The government has awarded Didcot Garden Town with £100,000 to be spent on projects to improve sustainability.

The Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board met last week to discuss how a recent award of £100,000 from the government can be spent on improving sustainability and connections in the town.

It was announced on January 14 by the government that South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils will be receiving the extra money to help support Didcot Garden Town.

At the meeting the board discussed how the money could be spent on projects that improve sustainability and connections in the town and also highlight smart technology.

The garden town team will ask for both councils to accept the £100,000 once the award is finalised with Homes England.

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The extra funding was announced on the same day the district councils' joint Scrutiny Committee met and recommend that the Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board should launch three new ‘sounding boards’.

It has been recommended there is a board for local parishes, one for businesses based in the area and one for community representatives, as part of a new governance structure.

The aim of the ‘sounding boards’ is to help gather views on new projects and ensure the wishes of the different aspects of the local community are heard as the Didcot Garden Town projects are developed.

The Joint Scrutiny Committee also recommended that the Cabinets should agree to appoint a parish council representative to the advisory board from the five parish councils within the garden town boundary.

The committee also said that the Cabinets should recommend that the advisory board considers including an environmental representative to help introduce new ideas on how the town and surrounding area can become even more sustainable.

If approved by both districts’ cabinet members, the garden town team will start to plan events and invite local parish councils, residents, local business owners and community group representatives to join one of the sounding boards.

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Councillor Ian Hudspeth, Chair of Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board, said: “Didcot is a growing town and we welcome the £100,000 capacity funding from government to continue work on the Didcot Garden Town delivery plan for our residents. The new funding will be key to work on providing sustainability and connections in the town.

"We are delighted that the Joint Scrutiny Committee has recommended to Cabinet that three sounding boards should be formed – these will help the advisory board members to hear people’s views on the projects we have planned for the garden town area.”

During the meeting, the advisory board expressed their support for Oxfordshire County Council leading a study to be conducted on Jubilee Way roundabout.

Members also looked at dates for their own quarterly meetings so that feedback from the three sounding boards and project updates can be discussed regularly.

The advisory board and sound board meetings are set to be open for residents to attend.