Last month I met with representatives from the County Council and District Council, as well as those from Farthinghoe Parish Council, to discuss the urgent need to make progress on the delivery of the Farthinghoe Bypass.

As readers will know, I have been campaigning for a bypass for Farthinghoe for years, and I am pleased to be working with the community to secure it. It is a matter of debate whether the road has been needed for 40 or
50 years – the answer differs depending on who you speak to in the village! – but the reality is that Farthinghoe is the only community along the A422/A421 between Banbury and Milton Keynes not to have benefitted from a bypass.

The A422 has been identified by the Department for Transport as a key regional economic corridor – included as part of the new Major Road Network after I pressed the matter with the Transport Secretary – and the Farthinghoe Bypass, as a potential project, has been welcomed by the Department. The bypass has the support of all local authorities, as well as the major road and freight haulage associations, and would do so much to relieve congestion and improve safety through the village.

Whilst we were disappointed that a bid for funding through the Major Road Network was not forthcoming, I am delighted that Northamptonshire County Council is actively supporting a bid through Pinch Point Funding, and has submitted an Expression of Interest on the 31st January ahead of a formal bid later in the year.

South Northants Council has provided £250k to start initial work on the route design, and I am working with Northants County Council to secure additional funding to progress these works further ahead of the next stage of Pinch Point Funding. The Department for Transport is aware of our ambitions for the Farthinghoe Bypass, and I will be meeting with the Transport Secretary to progress these discussions. I am also convening a regular Farthinghoe Bypass Delivery Group, incorporating all the relevant representatives from the various agencies, to ensure that we keep driving this forward.

Please do get in touch with me if you have any questions or comments on the Farthinghoe Bypass.