Council leader backs plan to scrap new HQ

Scrapping plans for a new council headquarters after government proposals for devolution and local government reorganisation is "clearly the right decision", the authority's leader has said.

The Didcot Gateway scheme, which aimed to regenerate land opposite the town's railway station, was halted after councillors unanimously voted to redirect funds towards purchasing about 30 homes for social housing.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, council leader David Rouane said £1.9m would have been spent on the project by the time it was stopped, correcting earlier reports of £2.2m.

A final decision on the project will be made at a full council meeting on 17 July.

The proposed four-storey complex, also intended for use by Vale of White Horse District Council staff, had recently received planning permission.

The project followed the destruction of the previous headquarters in a 2015 arson attack. Staff have since been working from temporary offices.

A council report said it would be "inappropriate" to proceed, as the councils are expected to cease operating in their current form by April 2028.

"Whilst the final outcome of [local government reform] for the south will not be known until early in 2026," the report said, "delivery of the proposed new office accommodation... is no longer justified."

Cabinet member for communities Georgina Heritage thanked officers for "responding so effectively to the request that funds could be moved to where it's needed most right now".

"If there's any legacy that I could wish for following local government reorganisation, it's more council houses," she said.

The council said regenerating the Didcot Gateway site remained a priority.

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