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{{Short description|Walking, wheeling and cycling route in England}}
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Revision as of 17:36, 23 February 2025


The Haddenham-Thame Greenway is a planned off-road, all-weather route for walkers, cyclists and those using other wheeled non-road transport (e.g. wheelchairs, mobility scooters, prams, and children's scooters). The greenway's future has been written into local authority plans (see below).

Route

Though the detailed route has not been finalised yet (February 2025), the greenway will connect Haddenham[1] and Thame[2]. Currently there is no safe route for those wishing to walk, cycle or wheel between these adjacent settlements: from Thame there is an arterial road, the A418 with more than 10,000 annual average daily vehicles[note 1], followed by winding Thame Road -- both roads with parts derestricted to 60mph and with no footway; whilst across country, there is a direct footpath that floods intermittently and is not currently suitable or authorised -- along its full length -- for cycling.

Geographical background

Haddenham and Thame are adjacent settlements, three miles apart, located in the English counties of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire respectively.

Haddenham depends on Thame as its local market town. Facilities in Thame not available in Haddenham include: monthly street market, specialist shops, restaurants, leisure centre, swimming pool, bowls, secondary school, skate park, theatre, rugby and football stadiums, and more.

Thame depends on Haddenham most significantly as location of its nearest railway station, Haddenham & Thame Parkway, established in 1987[3]. By virtue of proximity and the relative populations of Haddenham and Thame (5,700 and 13,300 respectively, in the 2021 Census[4]), a significant extent of the usage of this station (total 784,436 entries and exits in year-ending March 2024[5][note 2]) involves Thame residents.

Challenges to development of the greenway have included the intervening floodplain of Scotsgrove Brook and Thame River[6] and the challenge of coordinating efforts across the Buckinghamshire-Oxfordshire border.

History

Since the establishment of the Parkway station in 1987, there have been calls for a safe walking and cycling link between Haddenham and Thame.  

In 1999, Haddenham Safe Walking and Cycling group (also known as HaddSWAC) was established by Robyn Thorogood to campaign for this link. The link was referred to as a greenway, adopting the generic nomenclature for an off-road walking, cycling and wheeling route[7]. HaddSWAC was partly inspired by the campaign for (and success of) the nearby Phoenix Trail[8][9], a greenway from Thame to Princes Risborough established in 2002.

One of several studies and consultations on route options between Thame and Haddenham was commissioned by Buckinghamshire County Council (assisted by Jacobs Baptie Ltd) in 2008 and 2009[10]. Following this, in 2009 Buckinghamshire County Council referred to local “overwhelming support for a route between the two settlements”[11].

Thame’s dependence on the parkway station has meant that a path to Haddenham has been a regular aspiration of Thame Town Council Neighbourhood Plans, e.g. the 2013 plan[12].

The importance of the anticipated greenway for the sustainability of Haddenham (a village of c. 4,500 at the time) was explicitly recognised in 2016 by the Secretary of State, with references to the link in his formal decision to support the growth of Haddenham as a strategic growth centre for new housing[13].

Support has not dwindled, witness the results of a survey in 2019 to which 94% of 2,000 respondents said they would use the greenway when built[14], and a “family bike ride” to support it in 2024, attended by 400 riders[15].

Local Authority plans

In 2023, England's Economic Heartland[16] (supported by consultants, AtkinsRéalis[17]) recognised the greenway as a strategic inter-county route (see the top 15 shortlisted routes, pages 8-11 and 55, in their 2023 report[18]).

In 2024, the greenway "corridor" was recognised by Oxfordshire County Council (supported by consultants, PJA[19]) as a “Strategic/Primary” link in its Strategic Active Travel Network (see page 55 of their March 2024 report[20]).

Between 2022 and 2025, Buckinghamshire Council has led a detailed review of route options[21], and findings are expected to be published imminently (as at February 2025).

On 11 February 2025, Buckinghamshire Council adopted its Buckinghamshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan[22], and approved prioritisation of the Haddenham-Thame Greenway.

On the same day, a greenway between Haddenham and Thame was approved by full council of Oxfordshire County Council in its Budget and Medium Term Finance Plan (MTFP) 2025-2028 (see Supplementary Section 5.3, pages 83 and 87, which refer to the “Thame to Haddenham Active Travel Link”[23]).


References

  1. ^ "Haddenham, Buckinghamshire", Wikipedia, 2025-01-12, retrieved 2025-02-23
  2. ^ "Thame", Wikipedia, 2025-02-16, retrieved 2025-02-23
  3. ^ "Haddenham & Thame Parkway railway station", Wikipedia, 2024-12-31, retrieved 2025-02-23
  4. ^ "Build a custom area profile - Census 2021, ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  5. ^ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  6. ^ "River Thame", Wikipedia, 2024-08-18, retrieved 2025-02-23
  7. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenway_(landscape)
  8. ^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Trail
  9. ^ https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/england/buckinghamshire/the-phoenix-trail-henton-and-bledlow
  10. ^ https://buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk/Data/BCC%20HLCLCAF/200912091830/Agenda/Route%20options%20dwg.pdf%202.pdf
  11. ^ https://buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk/Data/BCC%20HLCLCAF/201003241900/Agenda/Haddenham%20to%20Thame%20Community%20Path%20options%20consultation%20final.pdf
  12. ^ https://www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/5343-Thame-Plan-post-Exam-prn-110313-lo-res.pdf
  13. ^ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/527095/16-06-02_DL_IR_Haddenham_Aylesbury_3014403.pdf
  14. ^ https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/survey-shows-local-support-for-haddenham-and-thame-greenway/
  15. ^ https://www.bucksherald.co.uk/news/politics/families-and-cyclists-in-haddenham-gather-to-continue-campaign-for-safe-route-4696683
  16. ^ "England's Economic Heartland". eeh.wildfish.net. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  17. ^ "SNC-Lavalin changing name to AtkinsRéalisNew name. New era". AtkinsRéalis. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  18. ^ https://eeh-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Agenda_Item_7_Annex_1_Active_Travel_Strategy__09062023.pdf
  19. ^ "PJA - Transport Planning, Engineering, Environment and Placemaking". PJA. 2025-02-18. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  20. ^ https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/roads-and-transport-policies-and-plans/OxfordshireSATN.pdf
  21. ^ https://buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s10149/Haddenham%20Greenways%20Update.pdf
  22. ^ https://buckinghamshire-gov-uk.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Buckinghamshire_Local_Cycling_and_Walking_Infrastructure_Plan_LCWIP.pdf
  23. ^ https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/b24294/Supplementary%20Report%20Tuesday%2011-Feb-2025%2010.30%20County%20Council.pdf?T=9

Notes


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