Didcot and surrounding area infrastructure improvements
About the improvements
The scheme includes four elements to support Didcot as a vibrant garden town. The elements include improvements to existing roads and the construction of new roads, new walking and cycle routes, and will help to facilitate new and enhanced bus services.
These elements will:
- improve pedestrian and cycle connectivity for work and leisure trips with 19km of walking and cycling paths
- provide more sustainable travel options in and around Didcot, including on public transport
- reduce congestion and improve air quality in surrounding villages and parishes
- enable more jobs in the local area in new and existing employment sites
- support expected housing growth.in the local area
Compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) and side road orders (SROs)
The orders relating to Didcot and surrounding area infrastructure improvements are available to view.
Scheme benefits
Your questions answered
Take a look at a flyover of the scheme
Note: This video has no audio.
Temporary overnight works – A4130
A series of non-intrusive investigations is on-going to provide additional information to help further develop the detailed designs.
Work relating to the Didcot Science Bridge will take place between Monday 9 June and Thursday 26 June, to undertake ground penetrating radar surveys to identify utilities that will need diverting before construction starts. The work will take place at several locations on the A4130 between the traffic lights for Milton Gate and the entrance to Valley Park. To enable this work to be undertaken safely, it will be necessary to operate overnight temporary traffic lights on this section of the A4130. To minimise impact, this will take place from 10pm until 5am on each day of work. [AH1]
What is happening when?
Oxfordshire County Council submitted a planning application to the Local Planning Authority in November 2021.
Following a conjoined planning and Orders (compulsory purchase order, side roads order, and bridge scheme) Public Inquiry that took place between February and May 2024, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government granted planning approval for the scheme.
The decision on the statutory orders needed to secure all of the land for the scheme is awaited, but private negotiations with landowners continue to progress.
Recordings of the sessions and core documents relating to the Inquiry can be found on the official Inquiry portal.
Construction is anticipated to start on site in early 2026 and last approximately two years.
How it is being funded
The £332 million project is fully funded. Successful discussions with the government in 2022 and again in 2024, resulted in additional grants from Homes England.
In February 2022, approval was also given to underwrite up to £30m from Oxfordshire County Council’s capital budget, while Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership contributed a £10m capital investment generated from Enterprise Zones’ business rates retention.
Contact us
If you have any queries please contact contact the delivery team.
