Caution urged by local stakeholders on plans for six new park and rides in Oxfordshire
A county council study has recommended six sites for new park and rides
Plans move forward for new and expanded park and ride locations across Oxfordshire while a £51 million site sits unused but critics argue the scheme could create pressure on surrounding areas from the increased capacity.
A county council study has recommended six sites for new park and rides, the swift start of operation at the Eynsham facility and expanded capacity at existing locations.
The A4074 corridor at Land South of Grenoble Road and Cumnor Hill could both receive new sites with around 600 parking spaces.
The new Cumnor Hill facility would be in part to mitigate Seacourt Park and Ride flooding.
A new 1,100-space service was recommended for Oxford Airport, in part alleviating a reduction in capacity at Peartree Park and Ride.
Berinsfield, Golden Ball and Lodge Hill are also being considered for “additional or alternative” park and ride capacity.
The report recommends that the Eynsham Park and Ride “begins operating in the short term”, adding that “the council is working with bus operators to operate the park and ride as soon as practicable and safe to do so”.
Eynsham was completed in 2024 and its operation, two years on, relies on the building of an “access junction” which is awaiting planning permission.
It is expected to open by the start of 2027.
In a scrutiny committee meeting on April 22, strategic transport manager at the council, Ben Smith, said its park and ride policy, including potential for new sites, is “under review”.
This has received support from Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel co-chair, Robin Tucker, but he has called for further analysis.
He noted that Oxford has the longest operating park and ride in the country, Redbridge, which opened in 1973.
Mr Tucker said: “Park and ride was one of the first tools that Oxford used to tackle its traffic problems, and we support them in general.
“Before they are expanded, we’d like to see analysis of journeys to see if it’s better to improve complete bus routes to tackle more of the journey and help the thousands of people with no car.
“This should also include improving access to bus routes, so people can walk, wheel or cycle to the bus, which is part of the county’s mobility hub plan.”
He noted “none of this works if the city’s roads are congested” and he praised the congestion charge scheme.
Park and rides have received congestion charge-raised funds, with the county council offering free park and ride bus journeys in Oxford until May 31.
Decisions are to be made on the future of this scheme, with potential for free NHS worker and teacher travel paid for by charges on drivers in the city.
County and city councillor David Henwood (Independent Oxford Alliance), “welcomed” a new park and ride but questioned whether new 600-space sites would deliver “comparable benefits” to existing larger park and rides with between 850 – 1,300 parking capacity.
He said: “Council officers have suggested that the reduced scale is intentional, aiming to encourage ‘modal change’ away from private car use and towards alternatives such as cycling.
“However, this ambition sits uneasily alongside wider trends.”
He referred to the potential Grenoble Road location as a “pocket park and ride” or a smaller cousin, “Tiny Tim” site.
Mr Henwood noted: “The reduced capacity of the new site may increase pressure on surrounding areas, including Blackbird Leys, Sandford and Littlemore, particularly if demand exceeds supply.
“Nearby amenities such as The Vue leisure centre already attract significant visitor numbers, and any displacement of parking could have knock-on effects for residents and businesses.”
He added concerns about car parks being built on green belt land, saying his party would “favour a hybrid solution that makes better use of existing brownfield sites” partnering with “major local employers” for public parking on “underutilised areas of their sites”.
Ian Loader, chairman of Cyclox, thinks the proposals would make a difference for cyclists.
He said: “Safe and inclusive cycling in Oxford requires reducing levels of motor traffic in the city.
“Only by doing this can we create space for dedicated cycle lanes and redesign dangerous junctions.
“Park and rides are a vital tool in achieving traffic reduction.”
County Councillor Hao Du (Reform) stated: ” Fundamentally, park and ride must not be treated as a substitute for proper road infrastructure for motorists.”
He said that for many people, including tradespeople with tools, shift workers, parents on the school run and shift workers, “park and ride simply isn’t a practical option”
Mr Du added: “Their needs are real and they cannot be designed out of the transport network.”
While he does not oppose the expansion of facilities, he “would urge caution against treating expansion as an automatic priority” and wants transparency on a cost-benefit case.
The call for transparency has also been made over the non-operational Eynsham site.
In January of this year, county councillor Liam Walker (Conservative) marked the second year of the site’s construction with cake.
He said the project has become a “complete embarrassment for the Liberal Democrat administration at County Hall”.
Mr Walker added: “Millions of pounds have been spent on a site that people simply cannot get to, and that failure sits squarely with their political choices.”
He has stated that while the site remains empty, £10,000 is being spent on security and maintenance every month, equating to hundreds of thousands of pounds over the last close to two and a half years.
A spokesperson for the local authority stated that proposed park and ride sites at Cumnor, Grenoble Road, Lodge Hill and Oxford Airport have been allocated for in district local plans, adding that “a new park and ride site at Berinsfield or Golden Balls could provide additional or alternative park and ride capacity in the longer term”.
They said: “Increasing park and ride capacity by delivering new sites, as well as improving facilities at existing park and rides, supports more sustainable growth and the council’s policies to reduce congestion and improve connectivity by public transport, walking and cycling.
“More detailed technical work would be required, and implementation of new sites will likely be subject to securing planning permission as well as required funding. The council will work with partners and stakeholders to help take proposals forward.”
On Eynsham, the spokesperson said while the park and ride and A40 improvements were “originally planned to be delivered together” this was not financially possible and “to avoid further cost inflation” the site was built without funds for the connecting junction.
They added: “Funding has now been secured from Homes England for the A40 Eynsham Park and Ride to Wolvercote scheme, which will connect the site to the A40, provide new bus lanes and improve active travel infrastructure.”