A £120m vision to get Oxfordshire cycling like the Dutch has been unveiled in a bid to make the county one of the easiest places in the UK to get around by bike.

A 366-mile cycle network - produced by Oxfordshire Cycling Network - could be created over the next 15 years as developers, the Government and Oxfordshire County Council contribute to the scheme.

The groups says routes linking Didcot with Harwell, Milton Park and Culham as well as the A40 between Oxford and Eynsham could be upgraded to the standards seen in The Netherlands, where 36 per cent of people list a bicycle as their preferred mode of transport.

Cycle tracks would also be created in Botley Road, Banbury Road and Woodstock Road which would have smooth tarmac, be separated from busy roads and continue across junctions - and the B4044 between Eynsham and Botley would also get a cycle lane.

The OCN - made up of 29 different cycling groups - has created the vision to match up with the county council's desire to implement an Active & Healthy Travel Plan, part of its Local Transport Plan.

The network's chairman Robin Tucker said: "Our vision is that people of all abilities can choose to cycle anywhere, feeling safe and comfortable.

"The only proven way to achieve this is to have high quality routes linking places that people want to go.

Mr Tucker added that the blueprint could be part funded by section 106 agreements for proposed developments such as Eynsham Garden Village and Chalgrove Airfield, putting a stop to 'poorly designed' improvements.

He said: "Recent developments in Bicester and Didcot, for example, have had a lot of good cycle tracks included in them but they are not joined up with nearby stations of schools.

"The vision also needs clever use of existing funding set aside by the council to improve and upgrade roads in coming years."

A third stream of funding would include bidding for government cash, which it is hoped would become easier to win with a clear, thought-out plan.

The vision would ensure primary routes are for 'all ages, all abilities' a standard adhered to in The Netherlands and Germany.

The routes would have smooth tarmac, be at least three metres wide, and separated from busy roads by a green verge.

In town and city centres cycle tracks would be separated from both pedestrians and vehicles and would continue across junctions

Cyclox chairman Simon Hunt backed the vision, which would make it possible to cycle across the city without encountering other traffic.

He said: "All ages, all abilities, this is the standard of best-practice for cycling.

"The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark - and even Cambridge - have shown that this works.

"Now let's bring similar benefits to Oxfordshire."

Oxfordshire County Council confirmed it had been involved with discussions over implementing the plan and the details and precise costings will now be explored.

Council spokesman Martin Crabtree said: "We have been in discussion with OCN about developing this as one part of our Active & Healthy Travel programme of work, linked to the implementation of our Local Transport Plan.

"We need to look closely at the detail of what’s been proposed but the idea of developing a cycle network is something that we support.

"Delivering any scheme of this nature requires resources and funding and so we would need to investigate with OCN how this could be pursued."