Didcot Residents Seek Council Tax Reduction for Unadopted Estate

Residents in Didcot are requesting a discount on their council tax, citing an incomplete provision of services. The Great Western Park estate, comprising 3,300 homes, has not yet been “adopted” by local councils, despite its first inhabitants moving in over 12 years ago. Developer Taylor Wimpey stated it was “actively working towards” the estate’s adoption, acknowledging the “complex” nature of the process. Oxfordshire County Council indicated that “outstanding matters” on crucial routes require resolution before these roads can be designated as public highways. Charlotte Budd, a resident of the estate, highlighted maintenance as an issue. She stated: “We’ve had street lights out for years… we’ve got bumpy drains, loose manhole covers. It’s not great.” Another resident, Natalie Pollard, described the challenge of determining responsibility between local councils and various developers as very difficult. She commented, “You go round in circles,” adding, “The lights at the top of the streets, for example, haven’t worked in the four-and-a-half years I’ve lived here.” They argue that residents should not have to pay full council tax because the estate has not been adopted by authorities. Local Conservative councillor Ian Snowdon concurred. He said: “The residents up here keep seeing their council tax go up, but they’re not actually providing a service for them.” Matthew Barber, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, noted that unadopted estates present difficulties for his officers, particularly regarding parking violations. He explained: “It is a challenge for policing because in areas which are private land, which are unadopted, it does limit the powers that the police have got to enforce,” adding, “Where actually the expectation should be that the local authority should adopt these roads and take on the responsibility [for parking enforcement].” The district councils of Vale and South Oxfordshire affirmed that council tax encompasses a “huge range of services,” such as social care, education, transport, and policing. Oxfordshire County Council declared its intention to adopt the “majority” of roads within Great Western Park. A spokesperson elaborated: “As a priority the adoption of the primary spine road, Sir Frank Williams Avenue & Greenwood Way, is being progressed with the developer as this is required to enable adoption of the remainder of the estate roads to follow. “Although a legal agreement for adoption of Sir Frank Williams Avenue and Greenwood Way has been completed, there remain outstanding matters in relation to the road being constructed to adoptable standard and meeting adoptable criteria, that are currently outstanding with the developer and that must be resolved before the roads can become highway maintainable at public expense.” Developer Taylor Wimpey stated that the adoption of an estate necessitates involvement from “multiple stakeholders.” A spokesperson affirmed: “Our focus remains to finalise the outstanding areas on the development,” adding, “In the meantime, we are committed to addressing any concerns raised by residents promptly to maintain the quality of the development during this transitional period.” For updates, BBC Oxfordshire can be followed on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.