A council has built a £51million park and ride site – but it can’t be used because funding for the road in and out won’t be sorted “for years”.
The 850 space car park in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, off the A40 was finished in January – apart from landscaping which is ongoing.
But a councillor claims it is going to remain “shut for a number of years” while Oxfordshire County Council find money to build the road in and out.
Plans for the facility on the A40 include a new roundabout to make it easy to access from either direction.
Liam Walker, a county councillor, said: “My understanding is that the park and ride site will soon be complete, but then it’s going to be shut for a number of years while the county council work to install the access.
“This is a disappointing and a backwards way to do things in my mind as it means the site cannot be used when we now have a regular bus service into Oxford passing and also into London.”
A county council spokesperson said that the idea it was going to be shut “for a number of years” was “not confirmed” and “options are being considered”.
Last July the county cabinet approved a new plan to complete the £180million overall A40 improvement plan in phases.
All major construction work at the park and ride, which will include cycle parking and electric vehicle charging points, was completed in January.
Landscaping is currently being done on the site.
Oxfordshire County Council estimates the facility has the capacity to cut up to a third of the peak traffic travelling in each direction on the heavily congested A40 between Witney and Oxford.
A county council spokesperson said: “Work to build the new 850 space Eynsham park and ride site is almost complete, on schedule and within budget.
“The county council is talking to funding bodies to finalise how and when the site will be connected to the A40.”
