The bridge was first granted planning permission in 2024, and would provide a walking and cycling route between Oxpens Meadow to Grandpont Nature Park.
Oxford City Council announced on Monday (January 26) they had appointed Jacksons Civil Engineering Group to deliver the bridge, and that work would start in spring.
There have been a number of delays to building the bridge, including the judicial review by Friends of Grandpont Nature Park, which was dismissed in March last year.
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Balfour Beatty was supposed to deliver the bridge, but in December the city council confirmed that the contractor had decided not to continue with the project.
Councillors were supposed to debate a motion on whether to consider alternatives to the bridge at their meeting on Monday night (January 26).
But councillors ran out of time to discuss the motion, after a lengthy discussion of the draft local plan.
Dozens of protestors from Friends of Grandpont Nature Park gathered outside Oxford’s Town Hall before the meeting in support of the motion.
Protestors outside Oxford Town Hall against the Oxpens River Bridge (Image: Esme Kenney)
Speaking at the meeting, Dan Glazebrook, a member of the campaign group, said that the “incredible £14million price tag for the bridge would be far better spent elsewhere.
“For example – it is surely only a matter of time before there is a serious casualty on the A40 at Barton Park, where there have been several nasty accidents already as residents are forced to dodge speeding traffic every time they want to reach shops, schools or the doctor’s surgery.”
He added that the bridge would not provide a floodproof path out of Osney Mead.
Cabinet member for planning and culture Alex Hollingsworth responded: “The proposed bridge provides the opportunity for a new and convenient route across the river [that] will support the development of the west end as a vibrant quarter of the city and connect it to other parts of Oxford from the south to west to the city centre.”
Green councillor Lois Muddiman, who represents Osney and St Thomas, asked whether the council could delay signing the contract until the motion could be discussed.
But Mr Hollingsworth said: “This council has been trying to pursue the construction of this bridge for 20 years.
“I have absolutely no intention whatsoever to unnecessarily increase the cost further without purpose.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Glazebrook said that project was “a flagrant misuse of money intended to alleviate the housing crisis, which has instead been diverted into a pointless and destructive white elephant project that serves no useful purpose”.
“Local residents can see that clearly and will keep up the fight to save a much-loved and previous woodland from gratuitous destruction.”
Protestors outside Oxford Town Hall against the Oxpens River Bridge (Image: Esme Kenney)
The costs of the bridge have increased from £10.3 million to £14 million, due to delays caused by the judicial review, with the council seeking to meet the £3.7 million shortfall.
The bridge is expected to be craned into position in September, and the bridge is meant to be completed by February 2027.
The bridge has largely been funded through the Oxfordshire Housing and Growth Deal, which is money that was provided by the Government specifically for the bridge.
The motion notes that the Government “can and does vary the rules of the Deal from time to time”, and that the money could be repurposed for other active travel schemes.
