A new £51million park and ride in Eynsham is almost complete, however, the funding needed for an access road is not yet in place.

Plans for the 850-space facility on the A40 include a new roundabout to make it easy to access from either direction. 

However, the county council is in talks about how this can be funded.

Liam Walker, Hanborough and Minster Lovell county councillor, said: “My understanding is that the P&R site will soon be complete, but then it's going to be shut for a number of years while the county council work to install the access.

"This is a disappointing and a backwards way to do things in my mind as it means the site cannot be used when we now have a regular bus service into Oxford passing and also into London."

Swindon Advertiser: Eynsham park and ride

A county council spokesperson said that the idea it was going to be shut 'for a number of years' was "not confirmed, options are being considered".

Last July the county cabinet approved a new plan to complete the £180million overall A40 improvement plan in phases after it was extensively reviewed 'in light of global inflationary pressures'.

Mr Walker said: "The whole project is simply taking too long to be completed.

"The coalition at the county council have now also paused the A40 improvement works from Witney to Eynsham.

"We need the new Shores Green slip roads, Barnard Gate junction improvements, and access to the new P&R all sooner rather than later." 

All major construction work at the park and ride, which will include cycle parking and electric vehicle charging points, was completed in January with landscaping currently being done on the site.

Duncan Enright, former cabinet member for travel at the county council, said: "Under my watch this was scheduled to open in 2025, and be connected to the A40 with express bus lanes, opening up all sorts of new services to West Oxfordshire.

"I will continue to champion this and chase for progress from the Lib Dem and Green minority administration at County."

Oxfordshire County Council estimates the facility has the capacity to cut up to a third of the peak traffic travelling in each direction on the heavily congested A40 between Witney and Oxford.

Swindon Advertiser:

Surveys carried out in February 2020 showed longer distance traffic as a proportion of total traffic is only around 30-35 per cent.

Most people were travelling to or from Summertown, central Oxford and Botley with many trips to the eastern part of Oxford including the hospitals, Headington and Cowley Business Parks.

West Oxfordshire District Council's executive member for climate change Andrew Prosser said the park and ride "won't really help people travelling into Oxford until there are new bus priority lanes in place, and the Botley Road route is open again after the major revamp of Oxford Rail Station. 

"The Park & Ride's main benefit will be to newer settlements in Salt Cross and West Eynsham.

"Witney and Carterton further along the A40 need new rapid transit links built, including priority bus lanes, and potentially tram or rail."

Swindon Advertiser:

A county council spokesperson said: “Work to build the new 850 space Eynsham park and ride site is almost complete, on schedule and within budget.

"The county council is talking to funding bodies to finalise how and when the site will be connected to the A40.”