A council unanimously agreed to support bid for their town, rich in railway history, to become home of a new public body in charge of the UK’s train services.
Didcot councillors agreed, at the latest full council meeting, to support South Oxfordshire District Council’s (SODC) bid for the home of the new Great British Railways (GBR) headquarters to be built in the town.
Based outside London, GBR will be responsible for ticket prices, setting timetables and rail infrastructure.
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Last month, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils announced their intentions to bid for this 'one in a generation' opportunity.
Councillor Celia Wilson said: “Not a lot of Didcot’s population believe this is a wonderful town to live in. In fact, most people would say that Didcot is a terrible place to live in.
“But I think it is a great town, and I think we can do with a bit more of old fashion civic pride. A project like this will bring vibrant and energetic action, it will be more than just bricks and mortar.”
Councillor John Moody said: “I think we should be proud that we have been asked to support this bid. This is about showing some pride within Didcot.
“I totally agree, Didcot is a great town, we have the railway heritage and I think that if we want to increase the profile of Didcot town, both regionally and nationally, this will be an aspect that will help to provide that.”
There are several potential sites that could accommodate the headquarters, including Didcot Gateway, a site which is set to be regenerated and is directly opposite Didcot Parkway railway station.
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If Didcot is shortlisted, people will get the chance to vote during a consultation in May and the winner will be announced this summer.
Mocky Khan, the town's mayor fully supports this bid. He said: “The railways have had a major influence and impact on the development of Didcot. We have the wonderful, family friendly and living museum of Didcot Railway Centre, the history and have people moving in due to the train links, therefore Didcot is an ideal location to be the new HQ of Great British Railways.
“This will further strengthen our railway heritage and further reinforce why Didcot is a great place to live. I hope we get shortlisted and Didcot wins.”
A wide range of partners are supporting the district councils to submit an Expression of Interest as the first step of the selection process, including David Johnston MP, OxLEP and other business and community partners.
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