The Oxfordshire County Council (Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge) Scheme 2024 Confirmation Instrument 2025
Source: legislation.gov.uk (2025-07-02)

This Instrument confirms a Scheme to construct a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the navigable waters of the River Thames as part of the highway which Oxfordshire County Council are proposing to construct between Oxpens Meadow in the north and the Grandpont Nature Park in the City of Oxford, in the County of Oxfordshire.

Statutory Instruments

2025 No. 714

Highways, England

The Oxfordshire County Council (Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge) Scheme 2024 Confirmation Instrument 2025

Made

17th June 2025

Coming into force

3rd July 2025

The Secretary of State for Transport, makes this Instrument in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 106(3) of the Highways Act 1980(1 (\"#f00001\")) (“the Act”) and now vested in the Secretary of State(2 (\"#f00002\")):

In accordance with section 107(1) and (2) of that Act, the Secretary of State has taken into consideration the reasonable requirements of navigation over the waters affected and includes such plans and specifications as necessary.

1. This Instrument may be cited as the Oxfordshire County Council (Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge) Scheme 2024 Confirmation Instrument 2025 and shall come into force on the date on which notice that it has been confirmed is first published in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the Act.

2. The Oxfordshire County Council (Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge) Scheme 2024 (“the Scheme”) is hereby confirmed.

3. The Scheme as confirmed including its Schedule and plans are set out in the Schedule to this Instrument and copies of the Scheme with its accompanying plans are deposited at the offices of the Department for Transport, Deposited Documents Service, MHCLG, 1 Priory Square, Priory Street, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1EA and at the offices of Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND.

Signed by Authority of the Secretary of State

Martin Gilmour

A Senior Civil Servant in the Department for Transport

17th June 2025

Article 3

THE SCHEDULETHE OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL (OXPENS RIVER THAMES PEDESTRIAN/CYCLE BRIDGE) SCHEME 2024

THE HIGHWAYS ACT 1980

The Oxfordshire County Council (hereinafter referred to as “the County Council”) on its own behalf makes this Scheme in exercise of its powers under Section 106(3) of the Highways Act 1980 and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf.

1. The County Council is authorised to construct over the navigable waters of the River Thames, the bridge specified in the Schedule to this Scheme as part of the highway which they are proposing to construct between the Oxpens Meadow in the north and the Grandpont Nature Park in the south in the City of Oxford, in the County of Oxfordshire.

2. This Scheme may be cited as The Oxfordshire County Council (Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge) Scheme 2024.

Given under the Common SealOf the County Council on the 25th day of April 2024CSTHE COMMON SEAL OF132/24OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCILwas hereunto affixed in the presence of:-Duly Authorised Officer

Article 3

THE SCHEDULE TO THE SCHEME

Plans and specification of the Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge

The location and general design of the Oxpens River Thames Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge are shown on the plans numbered OXPEN-STN-GEN-ALL-RP-S-0101 PO2 and OXPEN-STN-GEN-ALL-RP-S-0102 PO1 annexed hereto.

POINTS OF COMMENCEMENT AND TERMINATION

The bridge is located with its northern abutment adjacent to the Oxford Ice Rink (Postal Code OX1 1RX), and its southern abutment within Grandpont Nature Park.

From the Northern abutment, the bridge projects across the floodplains of the Oxpens Meadow and continues over the River Thames to land in the Grandpont Nature Park.

With a structure references No. 6118, the bridge is located at Ordnance Survey Co-ordinates E450815 N205666 (SP 50815 05666).

SPAN

The structure has 5 spans: 1 span between the southern abutment and the southern pier 13.95 metres; 1 main span of 37.5 metres over the Thames and 3 spans over the flood plain between the pier on the northern side of the Thames and the northern abutment each 15.78 metres of length.

HEADWAY

The minimum sofit level of the bridge is 58.6 metres Above Ordnance Datum giving a 400 millimetre clearance above the current air-draught requirement of the upstream railway bridge at 58.20 metres Above Ordnance Datum upstream. Downstream, air draught requirements are set by the Gasworks Bridge at 58.40 metres Above Ordnance Datum.

The sofit of the deck remains relatively level across the entire water span rising in a maximum mid channel, with the minimum headway at the north and south banks.

WATERWAY

No reduction to the existing clear navigable waterway between the southern bank and the northern bank is proposed.

OVERALL DIMENSIONS

The overall length of the bridge including parapet sections on the abutments, will be 111.6 metres. The bridge will at its maximum be a width 4.8 metres and will accommodate a 3.5 metres shared user facility. The bridge will be bounded by 1.4 metres high parapets on either side of the bridge, with structural arched sections raising above this to a height from the deck of 2.355 metres and 61.31 metres Above Ordnance Datum.

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument)

This Instrument confirms a Scheme to construct a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the navigable waters of the River Thames as part of the highway which Oxfordshire County Council are proposing to construct between Oxpens Meadow in the north and the Grandpont Nature Park in the City of Oxford, in the County of Oxfordshire.

(1)

1980 c. 66 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/1980/66\"). Section 106(3) is amended by section 1(6) of, and paragraphs 1 and 34(1) and (2) of Schedule 1 to the Infrastructure Act 2015.

(2)

S.I. 1981/238 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/1981/238\").