The entire issue of Didcot's planned 3,000-home expansion has been questioned once again.

Despite a public inquiry which recommended development to the north east of Ladygrove, Oxfordshire County Council finally voted in favour of expansion to the west of the town.

Plans for the development to straddle Didcot and the neighbouring village of Harwell are included in the County Structure Plan -- and both the county and South Oxfordshire District Council have always insisted they could not be overturned.

But Nigel Payne, the inspector appointed to consider objections to the South Oxfordshire Local Plan, says he will consider alternative sites.

At a pre-inquiry meeting at Crowmarsh, Mr Payne said: "I will be looking at everything, including the principle of the location and some alternative sites.

"No doubt people will suggest alternative sites, which I will look at."

It also emerged that the planning application for the Didcot West development -- submitted by a consortium of developers in October 2002 -- could be called in by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott through his Government Office for the South East.

That could result in a separate public inquiry, and raises the prospect of a re-run of the protracted battle between the 13 villages north east of Didcot and campaigners in Didcot and Harwell who fought bitter campaigns over the question to expanding Didcot to the north east or west.

The public inquiry into the local plan has been arranged in two stages. The first, due to start on Tuesday, May 18, will deal with issues separate to the Didcot development.

The second stage, which will focus on Didcot, may not start until the autumn or possibly 2005.