Oxfordshire County Council has launched a consultation on a proposed scheme to provide an alternative route and direct access to the B4009 on either side of Watlington without the need to travel through the town centre.
Commuters, residents, and businesses in Watlington and the surrounding villages can view the proposals on the county council’s digital engagement and consultation platform, Let’s Talk Oxfordshire.
The relief road will run from the western side of Watlington on the B4009, looping northwards and linking back to the B4009 on the eastern side of the town. It will connect a series of existing and proposed developments around the northern and western sides of Watlington.
The relief road will feature:
- two roundabouts
- one T-Junction
- three shared-use zebra crossings, and
- walking and cycling infrastructure to support active travel.
The council will work alongside several housing developers to build the road, with some sections being delivered by the developers and some directly by Oxfordshire County Council.
A corridor for the relief road was previously identified and adopted in the Watlington Neighbourhood Development Plan in 2018. It was also designated as a ‘safeguarded route’ in the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035 in 2020.
This £10-million scheme is funded through a combination of Local Growth Deal funding and Section 106 contributions from developers.
The public consultation will run between noon on Monday, 20 February and 11:59pm on Monday, 20 March 2023. It will showcase the design details and road layout.
The online consultation will also be supported by two drop-in events for members of the public to see the proposals in person:
- Thursday, 23 February 2023, at Pyrton Village Hall, Pyrton, OX49 5AP, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm
- Thursday, 09 March 2023, at Watlington Club, 20 High Street, Watlington OX49 5PY, between 6.00pm and 8.00pm
The public can view the online consultation and complete a survey by visiting https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/watlington-relief-road.
Councillor Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy at Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Watlington is a historic market town which regularly experiences traffic-related challenges due to the town centre’s narrow roads.
“The proposed Watlington Relief Road aims to bring much needed mitigation to this legacy of congestion, noise and air pollution, as well as enable future housing developments in the vicinity of Watlington and facilitate more sustainable modes of transport including cycling and walking.”
“Watlington is a growing town, and the investment in improving a sustainable transport system is needed now so that the local transport network can meet the demands that will be placed upon it in the future.”
