Opponents of Expressway road set to pack out village hall near Milton Keynes

Precise details route of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway have been delayed because of rules surrounding the general election but residents of Woburn Sands and Wavendon fear it will cut their communities in half.

Previous meetings in the area on the topic have seen standing room only.

Now opponents have organised a public meeting at Mary Adams Hall in Aspley Hill, on Tuesday, December 3, from 7.30pm. It will be chaired by Cllr David Hopkins (Cons, Danesborough & Walton).

One concerned resident said: “The prospect of thousands of lorries thundering daily through our peaceful valley on the way to and from docks at Southampton and Felixstowe is too awful to contemplate.

“Roads here are already heavily congested in rush hour. And when there is a problem on the M1, our local roads get clogged up. With this plan it would be total gridlock. If this is the future, I dread it.”

A spokesman for Highways England said consultations have been put on hold during the general election.

He said: “We’ve been working hard to prepare for the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway consultation. However, we are not currently able to proceed with public consultations for this or other projects due to the General Election purdah period. We expect to provide a further update next year on the timeline for the project’s ongoing development.”

It will also depend on the project having the support of the new Government.

Milton Keynes Council, which has signed a secrecy agreement with Highways England to have an input to the process, has changed its position.

It used to support the road but now has attached some conditions, including electrification of the planned new East West Railway. Council leaders have been under pressure to change their stance to outright opposition.