A NEW zebra crossing was approved for London Road in Bicester yesterday as part of the new train station development.

The crossing, proposed for outside Regal Court, had received a number of objections and is to be built as part of work for the renamed Bicester Village Station.

Residents were concerned about how close it was to junctions Priory Road and Garth Court and the difficulty posed to bin and post box collections.

Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for environment David Nimmo Smith said: “There is a seven-and-a-half tonne limit in Priory Road so there’s limited vehicles going down there in any road. I don’t think that will be an issue.

“Although Regal Court is on the one side and a stone wall on the other side, the crossing does not affect any properties.”

But a decision is yet to be made on what to do about London Road’s level crossing.

For more than a year some drivers in the area have been concerned about plans to shut the level crossing for up to 45 minutes an hour.

Bicester Tag (Traffic Action Group) co-chairman Richard Mallows said: “Bicester Tag is deeply worried that Oxfordshire County Council has not proposed a solution to the issue of the London Road level crossing.

“With professional estimates of the gates closing for up to 45 minutes every hour, we feel there is a great risk Network Rail will close the crossing on safety grounds.”