A NEW home for South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council will open to the public on Monday.

Staff have begun moving into 135 Eastern Avenue in Milton Park near Didcot.

The building will be their home for the next few years following the destruction of their old headquarters in Crowmarsh Gifford on January 15.

It was burnt down in an arson attack by Andrew Main, 47, of Rokemarsh.

He was sectioned indefinitely under the Mental Health Act last month.

The councils will use the Milton Park site until they decide what to do with the Crowmarsh Gifford site, and whether to move to a new permanent home. Both councils will continue to use their existing phone numbers and email addresses. Cash office services will not be available at Milton Park for the next few weeks and will be based at Abbey House in Abingdon.

South Oxfordshire District Council leader John Cotton said: “After a difficult six months, I’m really pleased to be moving into a much better home.

“Milton Park might be a little further away for people who were used to visiting Crowmarsh, but we’re not aware of anybody having difficulties while we’ve been based in Abingdon since the fire, so it looks like our residents have adapted well.”