Since being elected, I have campaigned tirelessly to ensure that we finally address the issue of congestion on the A40.
I have met with Minsters, bringing the Secretary of State for Transport to the A40 to see the congestion for himself, and have been working with local councils and local transport groups to work on solutions to this long-running issue. I am working hard behind the scenes to ensure that West Oxfordshire can secure the necessary funding to deliver the improvements we need.
I presented a public petition to Parliament in December 2017 calling for action to address congestion on the A40 between Witney and Oxford, which was signed by thousands of local residents. I have also led a Parliamentary debate on A40 congestion, and contribute frequently to debates to raise the need for upgrades on the road.
Watch me present my A40 petition here!
In March 2018, it was announced that Oxfordshire County Council's bid for the Housing Infrastructure Fund, which would bring over £100 million of funding for upgrades the A40, had moved to the next phase. This is fantastic news and we are one step closer to addressing this issue, and I will continue to work hard to ensure we get the funding for these essential improvements. You can read more about this bid here. I have energetically supported the bid, and continue to campaign to deliver this major funding for our area.
The Government also recently consulted on the creation of a Major Road Network (MRN) - an initiative I had myself raised with Ministers in the Department for Transport. The creation of an MRN will allow for dedicated funding from the National Roads Fund to be used to improve this middle tier of our busiest and most economically important local authority ‘A’ roads. You can read these proposals in detail here. I have of course responded in support of these proposals, as they could unlock more funding to help ease congestion on the A40. You can read my response below.
