Council seeks extra funds for new river crossing

A council plans to apply for government contingency funding for a road project, which is expected to cost more than £400m.

Oxfordshire County Council has so far secured £332.5m for the Didcot to Culham Thames River crossing and is seeking a further £79.6m from Homes England.

The road is one of three major infrastructure projects in the Didcot Garden Town Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF1) programme, which is supporting the delivery of 12,655 new homes.

The new dual-carriageway bridge will connect the A4130 at Didcot with the A415 at Culham.

At a meeting on Friday, place and environment councillor Judy Roberts said: "They [Homes England] will give us this money but we would have to apply for it to justify it.

"I think, given the global problems at the moment, that is quite a good justification.

"We have had informal words that they are probably happy to do that. "

At the meeting, Roberts gave approval for a construction contract for the crossing's central span, which is estimated to cost about £151m.

The final decision will be taken by the council's director of environment and highways.

Appleford-on-Thames parish councillor Greg O'Broin said he wanted to "register concerns" of the "community most affected by this scheme".

He described the crossing as a "flyover" for the village, "with loss of trees, landscape damage, traffic noise and now significant disruption to the lives of persons during construction".

He said the risk of the project overrunning was also a concern because the Homes England funding was due to end in March 2028.

The parish council has called for greater transparency on costs, a rethink on an "unacceptable" eight-month road closure and for traffic lights to combat "danger at a junction" of the B4016, with a crossing to protect children.

Council officers agreed to share more information on estimated costs and Roberts agreed to look into the issue of traffic lights.