Access to Witney Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Side Roads Order (SRO)

Information about the compulsory purchase order and side road order

Confirmation of the orders 

On 30 September 2024, the Secretary of State for Transport issued her decision to confirm the CPO and the SRO.  The confirmed orders can be found below, together with the Inspector’s Report to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State’s Decision Letter. 

Background to the orders 

At the Cabinet meeting of 23 May 2023, our Cabinet members gave authority to make and advertise the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Side Roads Order (SRO) for the Access to Witney scheme.  These orders will enable the council to make highway alterations and improvements, and acquire the land necessary to construct the scheme. 

The CPO and the SRO (the Orders) were formally signed, sealed and dated by the council on 27 June 2023. Statutory notices of the making of the orders were officially published on 12 July 2023 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. statutory notices were also erected on site, and documents were placed at County Hall and Witney Library for any member of the public to view. 

Public inquiry

Following the making of the orders, there was an objection period, which ran until 8 September 2023. During this time, five objections were made, and, as a result, the Secretary of State for Transport decided to hold a public inquiry to determine whether the orders should be confirmed. Formal notification of the public Iinquiry was given by the Department for Transport and the inquiry took place on 12-13 March at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Oxford, Godstow Road, Oxford OX2 8BS. 

As part of the preparation for the public inquiry, the council submitted a document known as a Statement of Case, which set out the council's case for confirmation of the orders (see below).  

Appendix 1 to the Statement of Case is the ouncil's Statement of Reasons and relevant appendices (see below). 

As part of the preparation for the public inquiry, the council also submitted evidence (see below).  

Planning permission

On 5 June 2023, our Planning and Regulation Committee resolved to grant planning permission for the scheme. On 15 September 2023, a planning application pursuant to section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) was submitted by the council to ‘continue the development permitted by R3.0039/22 (construction of two new west-facing slip roads at the Shores Green junction of the A40; an off-slip to allow eastbound vehicles to exit the A40 on to the B4022 towards Witney and an on-slip to allow westbound vehicles to enter the A40 from the B4022 at this junction.

Two existing lay-bys to the west of the A40 overbridge will be removed to accommodate the construction of the slip roads) without complying with conditions 1 and 18, in order to replace a proposed shared-use path with a footway, merge two balancing ponds into one, re-align a drainage ditch, extend the highway boundary and make amendments to the landscaping scheme to include additional planting’. On 1 March 2024 the section 73 application was determined, and planning permission was granted for the scheme. 

What are the next activities?

The project is nearing towards the completion of the detailed design phase, and a principal contractor has been selected, to deliver the works for the scheme. 

Following the decision of the Secretary of State for Transport to confirm the orders, the council has undertaken the necessary publication and notification of the decision.  Public notices announcing the decision were placed in the London Gazette (SRO) and the Witney Gazette (CPO and SRO) on 23 October 2024, public notices were erected on site and all parties with land interests impacted by the scheme received packs of information. 

The statutory notices of confirmation can be found below. 

The publication in the press on 23 October 2024 starts a 6-week statutory challenge period, which runs until 4 December 2024. Any person who feels aggrieved by the orders may, by application to the High Court during this period, challenge the validity of the order(s) under section 23 of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981.  The grounds for challenge can be that the authorisation granted by the order(s) is not empowered to be granted or that there has been a failure to comply with any relevant statutory requirement relating to the order(s).  The grounds for challenge cannot be on the basis of the merits of the scheme. 

If this period expires without any statutory challenge being made, the powers given by the Orders will then be effective and can be used as necessary to deliver the scheme. 

Land impacts

The CPO provides for all land needed to 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 seeking to acquire all of the interests needed. for the scheme through private negotiation wherever possible.  The powers that the CPO provides for, 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
  • Statement of Case and appendices
  • Formal notice of the Inquiry; and
  • Proofs of evidence

Physical copies of the documents are available for public inspection and will remain available until the Public Inquiry 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 may be subject to change – the latest opening hours

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 - A40 Highway Model Forecasting

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)

Statement of case

Statement of case appendices

Appendix 2: Side Roads Order and Side Roads Order Plan

Appendix 3: Compulsory Purchase Order and Compulsory Purchase Order Plan

Appendix 4: Compulsory Purchase Order Notices

Appendix 5: Side Roads Order Notices

Appendix 6: Site Notices

Appendix 7: Statutory Compliance Certificates

Appendix 8: East Witney SDA Development Dependency and Trigger Point Assessment

Appendix 9: Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment (Rev 03 Septmber 2023)

Appendix 10: Oxfordshire Local Transport Plan 4 – Witney Area Strategy

Appendix 11: Scheme Planning Decision Notice

Appendix 12: Section 73 Planning Application Documents: Planning Cover Letter, Application Form, and Revised Landscaping Drawings

Appendix 13: Objections

Appendix 14: Landscape and Visual Impact section (6.6) and Noise section (6.8) of the ES

Formal notice of the inquiry

Proofs of evidence

Due to legal reasons, we have to publish documents that do not meet our accessibility guidelines. However, we have provided accessible versions below.

Proofs of evidence - accessible versions

Further documents