New cycle and footpath opens connecting Milton Park to Sutton Courtney, Abingdon and Oxford
Published on 26 January 2021
A section of the new Science Vale Cycle Network, which is to provide greater cycle and foot connectivity between Milton Park and key urban centres such as Didcot, Abingdon and Oxford, is now open.
Route 3 (D) starts at Backhill Tunnel at Milton Park and goes north to the new bridge at Kelaart’s Field and connects into Oxfordshire County Council’s section to Milton Road in Sutton Courtenay. It also connects the local community to the Park for use of its amenities including the Park Club, Apollo Pharmacy and Post Office.
The route was funded by investment from MEPC and OxLEP, which secured funding via the government’s Local Growth Fund that has contributed £5.1 million in total to the SVCN project, of which circa £600,000 was for Route 3 (D).
Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “The completion of these five cycling routes is great news for this part of the county, and complements the work being carried out in Oxford, Witney and Bicester as part of the Active Travel projects. Having the infrastructure in place is a huge factor when it comes to persuading people to swap the car for the bike, and the Science Vale Cycle Network is just the sort of project that will make it easier to take the healthier option.”
Philip Campbell, MEPC commercial director, Milton Park said: “To have this key section of new infrastructure open at a time when people are telling us that they would like to travel to and from work using sustainable travel modes is a positive milestone. Our investment into this cycle and footpath, connecting to Oxfordshire County Council’s scheme, is part of our 2040 Vision to continue to provide people with sustainable travel modes and choices, ensuring that we play a part to improve local air quality and people’s health and wellbeing. Thank you to the project teams at the County Council, their contractors and our team for delivering the project. We hope that people enjoy using the new path and it helps to make their commute that little bit easier.”
Nigel Tipple, chief executive, OxLEP said: “The completion of such a significant project – that will have a positive impact on our business community – is excellent news, particularly in a post-COVID-19 economy.
“As the Local Enterprise Partnership for Oxfordshire, we will continue to play a vitally important role for the county moving forward, securing investment that enables new opportunities and effective connectivity that will benefit the county’s businesses for many years to come.”
