A controversial relief road has been criticised as being "poor value for money" by a parish council.

Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to build the Watlington Relief Road (WRR) were originally submitted to an independent planning authority in January. 

The county council has repeatedly said the scheme is a "priority", as stated in a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, September 17.

Shirburn Parish Council sent a briefing paper to Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) in advance of the 2025/26 Budget criticising the scheme, which has been shared with us. 

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The letter said: “Members may have experienced the county council routinely refusing to commit to implementing even inexpensive traffic calming, or critical road safety measures, until it is certain full funding is available.

“Yet members are being asked to accept liability in the 2025/26 budget to fund the most expensive form of intervention, both financially and for climate – a new road – because the council has no external funding.

“OCC officers have said a road scheme at Watlington has no strategic importance.

“Funding a WRR ahead of schemes of strategic importance to the county is by definition poor value for money.

“Watlington is not a priority for investment for road safety."

Whilst the parish council states the road is needed “to reduce the number of accidents on our narrow streets”, the county council responded in September to say it does not have a record of road casualties.

The parish council's letter added: “Funding the road would take money from schemes that a good number of members are campaigning for around the county based on a record of serious and fatal recorded road casualties, but are told there is no money.”

(Image: Shirburn Parish Council) In an additional statement to the Oxford Mail, the parish council said: “Shirburn Parish Council would encourage councillors to discuss priorities with their residents for next year.

“Where in next year's budget is the money to construct the road coming from? What road safety schemes or other services will the council have to cancel to fund building a road?

“The council has no reliable cost estimate and its experience of road building projects is they are always far more costly than budgeted for.”

In a written statement given in advance of the county council meeting, Andrew Gant, cabinet member for transport management, said: “Regarding any new road schemes, the part of the capital programme which is intended for this purpose is, in the main, directly funded from external sources – generally grants from Central Government agencies." 

When approached for comment, a spokesman from the county council said that Watlington Relief Road remains a priority.

He added: “Traffic calming and road safety measures have played (and will continue to play) a key part in the overall budget setting process for this administration and, importantly, the county council will continue to ensure that safety remains at the heart of any new road design and construction programmes.

“The WRR scheme is seeking to bring much-needed mitigation to a legacy of congestion, noise and air pollution within the historic town of Watlington, whilst also facilitating more sustainable modes of transport (including cycling and walking).”

They also said that the scheme has been developed in consideration of the county council’s approach to respect of ‘decide and provide’, along with the guidance and requirements set out within the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF),

In the letter, Shirburn Parish Council claims that the relief road does not meet these criteria.

The project will be funded by a combination of Housing and Growth Deal funding from the central government, Section 106 contributions from developers and county council funds.

The plans for the relief road were submitted to the planning authority at the end of October, with a public consultation set open.

Funding for the Watlington Relief Road will be decided in the county council’s 2025/26 Budget in February 2025.

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About the author  

Esme is a Local Democracy Reporter covering politics, planning and council meetings across the county. 

She joined the Oxford Mail in October 2024 after completing a Master's in Journalism at the University of Sheffield.

Esme achieved a BA in History at Cambridge University before going down the journalism path.

She can be found on X by searching @esme_kenney.