New Didcot ‘Gateway’ plan includes 265 homes, shops and cafes

The multi-million pound scheme has been revealed by Homes England.

It has even envisioned a car sharing club for the new housing estate.

However residents say they are still fighting to get their views listened to.

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The 265-home plan comes after the last £60m plan for the Didcot ‘Gateway’ area was withdrawn last month.

South Oxfordshire District Council said that scheme was ‘outdated’.

Now Homes England is asking for residents’ views on its new plan, but many say they still have the same concerns as they did with last scheme, including a lack of parking and the height of buildings.

Penny Dakin-Kiley lives on Lydalls Road and created The Local Voice for Didcot Gateway Facebook page several years ago when the first plans were made, and residents have made their voices heard on the page.

She said: “The current proposal seems to have taken on some concerns, for example they are talking about more planting and setting the buildings back.

“But the two things about height and the parking have not been addressed.

“If they look at the history, they should know perfectly well that those are the concerns that people want addressed and they haven’t been.”

In its new plan, Homes England suggests there will be less need for residents to have a car.

It states: “Future residents will be able to access the town centre and surrounding area on foot, by bike or by using public transport, without the need for a car.”

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It has also proposed a car club scheme for residents to share cars, as well as new bike paths and easy access to the railway.

Ms Dakin-Kiley said: “It is good that they are looking at putting in spaces for car club cars, I would welcome that.

“But it is going to need more than that to persuade all the new residents to suddenly not be car owners.”

Roy Burton, who also lives on Lydalls Road, raised concerns about existing traffic and parking problems on Station Road and called for fewer homes.

He said: “They are trying to impose a new community, they are talking about 300 units, but you could be talking about trying to impose a new community of 1,000 people on a small community.”

Most of the new buildings proposed are three to five storeys high, with one seven-storey ‘feature building’ at the junction of Station Road and Haydon Road.

However, many residents fear it would overshadow smaller buildings and not be in keeping with the area. Ms Dakin-Kiley said: “They are talking about a landmark development on the corner that is seven storeys. How is a seven-storey block of flats something special? It is just a seven-storey block of flats.”

The consultation can be found at didcotgateway.co.uk