Sir, Councillor Margaret Davies is right to call upon Taylor Wimpey to build cycle paths on Great Western Park.

However, the one section already built, along Wantage Road, is a very poor design. The quality of the path is fine but it is practically unusable, and most cyclists who want to get anywhere are rightly choosing to stay on the road. There are seven Cyclists Dismount signs along the short stretch, none of which is required by Department for Transport regulations. Where the path crosses the estate access road, the Cyclists Dismount sign and Give Way markings are three metres away from the kerb. Why?

The Oxfordshire Strategic Economic Plan states that the Science Vale will have a cycle network ‘built to high standards ranking with continental best practice’. The Wantage Road section falls very short of this aim.

Oxfordshire County Council is currently producing a cycling strategy for Didcot and the Science Vale. I would suggest the building of new cycle paths along Wantage Road are delayed until this strategy has been adopted and then the plans agreed with the district council can be reviewed.

Wantage Road is a strategic cycle route to and from Didcot to the Harwell Campus and any cycle infrastructure must, easily, work for all cyclists, from fast commuters to school students and leisure cyclists.

Kevin Wilkinson Harwell Campus Bicycle Users Group Diamond Light Source Ltd Harwell Oxford Campus Didcot