MUSIC fans heading to the Cropredy Festival are being warned to allow extra time for their journeys due to major roadworks in and around Banbury.

Over-running work on new flood defences for Banbury means that the A361 is closed both ways north of junction 11 of the M40, near Chacombe. This has blocked the normal route from the motorway to Cropredy, where the festival organised by folk group Fairport Convention takes place between August 11 and 13.

Pictured above is the roadblock on the A361, north-east of Banbury, just beyond the Chacombe turn, which was put into place for extensive flood alleviation work. In addition, the A422 Ruscote Avenue in Banbury is being resurfaced by Oxfordshire County Council, affecting traffic flows on the main roads through the town. As a result, the festival organisers have drawn up alternative routes to take festival traffic away from the town and keep it off narrow rural roads.

Cropredy spokesman Andy Farquarson said: “The festival is going ahead as planned and we have worked out a full traffic plan with the authorities. Inevitably that means using alternative routes, which may entail some delays. We are advising festival-goers to allow extra time for their journeys and not to use junction 11.”

He added: “Before lunchtime on Thursday, August 11, we want people to approach Cropredy on the A361 from the north at Daventry, then after lunch on the A423 from Southam, near Leamington Spa. This means that we can spread people around the various campsites.”