Lib Dem Council confirms NO PLANS to improve critical junction

Earlier this year residents and commuters were pleasantly surprised when a failure of the traffic lights at the Orchard Centre junction in Didcot actually meant that traffic moved MORE easily!

The junction on Hitchcock Way has been a concern for a long time, not just for those accessing the shops at the Orchard Centre, but also for those travelling too and from Didcot railway station who find themselves stuck in long backlogs.

Didcot councillor, Ian Snowdon, has raised the issue on several occasions with the Lib Dem-contolled county council, but they have now CONFIRMED that there are no plans to review the junction.

In the same email exchange it is clear that the council plans to do nothing until the end of the decade! The council has said "we want to wait to understand the impacts of the [Northern Perimeter Road 3] on the local area... before conducting any further junction studies." The Northern Perimeter Road project is not due to be completed until the Autumn of 2029 - meaning it will be in the 2030s before the council will consider making long overdue changes!

Cllr Ian Snowdon is working with local campaigner Matthew Barber to put pressure on Oxfordshire County Council to make urgent changes to the junction.

Ian said, "They cannot keep kicking the problem down the road. The Orchard Centre is a great success for Didcot, but poor access is making it less attractive to shoppers and the delays impact people travelling through the town.

"The refusal to consider any changes shows that the council are not committed to tackling the problems that impact real people in our town."

Back our campaign to urge action to get Didcot moving again!

Whether you're going shopping, catching a train, or just trying to get through the town, this one junction causes so many problems - and Oxfordshire County Council have confirmed they plan to do nothing about it!

There are no improvements planned, at a time the council planning to close more roads to cars around the county as part of their "Quiet Lanes" scheme.

Back out call for action! Add your voice and share your experiences to put pressure on the Lib Dem-controlled council to prioritise improvements to the Orchard Centre Junction! matthewbarber.co.uk/orchardcentre.