Summer 2025 is going to be lively for planners and residents in Cherwell. Oxfordshire Railfreight Limited have just announced that their Stage 2 consultation will take place in summer 2025.

What is the OxSRFI again?

You may recall this project from consultations in summer 2022. A summary of main themes identified in these consultations can be found here. A quick refresher of the project:

The emerging vision for the proposals is to provide a high-quality new rail freight interchange which supports a more sustainable economy, and creates an attractive working environment while having environmental responsibility as a guiding principle.

Source: https://oxsrfi.co.uk/

The rail freight interchange would be built near Ardley, southwest of J10 of the M40 and it would be served by the Chiltern railway line:

One of the reasons for choosing this location is because it is within 4 hours of 75% of the UK population.

The proposed project is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project or NSIP, which means that it falls under the Planning Inspectorate, not the local authority, Cherwell District Council. In other words, the government ultimately decides whether and how this project goes ahead. It needs to consult widely and go through a lengthy approval process.

What is the impact of this project?

Quite significant, and not only to those who live in nearby Ardley, the Heyfords, Middleton Stoney and surrounding villages. The proximity of OxSRFI to the M40/A43 junction will see effects on traffic volumes where road and rail freight meet. J10, already at capacity, will need extensive improvements. For road traffic, the site is also served by the B430 and the B4030, and the project proposes a relief road and other significant changes.

The proposed site contains ‘some archaeological significance’ (Source: Programme document, p.4) which needs to be addressed to avoid it being lost to the nation. It is also metres from the recently discovered ‘dinosaur highway’, found at a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Geological Conservation Review site at Ardley quarry.

Train travellers far and wide will notice increased traffic on the rail lines, but the precise impact of this is hard to predict.

For those living close to the proposed site, other impacts include a drastically changed landscape and noise, which can be expected during the hours of operation (which is to say, 24 hours a day). The programme document doesn’t mention light pollution, but does state ‘a package of measures to minimise effects on air quality’ will be included in the proposals. The construction phase is likely to cause significant disruption. Locals have also expressed concerns about increased traffic levels in the area during earlier consultation events.

The project states it will create up to 9,500 new jobs, plus more in the supply chain, as well as apprenticeships. Moving freight off the road and onto trains helps the UK to lower its carbon emissions. One freight train can take up to 76 lorries off the road, helping to reduce road congestion.

There are also extensive plans to landscape the site, and consideration is given to what is already there. The site aims to retain existing woodland, hedgerows and trees, plant 40 hectares of new woodland and create 5 hectares of wetland. A listed building on the site will be integrated into the plans for providing amenities for staff working on site.

What happens next?

There will be consultations in the summer of 2025. The developers plan to submit their proposal in November 2025. We encourage you to keep your eyes open for updates and participate in the consultation when it opens. Of course we will post about this again when more details emerge.

You can also sign up to our mailing list to receive planning updates:

Where can I find more?

OxSRFI have a comprehensive website with a great deal of useful and up-to-date information: