SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council’s burnt-out headquarters could take up to three years to rebuild, its leader said yesterday.

John Cotton said a number of different options for staff from SODC and the Vale of White Horse District Council were being considered after they were effectively left homeless by the blaze in Crowmarsh Gifford, during the early hours last Thursday.

About 80 of the 400 staff who worked at the office in Benson Lane are now working at Abbey House in Abingdon but others are working from home.

Mr Cotton said: “We had a meeting with all the staff on Tuesday and I would say morale is high – staff are desperate to get back to work and we are providing just about all our services in some shape or form.

“A rebuild at Crowmarsh could take up to three years to complete but it’s possible that we might never go back there and we need to look at all our options.

“We are still talking to our insurers so that we can get all the information we need to make a decision.”

Twenty-seven fire crews tackled four blazes in the Wallingford area last Thursday.

As well as the fire at the council office there was a blaze at the neighbouring Howard Chadwick funeral parlour and at a thatched cottage in Rokemarsh near Benson, owned by pensioner Jean Gladstone.

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A further fire also damaged Roke Marsh Farm in Rokemarsh.

Andrew Main, 47, of Roke Marsh Farm, has been charged with two counts of arson with intent to endanger life, and two counts of arson reckless as to whether life could be endangered.

He has been remanded in custody until January 30.

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