Frustration over scaled back High Street scheme

Shop owners say they are "very frustrated" that plans for an ongoing High Street regeneration have been scaled back due to increasing costs.

Oxfordshire County Council's £4.4m scheme for Witney High Street is nearing completion, following months of disruption for businesses and shoppers.

But rising costs and drainage issues mean the plans have been amended to include fewer trees, planted areas and benches - all a key part of the initial design.

Rob Steere, secretary of the Witney Chamber of Commerce, said he now felt the current proposals would now be a "very hard thing to say yes to".

"The business community chamber members are very frustrated because one of the elements that was hoped for was the beautification, the greenery," he said.

He suggested this would in turn "drive up footfall and drive up sales", which are "all the things that keep people employed and make a town thrive".

"Without that component, it is felt that we're missing out on a huge amount."

Construction on the long-planned proposals to make Witney High Street more pedestrian friendly began in May 2026, and is due to conclude in November.

Although access to businesses along the street has been maintained throughout the work, some have told the BBC the project has adversely affected trade.

"When they started the work, straight away we noticed 30% to 40% trade not as good as before," Henry Mo, owner of Sandwich-de-Witney, said.

He added that the scheme's amendments now meant "it wouldn't be worth it".

Dean Timms-Weaving, manager of the Blue Cross charity shop in the town, said the works were "really putting people off visiting and even donating".

"£4.4m is quite a lot of money to stick on a project that is making the community lose money - you've got to ask yourself, who is it benefiting?"

Oxfordshire County Council said amendments to the High Street design had initially been made "to deliver in-ground planting for trees at several locations".

But it said that during construction the "location of underground services" and "necessary drainage repairs" had "reduced some opportunities for "tree planting".

"Tree planting will still be carried out where feasible and two semi-mature trees will be planted at the northern end of the project area close to the junction with Welch Way."

The local authority added that it was "reaching out" to local stakeholders to "explore additional planting opportunities in the town centre".