15 June 2021 This page is no longer being updated
ACCESS TO HEADINGTON
Oxfordshire County Council website page:
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/roadworks/major-current-roadworks/access-headington
19 June 2020 - extract from Oxfordshire County Council's Travel Bulletin (19 July 2020)
Headley Way:
"Construction of the retaining wall on the west side of Headley Way is now complete. Surfacing is now taking place on the upper and lower levels along the wall. Remaining works include the installation of handrails, signing and pavement markings. Side Road Entry Treatments along this section are also being constructed. Carriageway resurfacing* in Headley Way is also now completed as part of the Highway Asset Renewal Programme which will avoid further visits and traffic disruption." *For link to photos see below
ACCESS TO HEADINGTON
Oxfordshire County Council website page:
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/roadworks/major-current-roadworks/access-headington
19 June 2020 - extract from Oxfordshire County Council's Travel Bulletin (19 July 2020)
Headley Way:
"Construction of the retaining wall on the west side of Headley Way is now complete. Surfacing is now taking place on the upper and lower levels along the wall. Remaining works include the installation of handrails, signing and pavement markings. Side Road Entry Treatments along this section are also being constructed. Carriageway resurfacing* in Headley Way is also now completed as part of the Highway Asset Renewal Programme which will avoid further visits and traffic disruption." *For link to photos see below
Headley Way resurfacing 4 June 2020 - very slick operation
A MAC Plane was used to plane off the old surface and transfer it into a series of trucks, with an empty truck arriving as one with a full load left. Hot on the heels of the planer was a Scania sweeper truck picking up any remaining bits of debris - see video For photos click here
A MAC Plane was used to plane off the old surface and transfer it into a series of trucks, with an empty truck arriving as one with a full load left. Hot on the heels of the planer was a Scania sweeper truck picking up any remaining bits of debris - see video For photos click here
Headley Way retaining wall photos 5 April 2020
Retaining wall and trees in containers outside Cherwell Drive shops 4 June 2020
Update from Oxfordshire County Council - 28 Nov 2019
Retaining wall and trees in containers outside Cherwell Drive shops 4 June 2020
Update from Oxfordshire County Council - 28 Nov 2019
Work on the Headley Way/Cherwell Drive section - traffic lights at John Radcliffe roundabout
13 June 2019:
Traffic lights are now in operation at the Staunton Road West / Headley Way / John Radcliffe Hospital access road junction. It is no longer possible to turn left out of Staunton Road West and use a roundabout system to turn up Headley Way to go towards Headington. No U-turns are allowed.
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Comments on the effects of the scheme sent to Oxfordshire County Council on 11 November 2019 by Peter West, Chair of the Headington & Marston Community Forum and of St Anne’s, Gathorne, Margaret Roads and Rock Edge Residents’ Association, can be seen here
A second public consultation on the Access to Headington project was held in 2019 because of the long time lapse since the first one. Concerns were raised about loss of parking in the Windmill Road area: see Oxford Times article, 13 Sept 2019. The scheme was then expected to cost about £16.7 million, substantially more han the original budget of £12.5 million - see Oxford Mail article, 7 Sept 2019
Oxford Mail article 18 October 2018
From Oxford Mail article, 6 Feb 2018: "The council said earlier this year that the eventual decision on funding could mean work is downscaled or is enhanced. The money to pay for the project comes from £108.5m secured from the Government’s Local Growth Fund, which was awarded in January 2015".
Oxfordshire County Council had announced earlier in the year:
"Work had been due to start on Headley Way on 22 January along the length of Headley Way including the junction works outside the John Radcliffe hospital and on the Marsh Lane junction.
However the need for more certainty over costs, utility diversions and technical issues relating to the hill section between Marsh Lane and the hospital, mean that the construction team have decided to put the start on hold. This has also provided an opportunity to seek additional sources of funding to include improvements that had previously been unaffordable along with ways to reduce costs so that the improvement work goes ahead.
It is hoped that a new date for the work to start can be decided by early February.
We are still committed to delivering the scheme and some facilitating work will continue at weekends so that we are ready".
According to an article in the Oxford Times on 11 January 2018 about a problem with an electronic sign indicating parking availability in car park number 3, "the hospital trust already warns visitors to allow one hour to find a parking space on a normal day. This is set to increase to two hours as roadworks begin near to the hospital entrance as part of the next phase of Oxfordshire County Council’s £12.5 million road improvement project Access to Headington on January 22".
A second public consultation on the Access to Headington project was held in 2019 because of the long time lapse since the first one. Concerns were raised about loss of parking in the Windmill Road area: see Oxford Times article, 13 Sept 2019. The scheme was then expected to cost about £16.7 million, substantially more han the original budget of £12.5 million - see Oxford Mail article, 7 Sept 2019
Oxford Mail article 18 October 2018
From Oxford Mail article, 6 Feb 2018: "The council said earlier this year that the eventual decision on funding could mean work is downscaled or is enhanced. The money to pay for the project comes from £108.5m secured from the Government’s Local Growth Fund, which was awarded in January 2015".
Oxfordshire County Council had announced earlier in the year:
"Work had been due to start on Headley Way on 22 January along the length of Headley Way including the junction works outside the John Radcliffe hospital and on the Marsh Lane junction.
However the need for more certainty over costs, utility diversions and technical issues relating to the hill section between Marsh Lane and the hospital, mean that the construction team have decided to put the start on hold. This has also provided an opportunity to seek additional sources of funding to include improvements that had previously been unaffordable along with ways to reduce costs so that the improvement work goes ahead.
It is hoped that a new date for the work to start can be decided by early February.
We are still committed to delivering the scheme and some facilitating work will continue at weekends so that we are ready".
According to an article in the Oxford Times on 11 January 2018 about a problem with an electronic sign indicating parking availability in car park number 3, "the hospital trust already warns visitors to allow one hour to find a parking space on a normal day. This is set to increase to two hours as roadworks begin near to the hospital entrance as part of the next phase of Oxfordshire County Council’s £12.5 million road improvement project Access to Headington on January 22".
Local City Councillor, Mick Haines, no longer supports the installation of traffic lights on Headley Way/Cherwell Drive after carrying out traffic surveys over the last year: Oxford Mail, 15 January 2018
There was a public exhibition of the planned work on Thursday, 14 December 2017, at the Headington Preparatory School showing the same information included in the exhibition on 5 June 2017.
There was a public exhibition of the planned work on Thursday, 14 December 2017, at the Headington Preparatory School showing the same information included in the exhibition on 5 June 2017.
CHERWELL DRIVE AND
HEADLEY WAY
On Monday, 5 June 2017, the County Council held an exhibition of plans for the Cherwell Drive and Headley Way stage at the Northway Community Centre, Dora Carr Close.
Representatives of Oxfordshire County Council and the contractors were there to answer questions. Click on the image for a larger version of planned changes to the JR access road/ Headley Way junction. To see the changes to previous plans, click here.
Work on this stage, which requires a temporary closure of the Staunton Road West / Headley Way junction, was due to start on 24 July 2017 but was postponed until 2018 because of urgent sewer works in St Clements. This work was necessary because of the insufficiency of the sewer network, which at one time required tankers to be used to remove excess sewage from pipes. See Oxford Times article 23 June 2017. The £500,000 sewer upgrade was completed at the beginning of September. Thames Water project manager, Justin Boustouller, said: "The old brick system urgently needs improving so it can cope with the volumes of sewage it receives from an ever-growing population". Since then traffic congestion resulting from repairs to Folly Bridge, as well as other road works, have at times required incoming Oxford Tube and X90 coaches to again be diverted along Marston Road.
Oxfordshire County Council explained that its Access to Headington project was necessary because, due to "planned growth in the area", doing nothing would have caused more problems over the next few years. The aim is to encourage more people to use public transport, rather than private cars.
At a meeting of the City Council's Planning Service Users Group on 18 January 2017, when responding to a resident's question on the new Oxford Local Plan, which will be open to public consultation from 29 June, Patsy Dell, Head of Planning and Regulatory Services, said "The Local Plan is predicated on the city growing – growth is an assumption”, although Mark Jaggard, Planning Policy & Design, Heritage and Trees Services Manager, admitted “The city cannot take the growth that everyone wants in the city. How important our green spaces are will inform the level of growth”.
At a meeting of the City Council's Planning Service Users Group on 18 January 2017, when responding to a resident's question on the new Oxford Local Plan, which will be open to public consultation from 29 June, Patsy Dell, Head of Planning and Regulatory Services, said "The Local Plan is predicated on the city growing – growth is an assumption”, although Mark Jaggard, Planning Policy & Design, Heritage and Trees Services Manager, admitted “The city cannot take the growth that everyone wants in the city. How important our green spaces are will inform the level of growth”.
Oxfordshire County Council - Access to Headington scheme will go ahead - Oxford Mail 11 June 2016
The original date for the decision on the scheme was 28 April but it was deferred to Thursday, 9 June . See Oxford Mail, 30 April 2016 The deferral allowed for a further consultation on other options specifically for Headley Way and Windmill Road retaining some on-street parking while also providing continuous cycle lanes and more space to ease traffic flow.
Access to Headington - Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) - Other Options
The deadline for comments was Monday, 23 May 2016.
Comments from Darrel Ross and Mary Clarkson, 2 May 2016, on the new options offered in this additional consultation - with update 3 May - response from Stewart Wilson, Principal Transport Planner, Oxford Locality, Oxfordshire County Council.
Criticism mounts on Access to Headington Oxford Mail 31 March 2016
Comments submitted by Darrell Ross (a qualified urban designer, whose work includes projects in Oxford, London, Reading and Bristol) on Part 2 of the Access to Headington Consultation.
"The plans are not set in stone. We will take into account the feedback given during the consultation period" - David Nimmo Smith, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Transport, quoted in The Oxford Times, 29 July 2015. Mr Nimmo Smith has sole responsibility for the final decision on whether the project should go ahead (comment on this by TonyOX3 - see his post Access to Headington – Who Decides?, 22 February 2016)
Information on the second consultation relating to proposals for Cherwell Drive and Headley Way
Traffic lights are still planned to replace the John Radcliffe roundabout and the double roundabouts at the Marsh Lane/Cherwell Drive/Marston Road junctions.
The original date for the decision on the scheme was 28 April but it was deferred to Thursday, 9 June . See Oxford Mail, 30 April 2016 The deferral allowed for a further consultation on other options specifically for Headley Way and Windmill Road retaining some on-street parking while also providing continuous cycle lanes and more space to ease traffic flow.
Access to Headington - Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) - Other Options
The deadline for comments was Monday, 23 May 2016.
Comments from Darrel Ross and Mary Clarkson, 2 May 2016, on the new options offered in this additional consultation - with update 3 May - response from Stewart Wilson, Principal Transport Planner, Oxford Locality, Oxfordshire County Council.
Criticism mounts on Access to Headington Oxford Mail 31 March 2016
Comments submitted by Darrell Ross (a qualified urban designer, whose work includes projects in Oxford, London, Reading and Bristol) on Part 2 of the Access to Headington Consultation.
"The plans are not set in stone. We will take into account the feedback given during the consultation period" - David Nimmo Smith, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Transport, quoted in The Oxford Times, 29 July 2015. Mr Nimmo Smith has sole responsibility for the final decision on whether the project should go ahead (comment on this by TonyOX3 - see his post Access to Headington – Who Decides?, 22 February 2016)
Information on the second consultation relating to proposals for Cherwell Drive and Headley Way
Traffic lights are still planned to replace the John Radcliffe roundabout and the double roundabouts at the Marsh Lane/Cherwell Drive/Marston Road junctions.
Roz Smith, County Councillor for Headington and Quarry wards, met residents outside the Cherwell Drive shops on Thursday, 31 March, from noon to 2 pm to collect comments.
Reactions to the new proposals:
- Information displayed at the exhibition (2nd Consultation)
- Model of Marsh Lane junction and Cherwell Drive shops (also displayed at the exhibition)
- Plans 1, 2 and 3 only + model of junction referred to above
- Oxford County Council letter, 24 Feb 2016, sent to residents
- Revised plan for Cherwell Drive to Headley Way (sent with the above letter)
Reactions to the new proposals:
- Letter from City Cllr Mick Haines, Oxford Times 2 March 2016
- Oxford Times 4 March 2016
- Oxford East Lib Dems website - comments from Councillors on revised scheme
- Initial comments from Darrel Ross
- Response submitted to County Council by Darrell Ross
- Initial comments from City Councillor Mary Clarkson
- Response submitted to County Council by City Councillor Mary Clarkson
- Response submitted by Oxford Civic Society
- Other comments from residents
First round of consultation - 2015 (ended Friday, 7 August 2015)
Links to some of the responses submitted to Oxfordshire County Council:
Other comments:
- Cllr Mary Clarkson
- Headington Lib Dem Councillors
- Bus Users - Oxford*
- Friends of Old Headington
- Friends of the Earth - Oxford
- Headington Action and Headington Transport Group*
- New Marston (South) Residents Association
- Oxford Civic Society
- Richard Mann (@ParadiseOxford) transport analyst and consultant *
- Darrel Ross registered architect and qualified urban designer.
- Darrel's illustration of his alternative scheme for Cherwell Drive (included with his submission)
Other comments:
- Letter criticising the proposals, signed by City Cllrs Mary Clarkson, Roy Darke and Mick Haines, County Clr Mark Lygo and Tim Cann, Clerk to Old Marston Parish Council, published in The Oxford Mail, 27 July 2015
- Oxford Times article on petition organised by Cllr Mick Haines, 29 July 2015
- Comments made on information supplied by the County Council
- Notes on the meeting in St Anthony's Church hall on 3 August 2015, [broken link rectified 6 Sept 2022] which was kindly arranged by County Councillor Roz Smith
- Veronica Hurst, Chairman of Friends of Old Headington: "Many of the trees under threat were planted under a post-war scheme facilitated by the OPT [Oxford Preservation Trust], by which residents of Marston and that bit of Headington "adopted" a tree in memory of a relative who died in the war. There was apparently a big ceremony on one of the Armistice Day anniversaries when they were planted. OPT will not support the loss of these trees".
Stated aims of Access to Headington - quoted from Oxfordshire County Council's website:
CHERWELL DRIVE
Darrel Ross (a resident) took time-stamped photos of traffic in the vicinity of the Marsh Lane roundabout, which, he believes, show that congestion is not a problem in Cherwell Drive in the morning peak period: Friday, 10 July 2015 Monday, 13 July 2015
Plan 1 - Cherwell Drive, Headley Way
Trees to be removed are marked by pink circles on this County Council plan
The proposals include radical changes to Cherwell Drive: the grass verge and parking bays on both sides of the road and all the trees would be removed in order to provide a new bus lane going towards Headley Way and a new 1.5 m cycle lane on the roadway on either side. This includes all 8 trees and the grass verge from in front of the shops. Mr Daniel Round of Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed that the new traffic lights would give priority to traffic coming from Marsh Lane onto Cherwell Drive.
5 trees would be removed from the west side of MARSH LANE in the vicinity of the Cherwell Drive junction, as well as 2 trees on the other side of the road at this point.
- Manage growth in car traffic – planning for more walking, cycling and use of public transport
- Support jobs growth in health, innovation and education by improving access to major sites such as hospitals and universities
- Improving access to the major employment sites by sustainable mode
- Promote health and wellbeing by reducing transport’s environmental impact
- Information supplied by Daniel Round, Locality Manager, Localities, Policies and Programmes - Oxford, Oxfordshire County Council - click here. (This contains a link to the modelling report but unless you're a traffic management expert, you won't understand that report.)
- Easily understandable table showing traffic flow/volume kindly supplied on request by Stewart Wilson, Environment and Economy, Oxfordshire County Council.
CHERWELL DRIVE
Darrel Ross (a resident) took time-stamped photos of traffic in the vicinity of the Marsh Lane roundabout, which, he believes, show that congestion is not a problem in Cherwell Drive in the morning peak period: Friday, 10 July 2015 Monday, 13 July 2015
Plan 1 - Cherwell Drive, Headley Way
Trees to be removed are marked by pink circles on this County Council plan
The proposals include radical changes to Cherwell Drive: the grass verge and parking bays on both sides of the road and all the trees would be removed in order to provide a new bus lane going towards Headley Way and a new 1.5 m cycle lane on the roadway on either side. This includes all 8 trees and the grass verge from in front of the shops. Mr Daniel Round of Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed that the new traffic lights would give priority to traffic coming from Marsh Lane onto Cherwell Drive.
5 trees would be removed from the west side of MARSH LANE in the vicinity of the Cherwell Drive junction, as well as 2 trees on the other side of the road at this point.
HEADLEY WAY
Some trees and all on-street parking would be removed in order to accommodate the new 1.5m wide mandatory cycle lanes on both sides of the carriageway.
Trees to be removed are marked by pink circles on the County Council's plans.
Photos by Darrel Ross showing the upper footways in Headley Way
Plan 2 - Headley Way, John Radcliffe Hospital Access
The lower pavement on the western side of the roadway, between Bowness Avenue and Coniston Avenue, and also 3 trees between Coniston Avenue and Derwent Avenue would be removed. Part of the grass verge on the eastern side would be removed in order to retain the lower pavement. Two trees on the western side of the roadway, south of the junction with Staunton Rd (by house nos 146/148 and 150/152), would be removed.
Plan 3 - Headley Way, London Road
2 trees by Nos 185/187 and 193, as well as 6 on the east side between Woodlands Rd and London Rd and one on the opposite side of this stretch. Also 6 on the east side between Staunton Rd and Fortnam Close.
Bus Rapid Transit routes
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/11853214.New_bus_route_planned_across_nature_reserve_and_golf_course/
Some trees and all on-street parking would be removed in order to accommodate the new 1.5m wide mandatory cycle lanes on both sides of the carriageway.
Trees to be removed are marked by pink circles on the County Council's plans.
Photos by Darrel Ross showing the upper footways in Headley Way
Plan 2 - Headley Way, John Radcliffe Hospital Access
The lower pavement on the western side of the roadway, between Bowness Avenue and Coniston Avenue, and also 3 trees between Coniston Avenue and Derwent Avenue would be removed. Part of the grass verge on the eastern side would be removed in order to retain the lower pavement. Two trees on the western side of the roadway, south of the junction with Staunton Rd (by house nos 146/148 and 150/152), would be removed.
Plan 3 - Headley Way, London Road
2 trees by Nos 185/187 and 193, as well as 6 on the east side between Woodlands Rd and London Rd and one on the opposite side of this stretch. Also 6 on the east side between Staunton Rd and Fortnam Close.
Bus Rapid Transit routes
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/11853214.New_bus_route_planned_across_nature_reserve_and_golf_course/