A VITAL link road that is part of a scheme to build more than 8,760 homes in Didcot might not go ahead, council chiefs have warned.

South Oxfordshire District Council backed the plan for six sites around the town last week.

But it says a £26m Harwell Bypass linking the A4130 and the A417 London Road may not go ahead.

And it warns this could see specific housing plans refused.

A council report said of the road: “Due to severe national funding constraints, a decision on this will not be made until 2011.”

It said the council “must consider what to do if (funding) is not received” knowing that money is likely to be scarce.

The core strategy outlines which sites the council would allow for housing.

The planned sites up to 2027 are: l 2,030 north of the town.

l 2,150 land west of the Great Western Park development.

l 3,342 on the Great Western Park development to the west of the town l 300 at Vauxhall Barracks l 300 at the Orchard Centre l 640 at Ladygrove.

Labour group leader Margaret Davies said: “The core strategy has been approved, but there is a big hole in it because there now appears to be no money coming for this link road.

“If the link road is not built there will be more congestion in Harwell village, more traffic at the Milton interchange on the A34 and rat- running through the Hagbournes.

“I am very concerned that necessary road proposals for the growth of Didcot are now appearing to be unfunded.”

She added: “There are already signs of high level congestion here that can only deteriorate and damage our quality of life.”

Marion Judd, vice-chairman of West Hagbourne Parish Council, said: “If the new link road is not built it will be a disaster for East and West Hagbourne.”

But council strategic director Anna Robinson said: “As and when a planning application is brought forward, all aspects of infrastructure are considered.

“If any infrastructure is deemed to be essential for a development to go ahead, planning consent will not be granted without it.

“It is not therefore the case that homes will be allowed without essential infrastructure.”

The 1991 census put Didcot’s population at 16,000. This rose to 23,500 in 2001 and is expected to be 33,200 next year.

Council chiefs have earmarked it as a “growth town” and say it will be the district’s main urban centre.

The core strategy also agreed 400 homes in Wallingford and 530 in Thame over the next 16 years.