Oxfordshire councils' Didcot move after £17.8m plan ditched

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils will not return to Crowmarsh Gifford, where its headquarters were destroyed in January 2015

Two councils have abandoned a planned £17.8m return to the site of their fire-ravaged former headquarters.

The home of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils, in Crowmarsh Gifford, was destroyed in an arson attack five years ago.

Earlier this year the authorities said they would move back to the site in a new building.

But they have instead decided to occupy the Didcot Gateway site, opposite the town's train station, by spring 2023.

Neither would say how much they planned to spend on the new complex, but said the new offices would be smaller than the rented headquarters currently in use at Milton Park.

The councils said the coronavirus pandemic had shown that staff can "work successfully...in a more flexible and remote manner", though there will still be a need for a base.

The authorities have been based at rented offices in Milton Park since 2015 but hope to move to their new, permanent home by 2023

South Oxfordshire District Council leader Sue Cooper said the complex would be a "valuable asset" and "make a significant difference to us financially".

"As the site is centrally placed between the two districts, and close to public transport links, it will help us meet our targets for tackling the climate emergency," she said.

The authorities said their refusal to publish spending plans was "to ensure the councils get best value for money when appointing contractors".

It is unclear what will happen to the Crowmarsh Gifford site but South Oxfordshire District Council, which owns it, said it "remains a priority" to include residents in any discussions.

The headquarters there were destroyed after Andrew Main drove a car filled with gas cylinders into it in January 2015.

Main, from Rokemarsh, was detained in a mental health unit in May 2015.

Andrew Main (right) pleaded guilty to four counts of arson