You may be aware of upcoming changes to the road access to Kingsgrove, involving the Elder Way entrance off Reading Road becoming a bus only entrance, known as a ‘bus gate’.
The introduction of a bus gate is a requirement of the original planning consent, details of which are set out in the s106 legal agreement dated 13/07/15 associated with that consent. It is a requirement from Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) that must come into place prior to 280th occupation of the ‘main area’ at Kingsgrove. The ‘main area’ excludes the Phase 1 parcel of 70 dwellings.
The original requirement in the S106 legal agreement dated 13/04/15 was to introduce the bus gate by 180th occupation of the ‘main area’ however, this trigger was extended to 280th occupation of the ‘main area’ via Deed of Variation to the original S106 legal agreement dated 13/11/2017. The principle of introducing the bus gate was not changed via the Deed of Variation to the original S106 legal agreement.
The changes to road access will ensure that traffic entering and leaving the new development at the junction is kept to a minimum, helping the safe free flow of traffic on the A417 and reducing the volume of traffic around the development.
St. Modwen and Oxfordshire County Council are in the process of building the new Wantage Eastern Link Road (WELR) which will then form the main access to Kingsgrove. The first part of the road, from Reading Road to Rutherford Road will be opening in the summer, with the rest of the WELR to follow. The bus gate will not come into operation until the first section of the WELR is complete.
For further details on the bus gate consultation including the Public Notice, Statement of Reasons, Consultation Plan and Draft Traffic Regulation Order 2022, as well as your chance to submit comments, please visit the website here: www.letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wantage_a417crabhill_busgate2022.
The new road access routes are indicated by purple arrows on the map below, while the bus gate entrance is shown by the orange arrow.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
