Local traders and the town chamber say cuts to planting and seating undermine the goals of a £4.4m regeneration; the county council says design changes, drainage repairs and cost pressures forced amendments.
Oxfordshire County Council’s £4.4m Witney High Street and Market Square scheme has been amended to remove several above-ground planters and reduce tree planting.
Witney and District Chamber of Commerce and local councillors say the dropped elements were the most valuable parts of the project for shops and footfall.
# What changed Oxfordshire County Council's scheme to upgrade Witney High Street and Market Square, budgeted at £4.4 million, has been amended. Elements that were in early designs—several above-ground planters and some street trees—will not be delivered as originally presented.
# Why the council changed the plans The council says the changes were made for three reasons: local feedback about planting proposals, a cost review to manage the scheme budget, and practical constraints uncovered during construction. Early design proposals included above-ground planters, but the design was altered to deliver in-ground planting for trees at several locations. Later, the council found underground services and additional drainage repairs limited opportunities for in-ground tree planting in parts of the project area.
The authority added that tree planting will still take place where possible and that two semi-mature trees will be planted at the northern end of the project near the junction with Welch Way. The plans were formally presented at a cabinet decision meeting in March and shown at a public drop-in event in April before works began.
Witney and District Chamber of Commerce responded strongly. Chair Adrian Bullock said the elements dropped represented the "greatest opportunity" within the scheme to deliver more seating, greenery and trees—features the public most supported during consultations. The Chamber argues those features would help attract footfall and support local trade.
Duncan Enright, Labour deputy leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, described the situation as "extremely frustrating" and linked the scaled-back delivery to broader governance concerns. He said delays and the changes to local spending decisions show the case for moving to unitary councils with more local control.
# Construction timeline and impact Work on the project has been ongoing throughout the year. The second half of the project began on August 9, and the council says additional drainage repairs and the discovery of underground services affected where trees could be planted. Businesses have reported months of disruption during the works, and local officers and business groups say losing the greening and seating components lessens the visible improvements that might help revive footfall.
# What will still be delivered
# What to watch next
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