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Didcot Garden Town projects to benefit residents discussed

A wide range of improvement projects and facilities in the Didcot Garden Town area will be prioritised to ensure climate change and pandemic recovery are tackled first.

The Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board discussed the actions set out in 2017’s Delivery Plan to identify the projects they thought were the most important to bring more community improvements and assist recovery for the garden town area following the pandemic.

The board heard details of feedback from local residents, business and parish councils sounding boards giving details on which projects they’d like to see give more prominence to, including help for local businesses, introducing more green spaces around the town and to build on the success of the Didcot Garden Party by organising exciting new community events.

Since 2017, the Didcot Garden Town team has worked with partners to complete projects, such as setting up the resident, business and parish councils sounding boards and the completion of infrastructure projects, for example, the new pedestrian and cycleway at Backhill Tunnel on Milton Park.

One of the most important schemes identified by members was the need for a wider public transport strategy – something that could encourage everyone to tackle climate change by making it easier for everyone to use public transport rather than having to rely on car journeys, particularly to get about around the garden town area and surrounding villages.

Cllr Liz Leffman, Chair of the Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board, said: “Having all our board members attending and working together to review the garden town was extremely useful. This will help us to find more ways to continue building on the work already underway and aid recovery from the pandemic in a sustainable way.”

Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Listening to the feedback from the sounding boards was very valuable.  It was great to hear that we all have similar aims to create more green spaces and facilities for our communities to enjoy in and around the garden town.”

Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “It was an ideal opportunity to go through everyone’s priorities and I’m looking forward to getting started on environmental and transport projects that will help the everyone to tackle climate change.”

ENDS

Members of the Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board are:

  • Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Chair
  • Councillor David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council
  • Councillor Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council
  • Councillor Robin Bennet, South Oxfordshire District Council
  • Councillor Judy Roberts, Vale of White Horse District Council
  • Councillor Denise MacDonald, Leader of Didcot Town Council
  • Councillor Rita Atkinson, Sutton Courtenay Parish Council
  • Nigel Tipple, OxLEP (Local Enterprise Partnership)
  • Catherine Turner, Homes England

More information on the Didcot Garden Town can be found here.

You can read the full minutes of the Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board meeting here.