CYLING campaign group Cyclox has revealed projects it wants made priorities from an Oxfordshire County Council share of £114m from the Government.

The campaigners put forward three “shiny new projects” including a cycle route out to the new Oxford Parkway from North Oxford.

As one of eight ‘Cycling Ambition’ cities, Oxford can submit schemes to the Department of Transport for a share of the cash.

Cyclox chairman Simon Hunt said: “Cyclox would strongly support better access to Old Road Campus and Churchill Hospital sites.

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“We would also suggest attractive and inclusive cycle access into the planned new Oxford railway station from West Oxford, by adding walkways and cycleways on both sides of the road.”

The group said current routes around the city, such as Botley, Woodstock and Banbury Roads, London Road through St Clements out to Marston Road and Cowley Road, needed improving.

Yet, he said, these would not provide the “glitzy nugget” to attract government funding.

He said: “These routes have appalling sections.

“The new money over the next two to three years would be best spent on well-surfaced, joined-up, pothole-free, mainly segregated cycle paths designed for inclusive cycling along these routes.”

Last year Oxford got £835,000 of a £77m pot but Cyclox chairman Simon Hunt said a similar proportion would not be enough in future.

Mr Hunt said: “Patchy funding like this is never going to get Britain cycling.

“We need consistent, long-term, dependable funding rising from an initial £10 per head per year if we are to get near Dutch and Danish levels of cycling.”

Oxford City Council recently allocated a further £367,000 for projects to 2016 , such as extra park-and-ride cycle parking and signage.

The £835,000 awarded to the county council came after it bid for a scheme to redesign The Plain Roundabout, which is due to start at the beginning of next year.

Oxfordshire County Council and board member for Transport David Nimmo Smith did not respond to a request for comment. The campaign group said improvement to these routes to make them usable for all levels was imperative.

Mr Hunt said: “The direct network routes within Oxford city are at present very fragmented, cobbled-together as poorly-designed afterthoughts.

“They are woefully shoddily maintained.

“They aren’t designed as they should be for inclusive cycling, that is, for all kinds of cyclists.”

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