s planning application for Oxpens Bridge, and last year agreed to make a contribution of around 10 per cent of the cost of the new bridge after learning that cost increases had put its viability at risk.
“This support will help avoid the loss of the central government funding that the project had already secured.
“The university supports the bridge primarily because it will form an essential part of west Oxford’s active travel networks and support the common objective of encouraging more people to choose healthy and sustainable ways of moving around the city, reducing congestion and improving air quality.
“The bridge will also support the University’s long-term aspirations to develop its land at Osney Mead, as well as facilitating access for staff who already work there.”
In October, Friends of Grandpont Nature Park secured a judicial review of the city council’s decision to approve plans for the bridge, which will take place at the start of February.
The city council said construction work on the bridge could begin in 2025.
