A new planning application has been submitted by M&S Foods Ltd to install a mini-roundabout on Nuffield Way. The proposal follows an earlier application that was withdrawn after concerns were raised by Oxfordshire County Council.
According to the application, the mini-roundabout is intended to improve access and make it easier and safer for vehicles leaving the retail park.
One issue highlighted during consideration of the earlier proposal was road safety. Nuffield Way includes a long, straight stretch where vehicle speeds can increase. The revised design introduces a more pronounced bend on the approach to the mini-roundabout, with the aim of encouraging slower speeds and improving safety.
Vale planning application: P26/V0816/FUL
Since the arrival of M&S Food, the retail park has become noticeably busier, with increased traffic movements in and out of the site.
Having been in a 40-plus car queue to get out of the retail park on Sunday afternoon, this seems a good idea. And no, it wasn’t a good time to call in to M&S but we were passing…….
Most of the time a roundabout will make quite a difference to traffic leaving the retail park however during the week day evening rush hour when traffic backs up along Nuffield Way toward the Tesco roundabout it’ll make no difference at all.
Blacklands Way needs to be opened at peak times weekday afternoons and weekends to give an alternative exit route on to Collwell Drive for those using the retail park/industrial estate. The sheer volume of traffic all converging on the Tesco’s roundabout / A34 from all directions is becoming a nightmare. It delays bus services (X1/X15) in both directions too. M & S Food will naturally attract shoppers from far and wide and naturally be more popular than Homebase was – the danger is that the congestion will put people off from going to other retail outlets (Lidl/ B & M) etc and they may start losing customers. Yes, the mini roundabout might help at some times of the day but between 4 & 6 on a weekday afternoon – will make little difference. And then of course there is the construction of the roundabout to be considered and the inevitable traffic lights that will need to be used!! This should of all been dealt with years ago – here’s hoping …
Agree about Colwell Drive. Understand that it’s a business park, but the amount of traffic that now funnels through the little McDonalds roundabout and past Tescos is so heavy. It makes no sense to have a little gated community business park with a wide road that’s empty, and then a choked up road past the town’s hospital.
Fairacres is busier than it ever was, the queues are back to what they were before internet shopping came in, but now there’s added chaos of increased population and even more cars on the road.
Blacklands Way should be opened up, too. I’m sure they’d disagree though…
There also needs to be more dropped kerbs down Nuffield Way, can’t get a pushchair or anything up and down the kerbs easily. And the more food shops they add that end of town, there needs to be safer cycle and foot access to them, as not everyone has a car.
I hope that once the Lodge Hill full slips open that will alleviate some of the pressure on that area.
Can we do something to make it easier for pedestrians. I work at Brewers and it is a nightmare to go across to the M&S. You have to run to avoid getting ran over by cars with how busy it is.
And whilst we’re on the subject of traffic problems in North/West Abingdon – what is going on with that ‘cut-off’ at Peachcroft Roundabout which is still not completed in what must be 2 years? Last I heard it was ‘on hold’ waiting on Thames Water (surprise surprise) to complete work on additional drainage required for the new housing estates – but nothing seems to be happening with them there – anyone have any news on that – will it be completed before the full Lodge Hill junction is finished???
Councillor Nathan Ley has been providing detailed updates on this saga- the most recent was at https://cllrdrnathanley.substack.com/p/pipes-permits-and-purgatory-the-peachcroft?r=7ader
Thank you for the update and the link Hester – makes very interesting reading and explains the problems they’ve encountered what was probably meant to be a ‘simple project’ – infact actually anything but. Look forward to seeing the update from their May meeting. The fact that the work now has to follow the main north/south carriageway ‘through’ the roundabout has to be a logistical nightmare for all concerned – good luck.