An outline planning application has been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council for Didcot North East (P15/S2902/O).
This is a great and timely opportunity to demonstrate how cycling can be a serious transport alternative to the car. If planned properly, cycling to the station or town centre could be the fastest travel option.
Didcot North East development provides an ideal platform to put words into action and develop a well connected, convenient cycle network. It is flat and could have good connections to the existing Ladygrove cycle network.
The masterplan looks like developers are planning a reasonable cycle path network, albeit shared use paths. Obviously the devil will be in the detail, if the paths are full of cycle dismount signs or giving way at every junction they will be of limited use.
As part of LTP4 HarBUG put forward a proposal for an underpass to be built at Hopkins Bridge. This is the centre crossing point and a direct route to the Cow Lane Tunnel via Ladygrove cycle paths.
We also pointed out that cycle infrastructure should be built at a very early stage in the development and new householders made aware of the travel choices available, from the day they move in.
I have had a meeting with the County Council today about these points and they were quite happy to look at an underpass and the other issues. However they did say it was unlikely there would be any extra money from the developers so the costs would need to be found from scaling back something else in the development.
Responses need to be submitted by Monday 5th October. HarBUG will be sending in a response, but the more responses the better, so please could you find time to email the council about this. I will forward a copy of the HarBUG response in the next couple of days, please feel free to copy or use as a base for your own response.
I emailed all Didcot County, District and Town councillors. I received a response from Labour County Councillor Nick Hards (who was also meeting the County Council about transport and promised to raise the matter) and a Conservative Town Councillor. I was asked to be a guest speaker at the Didcot Conservative Association, last Thursday and gained support from them including the leader of the Town Council and the Chairman of South Oxfordshire District Council.
Also out for consultation is the revised outline planning application to Vale of white Horse District Council for Valley Park (P14/V2873/O), in-between Great Western Park and the A34. Responses for this are due by 28th October.