Plan for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse councils’ new HQ

A council which has used temporary offices since its headquarters were burned down in 2015 has unveiled plans for what its new base might look like.

South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) wants to use purpose-built offices in Didcot, opposite the town’s railway station.

It said the new building will meet strict sustainability standards.

Andrea Powell, SODC’s cabinet member for the new building project, said the authority will rent out some space in the building to other organisations.

“The new building will help us make significant strides to becoming carbon neutral, and the long-term rental income from the commercial offices will also help us put the council on a strong financial footing in a time where ongoing finances for councils are filled with uncertainty,” she said.

The new HQ will “celebrate” Didcot’s railway heritage and solar panels will be included on its roof and potentially on visitor parking spaces.

The authority said its location should help encourage sustainable commuting and more flexible ways of working.

The former council building was destroyed after Andrew Main drove a car filled with gas cylinders into it.

He also set fire to an undertakers and a thatched cottage nearby.

Main, from Rokemarsh, was detained in a mental health unit in May 2015.