Oxfordshire County Council has quashed reports that a link road between the M40 and Oxford Road in Banbury is in the pipeline.

Newpaper and radio reports stating the road was part of the council's future plans have been labelled 'irresponsible.'

The council has been quick to point out that the road was merely a suggestion and that nothing had been put on paper. It said if such a road was incorporated in future plans, it would be at least 2016 before it could be built.

The council's head of transport David McKibbin said: "Over the past two years we have been carrying out a study of the county's future traffic needs with a view to developing a long-term improvement strategy for inclusion in the Local Transport Plan.

"A public consultation showing the emerging strategy was carried out in March, including an exhibition at the Castle Quay in Banbury. One suggestion at the exhibition was a traffic relief scheme for southern Banbury. No route of any scheme was shown and no work has been carried out into any possible alignments for the scheme."

County council consultants are now fine-tuning their recommendations, which will be considered at the council's executive meeting in September.

David Robertson, the county council's executive member for transport, said: "I consider it irresponsible for speculative lines to be published that raise local concerns and worries unnecessarily." Consultations on that plan will be carried out in the Autumn of 2004 and the plan will be submitted to the Government in July 2005.

If the Banbury link road is included in those recommendations, and if it passes the various stages, work would begin then to identify possible routes.