LEADERS at South Oxfordshire District Council have finalised a deal on a temporary new home at a business park near Didcot.

As revealed in the Oxford Mail, Milton Park was selected as the preferred location for about 400 staff from SODC and Vale of White Horse District Council after an arson attack virtually destroyed the councils' headquarters at Crowmarsh Gifford near Wallingford.

Since the fire in January, about half the staff have been working at Abbey House in Abingdon while others have been working from home.

A deal has now been struck for the councils to relocate to 135 Milton Park.

The councils are due to start moving in at the end of May into the building previously used by Research Machines.

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SODC leader John Cotton said: "We want to thank Research Machines and MEPC, which owns Milton Park.

"Without their help, we’d almost certainly still be looking for a suitable temporary home.

"Once the move is out of the way I’m looking forward to cracking on with finding a permanent home for the council."

Matthew Barber, leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, added: "The last couple of months have been quite tough for everybody but once we’ve moved, our staff will be able to settle down and work much more effectively, with a bit of normality to their working lives.

"Milton Park ticks all the boxes in terms of location and facilities and I’m sure it will serve us well over the coming years."

It is not yet known if the burnt-out council HQ at Crowmarsh Gifford can be rebuilt or will be demolished and the councils are waiting for a report on how badly the building's structure has been damaged.

It could be cheaper for the councils to look for a permanent home elsewhere.