Builders plan 2,000 homes at Didcot

1:00pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Andrew Ffrench, covering Didcot and Wallingford. Call me on 01865 425425

REALISTIC: SODC leader Ann Ducker Buy this photo » REALISTIC: SODC leader Ann Ducker

DEVELOPERS have put forward proposals for a 2,030-home estate on land north east of Didcot.

Croudace Homes has submitted early plans to South Oxfordshire District Council seeking its views.

The development would include a leisure centre, nursery, primary schools, secondary school and a care home.

A pub, restaurant and motel would also be built on the land – owned by Reading University – between the A4130 and the B4016.

The £15m new leisure centre proposed by the district council is on land off the Avon Way roundabout, opposite the Ladygrove estate.

The land has already been earmarked in the council’s core strategy of where major development will go between now and 2026.

Finer details will need further approval and work would start early next year, with the first homes completed later in 2014.

Croudace hopes to build 200 homes a year up to 2026. The council is allowing for 10,000 new homes across the district – about 9,000 in Didcot.

Hundreds have already been built for the planned 3,300-home development at the new Great Western Park estate off the A4130.

District council leader Ann Ducker said: “This will not be quite as large as Great Western Park, but it’s a major development for the town.

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“With such a large housing estate you have to make sure there are enough facilities to go with them, and there will be more discussions with the developers before a planning application is submitted.

“This proposal is not going to please everyone, but we need to try to get the best deal for everyone in terms of what facilities are going to be provided.”

Town council leader Margaret Davies said: “Until now people in Didcot have not had a proper overview of what is going to be built there.”

She is pleased the core strategy does not allow development along the site’s Moor Ditch, an ancient drainage channel marking the boundary between Appleford and Long Wittenham parishes.

Mrs Davies said: “This scoping document is important because it gives the public a chance to have a look at the infrastructure.”

Comments(8)

Andrew:Oxford says...
1:28pm Wed 20 Mar 13

It would be very good news if the opportunity was taken to build a new road with the B4016 and the A415 - this would give people from South Oxford and those who work at the Business & Science parks easier access to their most convenient mainline railway station without having to drive through Long Wittenham or into Central Oxford.

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Danny A says...
2:00pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Agree that a new Thames crossing is desparately needed to help manage the expansion of Didcot. I would put the chances at slim to nil however.

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downsview says...
4:19pm Wed 20 Mar 13

Need to insist that Cow Lane is a full 2 way access to the town centre.
Building in this direction is a stupid decision as there is already traffic chaos in Long Wittenham & at Clifton bridge. Should have been on south side of the town with a southern bypass road and new junction onto the A34 close to Harwell & serving GW Park.
Cllr Ducker thinks she knew best & she's a persuasive lady!

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hp1 says...
8:35pm Wed 20 Mar 13

I thought they were struggling to sell the GWP houses. Why would they want to build even more?

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Myron Blatz says...
9:23pm Wed 20 Mar 13

So what about the groundwater and flooding problems which will surely follow, and make it even worsd for adjacent areas? Moreover, the provision of effective sewage disposal and treatment, and the massive additional demand for drinking water from the watertable and reservoirs? Then there is the problem of 2,000-4,000 vehicles which home owners will bring with them, and the huge increase in local road traffic, and public bus service provision. Added to which, overloading of Police, fire and ambulance services already over-stretched in the region, together with doctors, dentists, schools and hospitals. The only 'social need' the Developer will be satisfying, is making fat profits for the Chairman and shareholders!

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EricTheRed says...
10:01am Thu 21 Mar 13

Why not build in Abingon? Finish off the "Ring Road" by taking Audlet Drive all the way around to the A415 and then on to the Marcham Interchange with the A34, this would do a heck of a lot for clearing traffic and also would present a lot of infill land for development..

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EMBOX2 says...
3:18pm Thu 21 Mar 13

This is an absurd and anti-democratic plan.

So where are all the extra cars going to go, Ms. Ducker? It takes 15 mins to get through Wittenham at peak time now, you stick another 4000 cars in the mix and you're looking at potential gridlock.

Still, you care nothing for people in villages, do you?

Tell me, who is going to buy these houses? GWP homes aren't selling at all well - we're in a recession, and trying to flog houses to people that the banks won't lend to is insane.

Perhaps now is the time to take back ownership of a "certain" bit of land that crosses a main road, currently leased to the council, and install a toll gate....

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Diddyman says...
11:51am Fri 22 Mar 13

I just don’t understand the big rush to keep building in and around Didcot? Trying to get out of the town to go to work in the morning is horrendous. Just this week the bridge that you go over from the A34/Milton Park roundabout to get into Milton Park was closed which meant myself included people were stuck in traffic for up to an hour! Getting into Didcot in the evenings is just as bad especially if there’s been an accident or roadworks. Do these councillors ever travel out of Didcot, are they aware how difficult it is? The doctor’s surgeries we have now are under immense pressure trying to deal with all the people from and around Didcot. I know it states that this build will have a surgery but that will not ease the pressure of the current surgeries in Didcot because it will be flooded with people from this new development. The developers may build new roads but they are only going to join up with the existing roads which are gridlocked now and peak times. What about new churches, graveyards etc? You get a train from Didcot to London and most of the time you have to stand as there's no seats due to the amount of people on them. There only seems to be the one road from the GWP development which joins the link road, when all the houses are built on the GWP that is going to be gridlocked! All the lovely villages that surround Didcot are going to get more traffic going thru them as people look for rat runs to get out of Didcot. I’m not against new developments but sometimes you have to stand back look at the bigger picture and ask yourself is it a good idea and in this instance I really do not think it is. Come on, enough is enough, why does Didcot have to have the majority of new houses that the county requires??

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