Planning approval for Oxfordshire County Council’s HIF1 Didcot and surrounding areas infrastructure project was granted by the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government Angela Rayner, following a planning inspector’s report recommending that the scheme proceed to construction. The scheme was subject to a public inquiry earlier this year.

Oxfordshire County Council  have been planning the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF1) scheme for almost a decade. It is a nine mile road from the A34 at Milton to the Oxford Road (B4015) near Nuneham Courtenay.

With planning consent now in place, work continues to finalise detailed designs, and confirm and appoint contractors, the council said.  The decision on the statutory orders needed to secure all of the land for the scheme is awaited but private negotiations with landowners are in progress.

Construction is anticipated to start on site in early 2026 and take approximately two years.

The £332m scheme comprises:

• the dualling of the A4130 carriageway (A4130 Widening) from the Milton Gate Junction eastwards, including the construction of three roundabouts
• a road bridge over the Great Western Mainline (Didcot Science Bridge) and realignment of the A4130 north east of the proposed road bridge including the relocation of a lagoon
• • construction of a new road between Didcot and Culham (Didcot to Culham River Crossing) including the construction of three roundabouts, a road bridge over the Appleford railway sidings and road bridge over the River Thames
• construction of a new road between the B4015 and A415 (Clifton Hampden bypass), including the provision of one roundabout and associated junctions
• • controlled crossings, footways and cycleways, landscaping, lighting, noise barriers and sustainable drainage systems.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for travel and development strategy, said: “The approval of this application is fantastic news, as securing planning consent is a key milestone in proceeding with this project. This work is a big step towards tackling congestion in Didcot and the surrounding villages. It will transform travel in the Didcot area for current and future residents as well as commuters, reduce congestion in the surrounding villages, and improve air quality and noise levels.”

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