Didcot Road will not have to be re-aligned for a new entrance to the Vanderbilt housing development. There were fears that had the re-alignment gone ahead it would have caused months of traffic disruption.
Following agreement between the landowner, Vanderbilt and Oxfordshire County Council, the road will not now have to undergo major alterations. The Parish Council worked behind the scenes with the other parties in helping to find a solution. Final approval was given at a recent meeting of the county council’s cabinet.
Vanderbilt’s group land director Duncan Klitgaard said: “We hope to start work on the new access next month and work on the new homes early next year. Final archaeological work is expected to be finished prior to our site start in late January or February”.
Meanwhile work on new traffic calming measures in Didcot Road required for the Vanderbilt development have received initial approval. There will be a new humped Zebra crossing and cycle lane bypasses in both directions to replace the existing measures. Nothing is expected to happen until all planning consents and legal agreements are in place which is likely to be next Spring.
This is still a pathetic place to put new houses & the zebra crossing is going to be very dangerous as it is too close to the blind corner. God help the Councillors that have agreed this if a child gets killed crossing this road. You obviously do not see the speed of the traffic in Didcot Road and have no idea. Also the chicane should be past the Saxons Heath turning (going out of Long Wittenham) as once the cars pass this they speed up.
Why doesn’t anyone listen to the people that actually live on this road??
There has been a vast amount of consultation about this over many years. This location has been picked for a number of reasons including the votes taken by the local community. There will always be opposition to development, but we have to accept it and come to the best option with least amount of compromise for the least amount of people. We are still EXTREMELY lucky to be in the position that our Local Plan has protected us from developements simply springing up like they have done in much of the surrounding area. Alsmot every other village nearby has a new housing estate tacked on the edge yet we have been able to maintain a degreee of control over this rather than being forced into a position to accept something we definfitely don’t want. The Parish Council and its supporters have done an excellent job in protecting our village while still ensuring we can get the new school and facilities we so desperately need.