What may or may not be approved for the spine road in Valley Park.
Summary
As of early October 2023, I think these are approved ready for construction:
- Junction of the A4130 into first phase 1T, the “top left/north west” of the site
- The 5 arm roundabout north end of link road on the Harwell-Didcot road
- The new junction off the link road at the south end of the site
Then approved in principle, but still needing specific construction plans are
- The two roundabouts connecting the site to the A4130 and the Science Bridge
- The full spine road.
Detail
I can’t see any specific spine road applications at all, so I checked the details of the outline planning permission.
Condition 4, page 2 of the decision notice letter, defines which plans are approved
The development hereby permitted shall be carried out:
in accordance with the approved plans and documents listed below:including
- A4130 Western Access Signalised Junction – Drawing 10219-HL-16 – 100- 003 B
- Science Park Bridge North-Eastern Access Strategy – Drawing 10219-HL-90D
- B4493 Southern Site Access Proposed Roundabout – Drawing 10219 HL-61- 100-004 Rev F
- Harwell Link Road Junction Location Access – GA – drawing 10219-HL-62- 100-04 C (Drawing 10219-HL-62 B)
And, substantially in accordance with the following plans and documents:
Including
- Valley Park Illustrative On Site Highways Plan – drawing 0154-07
From the folder of approved plans, here are links to the approved plans:
| A4130 Western Access Signalised Junction – Drawing 10219-HL-16 – 100- 003 B |
| Science Park Bridge North-Eastern Access Strategy – Drawing 10219-HL-90D |
| B4493 Southern Site Access Proposed Roundabout – Drawing 10219 HL-61- 100-004 Rev F |
| Harwell Link Road Junction Location Access – GA – drawing 10219-HL-62- 100-04 C (Drawing 10219-HL-62 B) |
| Valley Park Illustrative On Site Highways Plan – drawing 0154-07 |
I suspect ambiguity comes from the last plan, the “Illustrative On Site Highways Plan” which shows the route of the spine road and a supplemental spine road, which could be said to be approved. But it’s illustrative only, and they are certainly not construction plans. Here’s the top half of that plan:
Next bit of ambiguity is the Science Park Bridge North-Eastern Access Strategy document, with roundabouts B and B1. Again, this is not detailed enough to be a construction plan, so I think it lives by its name as a strategy document – permission in principle, but detailed plans needed before construction.
However, the other plans are construction plans, and hence there is approval for
The A4130 Western access, assume A on the plan above, which I think is to open up the first parcel, now approved Phase 1T, primrose.
The 5 arm junction at the north end of the link road
A new junction off the link road
Hope this helps, and if you find I’ve misinterpreted anything, do let me know by adding a comment..