Oxfordshire is set to benefit from thousands of new homes and improvements to local transport networks, thanks to a £6.2 million government cash injection, Housing Minister Alok Sharma announced today (10 August).
Government funding has been awarded to South Oxfordshire District Council to accelerate the delivery of Didcot’s Northern Perimeter Road.
As a critical transport link around Didcot – it will be one of the new roads that will be key to the success of Didcot Garden Town, a development which aims to build over 15,000 homes by 2031.
This funding will help relieve pressure on local transport networks and accommodate the expanding communities in the local area.
The infrastructure investment promises to boost economic growth across the Science Vale and enterprise zone, increasing employment by 20,000 over the next 20 years.
Nigel Tipple – OxLEP Chief Executive – said: “Following the recent announcement regarding £9million-worth of investment at the Lodge Hill interchange, this news represents another positive step in ensuring Oxfordshire has an infrastructure that – not only relieves pressure in key areas – but is fit for purpose, supporting the county’s dynamic growth.”
Housing and Planning Minister, Alok Sharma said: “We need to deliver the right infrastructure in the right places to speed up house building and deliver the homes this country needs.
“This £6.2m funding is excellent news for the Oxfordshire area, promising to boost local growth and turbo-charge the delivery of thousands of new homes.”
County Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council added: “The county council is pleased to see Oxfordshire’s growth ambitions recognised by the funding announcement. The Northern Perimeter Road will provide a critical link in and around Didcot and will provide the much-needed infrastructure to support the new homes planned for Didcot.
“We have a long history of delivering major road schemes and improvements using government money to enable the road network to meet the demands of the future and look forward to starting work on this latest investment in Oxfordshire transport.”
Councillor John Cotton, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council said: "The district council made a commitment to residents in Didcot that the Garden Town project would deliver infrastructure. So I'm really pleased that we are able to fund the completion of the northern perimeter road – a project that has been sat waiting for years.
“Once completed, the road will relieve pressure elsewhere in the town and provide a real boost to other Garden Town proposals."
Didcot Garden Town’s delivery plan sets out a vision for the development of high-quality housing and the transformation of the local area. Good design is at the heart of the plan, prioritising high-quality public and green spaces. In keeping with its location at the heart of Oxfordshire’s Science Vale, cutting-edge technology will underpin and enable development.
A mix of affordable and private rented homes will be supported not only by new roads, but by a host of other new facilities, including new cycle paths, a leisure centre, new schools, shops and more green spaces.
