MAJOR road improvements around Didcot are needed as thousands of new jobs are created, a leading councillor has warned.

Labour town councillor Margaret Davies said new road links are now vital, with the Science Vale Enterprise Zone creating an employment boost.

She spoke out after it emerged that about 1,000 new jobs have been created at Milton Park business centre near Didcot in the past 12 months.

The jobs announcement coincided with an Oxfordshire County Council proposal to create a new £11m Harwell link road just east of the A34, running between the B4493 Didcot Road in the north and the A417 London Road in the south.

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The plan has been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council and a decision on the proposal is expected next month.

Work is also due to start on turning the A34 Milton interchange into a hamburger design and new slip roads will be added to the A34 Chilton interchange.

Mrs Davies said: “It’s good news that new jobs are being created but new infrastructure needs to come with it.

“This new link road appears to be designed to join up new housing at Great Western Park and Valley Park with the Harwell Oxford site.

“It will run almost alongside the A34 and will take the pressure off Harwell village.

“But the spine road through Great Western Park has not yet been completed and there needs to be a proper joined-up roads network instead of these schemes coming forward on an indivudual basis.”

Firms that have taken on new staff in the past 12 months include biotech firm Immunocore and Linden Homes housebuilders.

When the zone was announced, it was estimated that 8,400 new jobs could be created by 2016.

Milton Park’s job numbers have increased by 1,033 from 6,493 to 7,526 in the past 12 months, with more than 50 new businesses arriving at the park, which now has 250 companies.

Wantage MP Ed Vaizey added: “It was a pleasure to announce the addition of 1,033 new jobs at Milton Park over the last year, from across the vibrant mix of companies working on the park, from manufacturing and medical services to mobile technology.”

During a job fair on Friday, Mr Vaizey met five of the Milton Park-based companies.

 

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