New vote due on Oxford Grandpont Nature Park bridge plan

Oxford City Council will make the call at a 'special' planning review committee meeting on Thursday evening this week.

This comes as councillors at a planning meeting in March gave the green light to the Oxpens River Bridge which would link Osney Mead to Oxpens, the site of a new Oxford quarter.

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Some questioned the need for an additional bridge at the Grandpont Nature Reserve when there was already one "two-minutes away" and suggested it would "trash" the local habitat.

Last month's city council planning meeting. (Image: Noor Qurashi.)

Objectors say they will form a “Human Chain” at Grandpont Nature Park today (April 15) at 6pm to "illustrate woodland destruction".

A Save Grandpont Nature Park group spokesman said: "The new steel and concrete bridge, which comes before Oxford City Council’s planning review committee this Thursday, would see the only wooded section of the riverside path between Osney and Iffley almost completely destroyed. 

"Although the primary purpose of the bridge is to link up two new private commercial developments of Oxford University, it is to be funded by over £10million of public money from a fund intended to increase affordable housing.

To receive the chop. (Image: Contribution.)

"In fact, the new Science and Business Park at Osney Mead which the bridge is supposed to enable will worsen Oxford’s housing crisis by massively increasing housing demand without significantly increasing supply.

"The Osney Mead development would bring in 4,000 employees but the only housing provision planned is for 600 student rooms.

The bridge will link Osney Mead to Oxpens. (Image: Oxford City Council)

"Given that the site is part of the flood plain, and will feed into a sewage treatment plant which is already overcapacity, the Osney Mead will likely not be built for at least a decade, if at all."

Oxford City Council says the bridge will unlock housing on Osney Mead and give residents active travel choices into town.

We have contacted the authority for further comment over the claims made by the Save Grandpont Group.

Councillor Naomi Waite, of the Hinksey Park ward, said: "I know there are strong feelings around the proposed bridge amongst residents and I welcome all such views being expressed in a respectful way in the lead up to the planning review meeting.

Naomi Waite. (Image: Oxford City Council.)

"I am confident councillors will consider the issue carefully and arrive at a considered view."

At a previous meeting, security was called to the room after an objector questioned claims made by a councillor on the planning committee.

The application was passed with five councillors approving, two refusing and one abstaining.

Under the plans, the new housing would incorporate graduate, post-doc and staff facilities, located at the linking Oxpens site.