CYCLING plans for the key Oxford North development are not good enough, according to a city group.

Cyclox said the project – which could include 480 homes and bring 4,500 new jobs to North Oxford – ‘pursues what is an obsolete approach to national guidance’.

It added that while developers want to encourage cycling on the new project, it ‘fears the desirability of cycling provisions fall short of the “enabling use” designs which are necessary’.

Thomas White Oxford (TWO) wants to build Oxford North on land between the A34 and Cutteslowe and Pear Tree roundabouts, inevitably meaning changes to the A40 and A44.

But Cyclox said the changes to the A40 and A44, ‘whilst welcome’, would not ‘deliver enabling cycling routes’.

It is thought the plan will be decided by Oxford city councillors over the summer.

TWO has suggested cycle lanes are coloured blue – which Cyclox said is an ‘interesting if unusual’ suggestion.

Oxfordshire County Council has coloured its cycle lanes green and an ‘unsatisfactory’ buff colour on its £14.5m Access to Headington project, Cyclox said.

The group says it has to object to the proposals.

It adds that is not because of the colour of the lane itself but because ‘there is no certainty the colour proposed will be implemented or maintained in the future’.

In documents submitted in March, TWO said it was still unsure how many affordable homes would be built at the new development.

It has already been backed with £10m of Government money, which has been approved by Oxford City Council.

Previously TWO said it wanted to build at least 120 affordable homes but a ‘barrier’ was the cost of infrastructure it would need to pay for.

Thames Valley Police has also submitted concerns to TWO’s planning application on the city council’s planning portal.

It said TWO’s plans have adopted ‘very little’ of the force’s previous advice over the development’s design.

While it added the designers had ‘very little contact’ with police over recent months ‘following brief initial communications’.

The force added low level lighting should be avoided because it ‘creates hiding places’.