The project to build a cycle path between the village and Clifton Hampden was raised at Monday evening’s meeting of the Didcot Garden Town (DGT) Residents Sounding Board.
Both the chairman of the Parish Council, Gordon Rogers, and Tom Bowtell, who heads the cycle path project, were present at the meeting. Tom Bowtell said that the cycle path project was ‘shovel ready’. Chairman Rogers asked what financial support might be available.
They were told that DGT did not hold enough capital funding to deliver the cycle path but the Garden Town team explained: “We encourage the project to be submitted as part of DGT’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)”.
The meeting attracted eighty-five participants from the DGT area. A straw poll at the meeting showed 90% in favour of improving walking facilities in the area, 81% for better cycling conditions and 42% were concerned about speeding traffic.
At previous Sounding Board meetings, representatives from the village had stressed the need for green buffer zones separating developments. At last night’s meeting the zones were confirmed as part of DGT’s policy.
After the meeting Tom Bowtell said: “I was really encouraged to see completing the Science Vale Cycling Network from Didcot to Culham as a key priority in DGT plans. Our project completes the route and is shovel ready. This will help add pressure on the county council to prioritise our project and also upgrade the current cycle path from Didcot to Long Wittenham, including our suggestion to put lights in the tunnel under the A4130 which puts off some people from cycling”.
A path to Clifton Hampden is an excellent idea. In fact this has been talked about for over 30 years so about time really. Lets hope it happens soon or in our lifetime.
Very smart words from Tom as always. The section of cycle path between Long Wittenham and Didcot is now the worst section by far of NCR5 between here and Oxford.
I’m sure it has already been addressed but I hope any path includes a safe crossing. Traffic speeds at both entrances to the village are high and to be fully used it needs to be accessible to all residents including the elderly and children.
The plan to move the traffic lights back to the Barley Mow is very sensible – the road there is narrow and busy with pedestrians during the summer. It’s ridiculous OCC didn’t do this when they replaced the traffic lights, when presumably the cost would be minimal.
Thank you Tom and Gordon for your hard work on this.