CALLS to protect a rail crossing from being closed to vehicles will be listened to at a council meeting tomorrow.
Network Rail intends to close both the Sandy Lane and Yarnton Lane level crossings, replacing them with footbridges suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.
However, a petition to save the Sandy Lane crossing – which links Kidlington and Yarnton – reached more than 2,000 signatures.
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A motion has now been put forward to Oxfordshire County Council by Nigel Simpson, a county councillor for the Kirtlington and Kidlington North division.
His motion reads: “Oxfordshire County Council has acknowledged the climate change emergency.
“A major contributor to excessive CO2 output is unnecessary car journeys.
“The proposal by Network Rail to shut the vital link between Yarnton and Kidlington, by closing the rail crossing at Sandy Lane, will result in a significant increase in carbon emissions.
“Permanent closure would see drivers forced to use Frieze Way or Langford Lane, resulting in an average extra distance travelled of nearly two miles per journey.
“Based on current trends, this is estimated to result in an extra 4,750 miles travelled on weekdays and an additional 3,800 at weekends, resulting in one and a half million unnecessary miles per year.
“The cost of such surplus miles in money is hundreds of thousands of pounds to residents and businesses who rely on their cars, and extra pollution in the form of many tonnes of carbon emissions, contrary to the council’s environmental objectives.
“This would go directly against the council’s ambition to reduce CO2 output generated by transport and very significantly degrade the network of contacts that currently underpins the ancient and vital community nexus around the parishes of Yarnton, Begbroke, Kidlington, and Gosford and Water Eaton.”
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Mr Simpson’s motion calls for county council leader Liz Leffman to ‘urgently write’ to Network Rail, in order to oppose the proposed closure of the Sandy Lane crossing.
The motion also calls for the council’s cabinet to lobby for the crossing to be maintained with improvements, especially for cyclists and pedestrians.
Network Rail intends to close the Sandy Lane and Yarnton Lane level crossings in order to ‘improve safety and reduce the level crossing risk along the Oxford railway corridor’.
The closure would also increase the number of passenger and freight trains along the route.
The proposal for the Sandy Lane crossing would see the installation of a three-metre wide ramped footbridge, suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.
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This story was written by Liam Rice, he joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.
Liam covers politics, travel and transport. He occasionally covers Oxford United.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Liam.rice@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailLiamRice
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