Calls for council tax cut on 'unadopted' estate

Residents in Didcot are calling for a discount on their council tax because they are not getting a full range of services.

The 3,300-home Great Western Park estate has not yet been "adopted" by local councils, despite the first residents moving in more than 12 years ago.

Developer Taylor Wimpey said it was "actively working towards" the adoption of the estate, but the process was "complex".

Oxfordshire County Council said there were "outstanding matters" on key routes that had to be resolved before the roads become public highways.

Charlotte Budd, who lives on the esate, said maintenance was an issue.

"We've had street lights out for years... we've got bumpy drains, loose manhole covers. It's not great," she said.

Resident Natalie Pollard said figuring out who was responsible between local councils and different developers was very difficult.

"You go round in circles," she said.

"The lights at the top of the streets, for example, haven't worked in the four-and-a-half years I've lived here."

They said residents should not have to pay full council tax because the estate has not been adopted by authorities.

Local Conservative councillor Ian Snowdon agrees.

He said: "The residents up here keep seeing their council tax go up, but they're not actually providing a service for them."

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said unadopted estates cause issues for his officers, particularly concerning parking infringements.

"It is a challenge for policing because in areas which are private land, which are unadopted, it does limit the powers that the police have got to enforce," he said.

"Where actually the expectation should be that the local authority should adopt these roads and take on the responsibility [for parking enforcement]."

The district councils Vale and South Oxfordshire said council tax covers a "huge range of services" including social care, education, transport and policing.

Oxfordshire County Council said it would adopt the "majority" of roads on Great Western Park.

A spokesperson said: "As a priority the adoption of the primary spine road, Sir Frank Williams Avenue & Greenwood Way, is being progressed with the developer as this is required to enable adoption of the remainder of the estate roads to follow.

"Although a legal agreement for adoption of Sir Frank Williams Avenue and Greenwood Way has been completed, there remain outstanding matters in relation to the road being constructed to adoptable standard and meeting adoptable criteria, that are currently outstanding with the developer and that must be resolved before the roads can become highway maintainable at public expense."

Developer Taylor Wimpey said getting an estate adopted involved "multiple stakeholders".

“Our focus remains to finalise the outstanding areas on the development," a spokesperson said.

"In the meantime, we are committed to addressing any concerns raised by residents promptly to maintain the quality of the development during this transitional period.”

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