Huge £32million car park which has been empty for two years has opening delayed AGAIN as road linking to it is still not finished

By OLIVIA CHRISTIE, NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:48, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 10:56, 19 August 2026 The opening of a huge £32million park and ride has been delayed for another year because it is still not connected to a road.  The 850-space 'car park to nowhere' in Eynsham, Oxfordshire, was completed in 2024 but has remained empty ever since.  Cash-strapped Oxfordshire County Council has struggled to find the funds to build a road in and out of the site – despite millions being spent on the project.  Eynsham residents have branded the park and ride, which is located just off the A40, as 'embarrassing' and a 'huge waste of money'.  The Lib Dem-run council had previously said the 19-acre site would be operational by 2027.  But it has now pushed the opening back to early summer 2028, with the remainder of the project not expected to be completed until 2029. The scheme, which was funded using a grant, was also halted for two years in 2022 because of 'cost pressures caused by high inflation'.  In June, planning permission to finish the scheme and build the access road was finally secured.  The council, which has previously come under fire for introducing a series of 'woke' policies, including a Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme, said enabling works would begin this autumn.  Aerial photographs taken in April show the empty Eynsham park and ride - which is now not expected to open until 2028  Pictured: The brand new bus stops which are currently unused Jenny Higgs (pictured), a retired 75-year-old who lives nearby, said she thinks the scheme is 'one big white elephant'  Residents who live nearby to the car park previously criticised the project, describing it as a white elephant. Jenny Higgs, a retired 75-year-old who lives nearby, said: 'I think it's one big white elephant. They have spent £51m on it.  'There is no access, they have to put the lights on at night and then there's maintenance - they have to cut the grass and that's all costing more money. 'I don't know what else to say because it's just so ridiculous. 'Everybody around here is talking about it and they are frankly up in arms.' A local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'I think it is a big waste of money. 'Without proper planning, the park and ride is there ready - taking up a lot of space, destroying a lot of wildlife and it is not able to be used until further funding is secured. I think it is a real shame.' It was previously revealed that security, lighting and fencing at the site was costing £9,531.50 per month, while it remained inaccessible to traffic. Conservative councillor Liam Walker criticised the latest delay, saying the project demonstrated a failure of management by the council.  He added that the costs associated with the park and ride were 'hugely embarrassing'. Aerial image shows where the access points to the car park should be  The site is separated from the carriageway by temporary barriers, with no timeframe set He told the Daily Mail: 'We have a brand-new park and ride that is sitting closed while taxpayers continue to pick up the cost, and we are now being told it may not open until early summer 2028, with the overall project not completed until 2029. 'The constant delays, redesigns and changing timetables are a damning indictment of the way this project has been managed. 'The Lib Dem administration simply does not have a clue what it is doing when it comes to delivering the key infrastructure West Oxfordshire desperately needs, and, perhaps most frustratingly, nobody ever seems to be held accountable for this appalling project management.'  Oxfordshire County Council said the costs associated with the maintenance of the park and ride is being funded through the construction contract.  Councillor Liz Leffman, Cabinet Member for Highways Construction and Repair, said: 'The county council is determined to drive forward every scheme it is involved in. 'These are complex projects and it's not always possible to accurately predict construction periods.  'Delays can happen because of complex funding arrangements, challenges with the planning process, negotiations with landowners, or other unforeseen factors. 'Every council in the country grapples with these issues, they are not unique to Oxfordshire.'