Witney High Street and Market Square enhancements scheme

A scheme to deliver active travel street improvements that support and maintain the new traffic arrangement on Witney High Street and Market Square. 

About the improvements

In 2023 we asked local people and businesses to help us design a plan for making enhancements to Witney High Street and Market Square by sharing what was important to them and what things they would like to improve. 

This community engagement identified several priorities to be taken forward in the designs. Most people support for all the project objectives:

• Enhance public spaces while protecting the town’s history and character
• Support local businesses and the markets
• Make it easier and more enjoyable to walk, wheel and cycle
• Upgrade access to public transport
• Improve safety for all users

People told us the improvements they wanted to see delivered in the project:

• Improved footway surfacing
• More trees
• More plants and gardens
• More seating
• More information on history and heritage

Why we are investing here?

Now that there are much fewer cars travelling through the High Street and Market Square, we can look again at how road space could be reallocated to make the town centre a better place to spend time for shopping or leisure.

The improvements would aim to complement the town’s history and character but would also help to improve the look and feel of Witney for visitors and for those arriving by walking, cycling or public transport.

Minimising the impact

As we have not approved a design option for construction, the traffic management arrangements are yet to be confirmed. We will coordinate future work to minimise the impact on local businesses, visitors and residents. Further details of this will be available on our website and in local notices closer to the construction stage.

How it is being funded

Oxfordshire County Council has been awarded £1.98m from the government's active travel fund - Active Travel England - GOV.UK

We asked people to share their thoughts on draft designs in a public consultation between 11 September and 9 October 2024, and held two public events, where people could share feedback.

The report is available on our Let’s Talk Oxfordshire page, and the council is now using the learning from participants to improve the designs. 

Following the 2024 public consultation, further design work and technical studies have been carried out to ensure the scheme is safe, accessible, and practical. 

These reviews have included independent accessibility and road safety audits, bus service assessments, underground service surveys, and ongoing engagement with local businesses and transport operators.

Key changes since consultation

• disabled persons parking bays: Adjusted from 12 to 10 fully compliant bays, compared with only six before COVID. These will be safer, more accessible, and better located
• loading and business access: Instead of fixed loading bays, businesses will now be able to load/unload on double yellow lines where safe, providing greater flexibility
• buses and taxis: An additional bus stop has been introduced for community transport. Taxi access will be permitted in the shared space after 5pm on weekdays and after 2pm on Saturdays, with a 16m taxi bay provided at all times
• Welch Way junction: The design has been revised to improve safety, with a new traffic priority arrangement and a central island to support cyclists making right turns

Next steps

A statutory consultation is open from 17 September to 17 October 2025, during which people can view the traffic orders and submit comments or representations.

All feedback will be reviewed before a report with recommendations is presented to a Cabinet Member for a Decision meeting later in 2025. Subject to approval, the final design will be published, traffic orders made, and construction is then expected to start in early 2026.

Timescales

Contact us

If you would like to know more about the project, you can contact us by email: witneyhighstreet@oxfordshire.gov.uk , or by writing to:

Witney High Street Project
Oxfordshire County Council
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND.