SHOPAHOLICS will be flocking to Didcot after the first High Street names were confirmed for the town's £50m new plaza.

TK Maxx and River Island are both set to open at the 150,000sq ft extension of the town's Orchard Centre.

H&M has also been earmarked for the centre on retail property consultants MMX Retail's website, but main developers Hammerson would not confirm if the brand will be in the development.

For food lovers, a new restaurant quarter is coming to the centre with the plans showing a Costa, Starbucks, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Pierre Bistro.

Mayor of Didcot Steve Connel said it was 'brilliant' for the town to have such big and recognisable retailers setting up shop.

He said: "It is exciting because a lot more businesses are lined up for it.

"There is going to be a two-storey H&M and we have got a number of really big restaurants that are going to be in there.

"These are shops and restaurants that we do not currently have in Didcot."

In the plans both H&M and TK Maxx would be taking up some of the larger units on site, bagging a 10,000sq ft space each.

In a map of the redevelopment a further six units are 'in negotiation' with 13 still available.

The second phase of the Orchard Centre is expected to bring a total of 28 units including a Marks & Spencer food hall and 105 extra car parking spaces.

Development manager at Hammerson Thomas Cochrane said: "We are pleased to confirm that retailers including M&S, TK Maxx and River Island have all signed up to take space at the Orchard Centre as part of a £50 million extension.

"We are working to bring a number of other exciting brands to Didcot, and will announce these in due course."

Work is currently under way at Station Road for the new bus route, which will run through the shopping centre.

That is expected to take 14 weeks and after which work will then begin on the second phase of the development.

Resident Clare Lightfoot said the town should be looking forward to the new brands coming to their doorstep.

She said: "They have got some quite big High Street brands on board and I think we need to look forward to this.

"A lot of the youngsters shop at H&M and I can imagine with a TK Maxx and M&S that will mean more people from Wallingford and Abingdon will come to Didcot.

"Fewer and fewer people will need to go to Oxford, so it will be good to get Didcot on the map.

"I am just disappointed we will have to lose the lovely pedestrianised area for the new bus route."

MMX Retail were asked to clarify whether H&M has been confirmed for the centre but did not respond.

For more information visit: mmxretail.co.uk/properties-to-let/scheme/Orchard-Centre-Didcot