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Access to Witney Compulsory purchase order (CPO) & side road order (SRO)

Information about the compulsory purchase order and side road order

At the Cabinet meeting of 23 May 2023, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet members gave authority to make and advertise the compulsory purchase order (CPO) and Side roads order (SRO) for the Access to Witney scheme.  

The CPO and the SRO (the Orders) were formally signed, sealed and dated by the council on 27 June and will shortly be submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport for confirmation.

These orders, if confirmed by the Secretary of State for Transport, will enable the council to make highway alterations and improvements and to acquire the land necessary to construct the scheme.

On the 27 June 2023, the CPO and SRO were made, and Statutory Notices of the Making of the Orders were formally published on 12 July in the Witney Gazette and the London Gazette.  All parties impacted by the Orders i.e., those parties who have an interest in land impacted by the Scheme, were served with a pack of information to assist them in understanding the Orders and statutory notices were erected on site.

Following the making of the Orders, the Scheme entered an objection period, which will end on 8 September 2023.

On 5 June 2023, Oxfordshire County Council’s Planning and Regulation Committee resolved to grant planning permission.

What are the next activities?

The project will now enter the detailed design phase where a design consultant will be appointed to progress on the existing preliminary design and a build contractor will be engaged to develop delivery plans.

During the objection period, any party may make an objection to the Secretary of State, as discussed further under "Your right to object" section below. If objections are received, the Secretary of State will consider these and may decide to call an Inquiry into the Orders.  This will be a public Inquiry, open to anyone that may wish to attend.  Further details about this will be provided in due course if this decision is taken by the Secretary of State.

If no objections are received, or if the Secretary of State decides that there is no requirement for an Inquiry, the Secretary of State will then consider the Orders and make a determination on whether or not the Orders should be confirmed.

The CPO provides for all land that is needed to both deliver and construct the Scheme.  Parties impacted have been contacted about the impact of the Scheme on their land interest and the council is committed to seek to acquire all of the interests that it requires for the Scheme through private negotiation.  The powers that the CPO will provide for, if confirmed, do not mean that the council will not continue to try to negotiate with parties, to deliver the Scheme within the appropriate programme and funding window.

Queries regarding the impact on your land should be directed to Jessica Bere jessica.bere@gateleyhamer.com. Queries regarding the technical aspects of the Scheme should be directed to Gareth Slocombe gareth.slocombe@oxfordshire.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can contact - accesstowitney@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 Document publication

There are several documents relevant to the CPO and SRO. These documents are:

  • the CPO and Order Schedule,
  • the Order Map,
  • the SRO and SRO Schedule,
  • the SRO Plan,
  • the Joint Statement of Reasons,
  • the appendices to the Joint Statement of Reasons, and
  • General Arrangement Drawing(s)
  • Statutory Notice of Making of the CPO
  • Statutory Notice of Making of the SRO

Physical copies of the documents are available for public inspection from 12 July - 8 September 2023 at the following locations:

Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, Oxford OX1 1DJ
Monday – Thursday 8:30am – 5pm
Friday 8:30am – 4:30 pm.

Witney Library, Welch Way, Witney OX28 6JH
Monday – 9am – 7pm
Tuesday - 9am – 1pm
Wednesday – Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 9am – 4:30pm
Sunday – Closed

Note:  The library opening hours maybe subject to change – the latest opening hours

General Arrangement Plans

Side Road Order (SRO) and plans

Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and plans

Joint Statement of Reasons (SOR)

Statement of Reasons Appendices

Appendix 01 - Site Plan

Appendix 02 - Scheme General Arrangement Drawings

Appendix 03 - Cabinet Resolution to Make Orders and Officer Decision Notice

Appendix 03 Part 1 of 3 Decisions 23052023 1400 Cabinet.(pdf format, 773Kb)

Appendix 04 - Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal Funding Agreement and Delivery Plan

Appendix 05 – Extracts from West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 – Policy and Supporting Text

Appendix 06 – Witney Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (March 2023)

Appendix 07 – Access to Witney Transport Assessment

Appendix 08 - West Oxfordshire District Council’s 2022 Air Quality Annual Status Report

Appendix 09 – A40 Access to Witney Lay-by Review Report

Appendix 10 - A40Highway Model Forecasting Report for Access to Witney TA

Appendix 11 – Extracts from Environmental Statement - Volume I Chapter 5 Air Quality

Appendix 12 – Extracts from West Oxfordshire Local Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan

Appendix 13 – Equality and Climate Impact Assessment (ECIA) Report

Appendix 14 – Extracts from Environmental Statement – Volume I Chapter 7 Climate Change

Appendix 15 – Extracts from Environmental Statement - Volume II Appendix 17-A Schedule of Environmental Commitments

Appendix 16 – Cogges Link Road Inspector’s Report

Appendix 17 – Extracts from Environmental Statement - Volume I Chapter 3 Alternatives and Design Evolution

Appendix 18 – Options Assessment Report (OAR)

Appendix 19 - Statement of Community Involvement

Appendix 20 – Cabinet Approval of Preferred Scheme (Papers and Resolution)

Appendix 21- Access to Witney Planning Statement

Appendix 22 - Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP)

Statutory Notices

Your right to object

The CPO and SRO documents will be available for inspection up to and including 8 September 2023.  Until this date, any party may object to the confirmation of the CPO and/or the SRO by notice to the Secretary of State for Transport, at:

National Transport Casework Team
Tyneside House 
Skinnerburn Road 
Newcastle Business Park 
Newcastle upon Tyne 
NE4 7AR

or email nationalcasework@dft.gov.uk stating the title of the Order and the grounds for their objection.  

In the preparation of an objection and the statement of grounds of objection, it should be borne in mind that the substance of any objection or representation may be communicated to other people who may be affected by it.

If objections to the Orders are received, the Secretary of State for Transport may decide to hold a Public Local Inquiry into the Orders, which will be conducted by an Inspector appointed on the Secretary of State’s behalf.  If this decision is taken, the intention to hold an Inquiry will be communicated to all objecting parties and the date, time and place of the Inquiry will be formally publicised in due course.  This will include publication on this web page.

In submitting an objection or representation, it should be noted that your personal data and correspondence will be passed by the Secretary of State for Transport to the council to enable your objection or representation to be considered.  Where the Orders become the subject of Public Local Inquiry procedures, all correspondence is copied to the Inspector conducting the Inquiry and will be kept in the Public Inquiry library, where it is made available for public access.  If you do not wish your personal data to be forwarded, please state your reasons when submitting your objection or representation and the Secretary of State will copy your representations, with your name and address removed, to the council and if there is to be a Public Local Inquiry they will be seen in that form by the Inspector, who may give them less weight as a result.