FIGHTS will break out over plans to change the name of Wantage constituency to Didcot, one councillor has warned.

Town promotion group Didcot First has submitted a bid to to change the name of the Wantage parliamentary constituency to either Didcot or Didcot and Wantage.

With planned growth in Didcot, the group said it is set to become the 'principal' town in the constituency.

Wantage MP Ed Vaizey has already backed the suggestion of adding Didcot to the name, but the proposal has not gone down well with the town that saw the birth of King Alfred the Great in the ninth century.

Oxfordshire county councillor for Wantage and Grove Jenny Hannaby called the application ‘outrageous’.

She said: "It is a political thing and Ed Vaizey (Wantage MP) needs to know there will be boxing matches in the square over this.

"Traditionally Mr Vaizey’s constituency has always been Wantage but he decided to incorporate Didcot, and this is just an extension of that.

"Why would such a historic town want this to happen? It is just an outrageous suggestion and I cannot imagine it will be taken well at all with people in Wantage."

Wantage town councillors Patrick O'Leary said he would be happy with the change – so long as Wantage still came first in the name.

He said: "I would like a name that reflects what the area is going to be, but with Wantage first because Wantage came first historically."

A review of all parliamentary boundaries is currently underway across the county in a bid to make them all a similar population size.

In its bid to the Boundary Commission for England, Didcot First said Didcot’s population was growing from 15,000 in 1981 to an anticipated 30,000 by the end of the year.

It also mentioned Didcot’s recent Garden Town status which will see the town will double in size from 650ha to 1290ha.

Chairman David Pryor said: "Didcot is becoming an increasingly important town and is now in the heart of the Science Vale and set to become a Garden Town.

"This has been one of Didcot First’s targets since we started over 10 years ago, and we are delighted to be given the opportunity to provide our views as part of the consultation process.

"Even with new housing planned in the Wantage area, Didcot will be the principal town within the constituency."

Didcot Town Council has also submitted a bid to the boundary commission for the name change.

Councillor Margaret Davies said the application was unanimous among councillors and that she would like Didcot to come first in the name.

She said: "Didcot is almost three times the population of Wantage and our name should go first.

"It was only for historic reasons that it was called Wantage constituency but now it is time to brush it off and start again with a joint name: Didcot and Wantage."

Mr Vaizey has backed the group’s application and said the new constituency should include Didcot in its name.

He said: "I already refer to myself as the MP for Wantage and Didcot, so something like this needs to be considered.

"Didcot is a major town and hugely successful.

"It still amazes me there is no sign to Didcot on the M4 or M40.

"I would be reluctant to lose Wantage from the constituency name however, so will continue to use both towns in the constituency title."

The Boundary Commission consultation closed on Monday, December 5, and all comments received to be published in Spring 2017 and based on views submitted the Boundary Commission may revise its proposals later next year.