THE SHORES Green option is not Oxfordshire County Council’s plan B, despite a clear signal from the Government.

The council was refused permission to compulsorily purchase land needed for the £20.5m Cogges Link Road in Witney by the Department for Transport on Friday.

Justine Greening, Secretary of State for Transport, agreed with the inquiry inspector that a four-way junction on the A40 at Shores Green was a better option.

But county council leader Ian Hudspeth said all alternatives will now be analysed before a new option of traffic improvement was put forward.

He told the Oxford Mail: “We are analysing the 108-page inspector’s report.

“Then we are going to try to find a solution to Witney’s traffic problem. Although the report is pointing us in the direction of Shores Green, we have got to look at all the options available.”

Mr Hudspeth said building a four-way junction at Shores Green could involve problems because there are still unresolved land issues.

He said: “The county council would not wish to embark on a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for that land.”

There are millions of pounds of funding left in the pot, but Oxfordshire County Council need to carry out discussions quickly because some of the developer contribution agreements have timescale clauses.

The Mawle Trust contributed cash as part of agreements to develop the Madley Park housing estate.

It also owns land needed for the Cogges Link Road and was a major opponent to the scheme.

Mr Hudspeth said: “It may not necessarily involve renegotiating the contracts, but the Mawle Trust did make an offer to us that its money could be used for Shores Green.”

James Mawle, of the trust, said: “There are certain funds the council must spend before January on any project.

“It could be spent on the Ducklington Lane/Station Lane junction, the required improvements or traffic calming in the Bridge Street area, or, ideally, preparation work for Shores Green.”

Mr Mawle said he was happy to sit down and talk with Mr Hudspeth.

A spokesman for Witney MP David Cameron, who previously backed the link road scheme, said: “The responsible authorities will clearly need to consider carefully the implications of the report, including the conclusions reached in relation to the alternative Shores Green Slip Roads scheme, before determining the most appropriate way forward.”