ANOTHER Oxfordshire council has written to the government to formally oppose any Oxford-Cambridge expressway.

South Oxfordshire District Council's leader, Sue Cooper, wrote to the new transport secretary, Grant Shapps, to tell him the authority believes there is 'no justification' for the project.

Last week, Debby Hallett, Vale of White Horse District Council's deputy leader, wrote to Mr Shapps to outline her authority's opposition.

Official figures suggest the expressway could cost between £3bn and £7bn.

Mrs Cooper wrote: "The proposed expressway will have significant adverse impacts on Oxfordshire: it will create a major source of air and noise pollution, destroy farmland and habitats, increase CO2 emissions and bring more traffic onto the county's roads.

"South Oxfordshire opposes this project in any guise – including the potential expansion of existing or new (the HIF-funded Thames crossing etc) roads to form part of it."

South and Vale districts could be affected by the new road.

Previous plans have suggested it could be built across the Green Belt in South Oxfordshire or that part of it could be built as part of a wider A34. That could lead to the demolition of some homes in Botley, just inside the Vale district.

The expressway could be built by 2030, according to Highways England's plans.