Latest Updates

• Correspondence with Thames Water regarding their works at Osney Bridge 24/07/2026
• Response from the city council regarding footpath closure 24/07/2026
• My letter to the city council regarding Grandpont Nature Park footpath closure 23/07/2026

• My letter to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander regarding delay to Botley Road reopening 22/07/2026 

   

Statement on the Botley Road Closure - 24/07/2026

Like many residents, I was furious to hear Network Rail's announcement this week that Botley Road will not reopen on 31 August as promised. After years of disruption, residents and businesses had every reason to expect that this deadline would finally be met. Instead, local people are once again being asked to endure further delays, uncertainty and inconvenience. 

What makes this particularly frustrating is that it comes on top of several other significant transport and access issues affecting West Oxford at the same time. While these projects are being managed by different organisations, residents experience them as one combined problem, and the cumulative impact is impossible to justify.
 

Botley Road

On 22 July, Network Rail announced that Botley Road will remain closed for 4-6 weeks beyond 31 August. Network Rail has stated that the latest delay is the result of gas leaks being identified on SGN's network beneath the road and the subsequent need for SGN to replace a section of ageing gas main.  

Residents will understandably ask how issues requiring such significant additional works have emerged so late in a project that has already experienced years of delay. People are right to expect answers, transparency and accountability. Residents will also reasonably want to know when these issues first became apparent, whether they could have been identified earlier, what steps are now being taken to prevent any further avoidable delays, and who is ultimately accountable. 

Following the announcement, I wrote immediately to the Secretary of State for Transport with these questions. As I said in my letter, the reaction across Oxford has been one of anger, disbelief and profound frustration. Residents and businesses have shown extraordinary patience throughout years of disruption. That patience has now been exhausted.

I am also continuing to raise constituents' concerns directly with Network Rail and will keep pressing for clear information and a realistic timetable for reopening.
 

Thames Path and Grandpont Nature Park Closures

Many residents have also contacted me regarding the planned closure of sections of the Thames Path and routes through Grandpont Nature Park from 27 July as part of the Oxpens Bridge project. 

Ordinarily these routes might be considered recreational paths. However, during the prolonged closure of Botley Road they have become an important active travel corridor linking West Oxford with the city centre, carrying commuters, school pupils, families, cyclists and other residents every day.

Alongside Councillor Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport, I have written to Oxford City Council expressing serious concerns about both the timing and duration of these closures, particularly in light of the latest delay to Botley Road.

We have asked whether the current proposals can be reconsidered, sought clarification regarding the decision to close both routes simultaneously, and requested further information about diversion routes, accessibility, communication with residents, and what steps are being taken to minimise disruption.
 

Osney Bridge

At the same time, Thames Water's ongoing works at Osney Bridge continue to cause concern.

Constituents have seen anticipated completion dates change a number of times, and many people remain unclear about when different parts of the bridge and surrounding routes will fully reopen. 

I have therefore written to Thames Water seeking greater clarity about anticipated reopening dates for pedestrian, cycle and vehicle access, as well as access to the Thames towpath, so that residents can receive clear and accurate information about what will be available and when.
 

Traffic Filters

The latest Botley Road delay has also affected Oxfordshire County Council's plans for the introduction of the traffic filter trial. 

The County Council has now confirmed that it cannot yet say when the trial will begin, or when the current temporary congestion charge arrangements will end, until there is greater certainty about the reopening date of Botley Road. 
 

Continuing to Press for Answers

Residents and businesses across West Oxford deserve better than a constant stream of revised deadlines, uncertainty and new obstacles. 

They deserve clear information, realistic timescales, proper coordination between organisations, and genuine accountability when things go wrong. 

I will continue pressing Network Rail, Thames Water, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council for answers, and I will continue to keep residents informed as more information becomes available. 

Given the level of public concern about these issues, I will also be publishing relevant correspondence on my website and social media channels where appropriate. Residents deserve to see the questions being asked on their behalf and the responses being provided by those responsible for these projects.