Jeremy Clarkson has slammed Oxfordshire’s inaccessible £51m park and ride as “wasted money”.
All major construction work at the 19-acre park and ride on the A40 eastbound in Eynsham was completed in January last year.
Despite this, the park and ride has lain dormant for over a year and a half, as it is not connected to the A40.
With the project far from completion, former Top Gear and Grand Tour star Jeremy Clarkson has had his say.
The 65-year-old lives close by, owning Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington as well as The Farmer’s Dog pub in Asthall, and wrote about it in his weekly column in The Sun.
“Near to where I live, the local council, which gets a quarter of its cash from the Government, decided to spend £51 million on a new park and ride facility next to the busy A40,” said Mr Clarkson.
“It was completed last year, and it’s very snazzy with 850 spaces, charging points for electrical cars, and attractive spaces where commuters can shelter from the rain.
“Lovely. Apart from one small thing: It’s not connected to the road network.
“Seriously, there’s no way anyone can access it, so it’s sitting there now, a gigantic blot on the landscape, and it cannot be used for parking or riding because neither a bus nor a car can get into it.
“So they have taken £51 million of your pounds. And wasted them. And they are doing that sort of thing every day across the whole country.
“It’s really not that difficult to get your head around what needs to be done. Don’t raise taxes. Just spend less.”
Oxfordshire County Council has now responded to Mr Clarkson’s column, suggesting the park and ride could be open for use in 2027.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: “The Eynsham park and ride and the A40 Eynsham park and ride to Wolvercote scheme – which included bus lanes, active travel improvements and the connection from the park and ride to the A40 – were planned to be delivered together.
“In late 2022, it became clear that cost pressures caused by high inflation would affect our ability to deliver the A40 Eynsham park and ride to Wolvercote scheme within the available funding.
“As the park and ride was funded by a separate ring-fenced grant and had received all consents and approvals, it made sense to go ahead with construction.
“We made this decision when costs were rising rapidly across all industries, and this has saved millions of pounds in inflation and construction costs. Any delays would have caused the price to rise further.
“The park and ride was completed on time and to budget in 2024. Ongoing maintenance is provided as part of the existing contract at no extra cost to the council, and the park and ride will be ready to use when the bus lanes are complete.
“We have submitted a planning application for the A40 Eynsham park and ride to Wolvercote scheme following Homes England’s funding confirmation in October 2024.
“Subject to planning consent, construction of the park and ride junction could start in early 2026 and be completed by 2027, allowing the park and ride to open for use.
“The anticipated completion date for the rest of the A40 Eynsham Park and Ride to Wolvercote scheme is summer 2028.”
