Plans to redevelop Didcot Parkway Station's congested forecourt area will be unveiled next month.

Options to expand the forecourt and overcome the existing chaos around the the busiest station in the county will be highlighted at a three-day Didcot Transport Issues Study exhibition at the Civic Hall.

The study - costing £70,000 - is being carried out by independent consultants Colin Buchanan and Partners on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council.

Their findings will form part of the new South Oxfordshire Local Plan.

Nigel Birch, county council principal planning officer, said: "Didcot is changing. With a brand new town centre and major new residential development, transport and access in and around Didcot will be altered significantly."

The study will cover a wide area around the town, including villages north of Didcot where there is already concern about heavy traffic across the narrow Thames bridges at Long Wittenham and Culham.

West and south of Didcot, villagers in Harwell, and neighbouring West and East Hagbourne are looking for relief from heavy traffic flows - which Mr Birch said could involve the option of a by-pass serving Harwell and West Hagbourne.

The study will also extend eastwards to Brightwell cum Sotwell and is expected to include a proposal for a new road linking Wallingford by-pass to Shillingford.

Didcot county councillor Terry Joslin, the Labour group's environment spokesman, said the study would offer solutions to improving access to the A34 at Milton Heights interchange where a new slip road to the south-bound carriageway is proposed.

*The exhibition will be held on the evenings of Thursday, September 20 between 5pm-8pm, Friday, September 21 between 4pm-7pm, and on Saturday, September 22 between 10am-5pm.