A POPULAR route for pedestrians and cyclists near Oxford railway station needs resurfacing as it suffers flash flooding when it rains.

Liberal Democrat county councillor John Howson is urging Network Rail to resurface Roger Dudman Way, which runs behind the station.

Accessed from Botley Road, the route links up with a path connecting West Oxford with Jericho.

Mr Howson, who lives in West Oxford, said he has raised the issue in the past with Network Rail but is still waiting for something to be done.

Oxford Mail:

He added: “If this road was the responsibility of the county council then I do think the work would have been carried out a while ago.

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“There are about 1,000 or so students living in the Castle Mill flats and other residents and when it rains heavily the road surface gets flooded.

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“It’s a very useful route between West Oxford and North Oxford but pedestrians and cyclists deserve something better - and there's no pavement.

Oxford Mail:

“There’s a section of the road running for about a quarter of a mile from the Botley Road until the footbridge which connects with land now owned by Oxford University.

“There are patches of it which flood very quickly as soon as there is heavy rain.”

Mr Howson said he did not want Network Rail to wait until a ‘masterplan’ for Oxford station went ahead before resurfacing work was carried out.

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The councillor added: “They could simply surface-dress the road - and I will contact Network Rail again to suggest that something needs to be done soon.”

In 2011 street lights were installed in Roger Dudman Way, in an unlit section running behind the railway station from Botley Road to blocks of flats in Venneit Close and Oxford University student accommodation.

Oxford Mail:

Susanna Pressel, the Labour councillor for Jericho and Osney, said: "This road has presented various problems over the years, though Network Rail is usually very helpful when I complain about things like litter or Japanese knotweed.

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“It used to be very dark at night and I had to campaign for years to get lights put in.

"Drainage should be improved because there are occasionally large puddles on the surface but conditions more generally are very poor for pedestrians and cyclists.

"There is no pavement whatsoever on the main part of the road, although it is used by large numbers of parents and young children on their way to the nursery or to the flats.

"This is dangerous and unpleasant.”

Roger Dudman, Lord Mayor between 1985 and 1986, died in 1990 and the route has been named after him.