A date has finally been announced for work to start on an improvement scheme for a town high street closed to traffic four years ago.
Oxfordshire County Council said it is finalising a draft design based on feedback gathered through engagement last year on the Witney High Street enhancements scheme.
The draft design will be shared for consultation in the autumn.
There will be public engagement events when the consultation has opened - with dates to be confirmed - and the council plans for construction to start in January 2025.
This is to ensure work will not overlap with the Christmas season and Witney’s annual festive celebrations.
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The £1.98m scheme, which is being funded from the government’s active travel fund has received public backing, according to a council report.
It showed overall, the scheme was supported by roughly 66 per cent of survey respondents.
£15,000 build outs were created late last year for pedestrian safety (Image: Contributed)
The most requested improvements for the High Street designs were better footway surfacing, more trees, more plants and gardens as well as more seating.
But there was a low participation from local businesses in both the online survey and workshops despite targeted communication.
A ban on most motor vehicles using the market town's high street was put in place in 2020 as part of a trial during the Covid pandemic to allow for wider footpaths and was made permanent in 2021.
During a county council consultation, 60 per cent of respondents said they objected or had concerns about the order being made permanent.
In April traders bombarded over 100 county, district and town councillors with demands to reopen the street.
Witney Chamber of Commerce wrote to the leader of Oxfordshire County Council Liz Leffman and copied in 128 councillors, blasting them for maintaining the closure "without any sort of a plan”.
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Chairman Richard Martin said: "So far, the High Street was kept closed by Oxfordshire County Council after Covid with zero plan, and against the judgment of its own consultation.
"Since then, zero plans, and another consultation that was so slewed that there was no question which actually asked if the road should stay closed or be re-opened.
"No sane business would do things in this bizarre fashion. But of course, this entire business has been nothing to do with safeguarding the prosperity of the town, and everything to do with making life difficult for car-users."
Oxfordshire County Council said the five key objectives to be achieved by the project are to enhance public spaces while protecting the town’s history and character, support local businesses and the markets, make it easier and more enjoyable to walk, wheel and cycle, upgrade access to public transport and improve safety for all users.
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