Cabinet, on 16 March 2022, resolved to:

1.    Approve, subject to agreement with Oxfordshire County Council and Future Oxfordshire Partnership (formerly Oxfordshire Growth Board) an amended funding agreement to allow additional design fees to be drawn down from the funding allocation and delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, the Head of Law and Governance, and the Head of Financial Services, the detailed wording of an amended agreement to address the funding and programme issues; and

3.    Delegate to the Executive Director (Development) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, the decision on the preferred option for the bridge for consultation, and then the submission of a planning application if deemed appropriate. 

The Executive Director for Communities and People has subsequently been authorised to exercise this delegation due to a potential for conflict with the Executive Director for Development’s role on the OXWED board.

The decision is to agree the preferred option 3 to take forward into detailed design from the RIBA stage 2 report produced by Knight architects.

The option was selected from five options, all of which were scrutinised in the report, as the alternative that best meets the key design principles regarding the bridge alignment.  The preferred option will be taken forward to consultation and then the submission of a planning application if deemed appropriate.

Following RIBA 2 study of options, option 3 was chosen because:

·         It is the most economic and provides best value.

·         It is the most direct route to the City centre

·         It can use land in Oxford City Council control, so carries less risk.

·         It has greater certainty on the timing of delivery.

Decision taken by Stephen Gabriel, Executive Director (Communities and People) in consultation with Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery.