Council working hard to solve traffic problems (From Witney Gazette)
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Council working hard to solve traffic problems
10:00am Wednesday 16th January 2013 in Letters
Sir – In response to Stephen Harness and other correspondents (last week’s Witney Gazette Letters), my aim is to resolve the traffic issues in Witney as quickly as possible.
Since last summer we have been working hard to find solutions that can be delivered. We are working on all the main junctions along the A40.
There is an issue with the Shores Green proposal in that some of the land required, as I understand, is not available for purchase at any price.
If that is the case, then we would have to start compulsory purchase order proceedings. Your readers will be only too aware that this can be a long process.
With that in mind, we investigated the possibility of adding west-facing slip-roads within the highway boundary. This would have the advantage of no land purchase and a much quicker design and planning process.
Unfortunately, there is not sufficient land available to deliver a safe junction within the boundary.
We are negotiating with the developers regarding the Section 106 money, so that it can be used to provide a solution to the traffic issues in Witney.
Ian Hudspeth, Leader, Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford
Comments(4)
Fred Chilvers
says...
12:09pm Thu 17 Jan 13
Nevertheless, Cllr Hudspeth sought to lay the blame on the Inspector rather than accept responsibility for OCC's bungling.
Still he seems to be in denial. Having failed to secure the Compulsory Purchase Order for CLR, he now pretends that a compulsory purchase order for the required SG land is a complication that he is reluctant to pursue. OCC would certainly win if applied to purchase the land but the landowner would in all probability not in the end resist, knowing that the cost of resisting and losing would be considerable.
It's difficult to see any sense or intelligence in the Hudspeth position.
livedhereforyears
says...
12:13pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Garry Henwood
says...
12:21pm Sun 27 Jan 13
livedhereforyears wrote:Well said!
Well done the Mawle Trust for offering their land for a nominal fee to sort out all the traffic problems caused by all the houses built on the land at Cogges and Madley Park which they sold for many millions of pounds ! - how generous or is the truth it is just a sweetener so they can sell more land around Cogges for their new plan for 450 houses !!!! Doesn't sound like a charitable donation to me !
nickwilcock says...
12:56pm Wed 16 Jan 13
"There is an issue with the Shores Green proposal in that some of the land required, as I understand, is not available for purchase at any price."
Only his understanding? What proof does he have of this?
Presumably he will recall the contents of the letter he received from the Mawle Trust over this matter more than 2 years ago, stating that, not only were they prepared to make their land north of the A40 available 'at nominal cost', but also that they were negotiating agreements with the relevant landowners south of the A40?
What was Cllr Hudspeth's response to this letter, one wonders.
Bluster all you like, Mr Hudspeth, but your council gave a firm commitment to the Secretary of State for Transport that you would make 'an early start' on the Shores Green Slip Roads scheme. Upon which you have, to date, failed to deliver.