Oxford hospital pipeline work starts again

County councillor for Headington Roz Smith said there would be delays

Work on a multimillion-pound project linking two Oxford hospitals by pipeline has started for a second time.

Contractors began to dig a trench in January only to fill it days later when told they lacked the right permissions.

The pipe will transfer excess heat and hot water from the John Radcliffe Hospital to the Churchill Hospitals.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has said it will save up to £11.5m over 25 years.

The hospital trust said there would be disruption to people in the area

The digging starts in the Highfield area of Oxford between Latimer Road and Latimer Grange, and All Saints Road and Lime Walk.

County councillor Roz Smith said: "We are going to have some delays" and it would clash Access to Headington work.

Residents in Highfield had previously complained about the lack of communication but Patrick Coulter, from the Highfield Residents Association, said it had been "much better" although he expected "a lot of disruption".

Mr Coulter also said the project would clash with Access to Headington work.

"It's almost like we have got no access to Headington for the next six months to a year," he added.

The project is expected to finish on 13 April and will involve work on a section under London Road, a busy route in Headington, East Oxford.