South Oxfordshire District Council leader backs plan to scrap new HQ
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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