Community Hub Faces New Obstacle

Cllr Peter Rose writes …

In the last fortnight the development of the Community Hub has encountered a new obstacle.

A few months ago,  Thomas Homes advised us that they were closing down and so would not be able to complete the building of the Community Hub and houses planned for the Didcot Road.  Thomas Homes is the developer that has helped the Parish Council develop this project since 2014.  They have invested a very considerable amount of time and money in the development which they will not now be able to recover.  They recommended three other developers who they felt would be interested in taking over the project.  Unfortunately all three have now declined this offer.  They feel that the project is not economically viable, principally due to the demands being made by Oxfordshire County Council relating to the building of the new school and the associated road scheme.

The scheme has encountered other major issues in the past including the archaeological findings on the proposed site and the COVID epidemic, both of which delayed the project for years.  The significant increase in building costs recently have also contributed to the current situation.

We are very close to finalising the planning application relating to the development.  The Parish Council plans to proceed with this; even without the input of a development partner, having an approved planning consent for the development is an important part of the jigsaw.

This news will be a huge disappointment to everyone who has invested in this project to provide much needed new facilities for our village.  The Parish Council will continue to work on the scheme and to this end we are in negotiation with the landowner’s agent as well as taking independent advice.  However, we realise that this is a serious situation but if anyone has any suggestions or knows a benefactor who could help, please let us know!