Partial end in sight to 'horrendous' road closure

A section of busy road which was set to be closed for up to six months could be reopened to road users in six weeks.

Part of Camp Road in Upper Heyford, near Bicester, has been closed since July 1 to allow a housing development to connect to a nearby sewage network.

The closure prompted local MP Calum Miller to write to two housing developers demanding "urgent action" to reduce disruption for residents and businesses.

Oxfordshire County Council said the eastern side of Camp Road was scheduled to open to road users in six weeks, excluding HGVs and buses.

The initial closure stemmed from approved work by developer David Wilson Homes to connect a water pipe to Thames Water's sewage infrastructure.

The developer said "timescales required" meant it could not connect to the sewage network owned by an adjacent developer, Dorchester Living.

Deddington councillor Gareth Epps, speaking as a local councillor and not as cabinet member for transport, said the resulting traffic had been "pretty horrendous".

"The works have caused chaos... if we'd have been able to pause them to come up with a better way of working, we would have done.

"I think everyone has been frustrated with the situation."

Epps said despite putting the two developers together they had not been able to come to an agreement.

In a statement, David Wilson Homes apologised for the inconvenience, but that it had made "every effort" to minimise disruption with the "adjacent developer".

"Due to the timescales required to complete the works, the only available option was to proceed with the approved drainage strategy," it said.

"We will continue to monitor the works throughout to identify any further opportunities to reduce the impact for the local community where it is safe and practical to do so."

Paul Silver, CEO of Dorchester Living, said the disruption was "not related" to them.

"This is a frustrating time for the community including ourselves who have been prejudiced by surrounding greenfield development taking advantage of services off site operating at lower environmental standards," it said.

Oxfordshire County Council added it could not "require agreements between private parties in relation to land or infrastructure matters.

"Traffic management is the responsibility of the developer. While we are auditing it regularly, it is for the developer to manage efficiently."

The authority would make "daily checks" on the works to ensure the six-week schedule remained on track, it added.

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