People in Kidlington are set to benefit from improvements that will encourage cycling and walking in and around the village.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet has approved the Kidlington Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which will set out how to improve the village’s active travel network over the next 10 years and reduce the reliance on cars.

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Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “We have pledged to prioritise active travel, such as cycling and walking, over road capacity for cars. In fact, we need to radically embrace alternative modes of transport because our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan pledges to replace or remove one out of every four current car trips in Oxfordshire by 2030.

“Projects like this Kidlington LCWIP show practical ways that we can help people to reduce their reliance on cars for short journeys, and helps the council meet our objectives of tackling climate action, improving air quality, and creating a healthier Oxfordshire.

"We’re particularly keen on making it easier for children to cycle or walk to school as active travel becomes more attractive, comfortable and direct and this is the start of that journey.”

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The Kidlington plan is the third LCWIP to be developed in Oxfordshire, following on from Oxford and Bicester, which were approved in 2020.

It contains proposals for encouraging cycling and walking in the village and to neighbouring areas to reduce traffic congestion and support planned growth around the Kidlington area.

Implementing the plan is expected to make it easier for the council to negotiate funding from developers and the government once the design stage of the project begins.

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