A housing developer in Abingdon has been urged to provide community facilities for a new estate.

Kings Gate is a 200-home new estate on land at the junction of Wootton Road and Dunmore Road, and was granted planning permission by the Vale of White Horse District Council in 2016.

The developer David Wilson Homes is now celebrating as the homes are 85 per cent sold.

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But a number of community facilities that DWH agreed to provide have not yet appeared.

These included public art, a children’s playground, and a pedestrian/cycle connection into Tilsley Park leisure centre.

Oxford Mail: The Kings Gate estateThe developers agreed to provide the facilities as part of a section 106 planning agreement with the Vale of White Horse District Council.

County councillor for Abingdon North Nathan Ley said the path connecting the estate to the leisure centre should have been completed by now, with the children's play area due for completion very soon.

He added: "Residents of the Kings Gate development were promised a bridge and footpath to link up with the rest of the town via Tilsley Park.

"This should have been delivered by the developer by now and I'm continually pressing them to do it.

"However they claim that a permit issue with the Environment Agency required for building over the River Stert is holding things up.

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"The children's play area for the front of the site is also due to be delivered very soon. Many children have been growing up on the estate over the past couple of years and time is precious, so this needs to come as soon as possible.

Oxford Mail: Kings Gate homes"I wish all the residents well and I insist that the developer follows through with all their obligations."

Emma Hawkins, sales director at David Wilson Homes Southern, said: “We are thrilled to hit the 85 per cent milestone at our Kings Gate development and we’re pleased to see the community taking shape with a wide range of home buyers now moved in.

“The surge in demand reflects the variety of properties available and the welcoming nature of the Abingdon community.”

The company said there were "plenty of local facilities to enjoy, including Tilsley Park sports complex located less than a mile from the Kings Gate development".

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It added: "There are straightforward commuter routes nearby with access to the A34 allowing residents to access the vibrant city of Oxford easily."

Mr Ley said earlier he though the public art would be the last of the community facilities to be provided.

Two, three and four-bedroom homes on the estate are still for sale, costing from £375,000 to £680,000. There is an Aldi opposite the estate.

A spokesperson for David Wilson Homes Southern said: “We are committed to completing the onsite facilities at Kings Gate, including the play area and multi-use games area, as soon as possible.

"We are also working closely with the local authority and the Environment Agency to progress the works to link Tilsley Park to the development and we thank local residents for their patience during this time.” 

Hundreds of new homes are currently being built in Abingdon, including Bellway Homes at Radley Reach, off Twelve Acre Drive, and at Abbey Fields, off Dunmore Road, where the developers are David Wilson Homes and Barratt Homes.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.