Wantage 'bus gate' to be introduced in new development

Cars are to be restricted from driving through part of a new housing development in Oxfordshire.

The so-called "bus gate" will be introduced in Elder Way, Wantage, and will only allow buses, bicycles and taxis access to the A417 Reading Road.

The decision was made at an Oxfordshire County Council highway management meeting earlier.

Councillor Andrew Gant, head of highways, said it would make it a nicer, safer and cleaner place to live.

In May, some residents raised concerns in a consultation about increased journey times and that they had not known about the plans.

But Mr Gant said the proposal was part of the agreed planning permission.

He said: "All homeowners can drive to their homes, and they will be able to do so more easily because they will not be stuck in a congestion of cars going through their road."

He added: "This is a very big development so there will be a lot of construction activity for a considerable period of time to come, which involves large numbers of big vehicles, and one of the beneficial effects of this is those vehicles will not be going through residential streets..."

Emergency service personnel will be exempt from the restrictions.

Wantage Town Council said it believed once the new link road was completed a large proportion of the traffic will be taken off that section of the A417, negating the need of the bus gate.

It asked the decision be deferred until work on the road was completed.

Mr Gant said it would come into force when the roundabout on to the A417 was operational.

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