PART of the Didcot power station site could be used for housing, according to the joint chief executive of Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils.

David Buckle believes the former Didcot A power station, which ceased operating in March, is so vast a small part of the land could be used for homes.

The chief executive said some could be built at the entrance, near Foxhall Road roundabout.

He said: “In principle, it would be possible to put some housing on part of that site.

“Once the cooling towers are demolished, the scale of the site will become apparent and I would not rule some housing out.

“The logical place for new homes would be the entrance to the former Didcot A power station, which would be good for commuters.

“Whether it is feasible financially is a moot point because of the clean-up costs.

“If we could build some houses on the site it would be better than building on green fields.”

Matthew Barber, leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, which covers the site, said land at the power station was designated for industrial use under the council’s Local Plan.

“That does not rule out a change,” he said.

“People living elsewhere in the Vale would love it if thousands of new homes could be built on the power station site because it would alleviate pressure.

“But if new homes are going to be built there, I don’t think it would be more than a couple of hundred.”

Town council leader Margaret Davies said developing houses on the site was an “appalling idea” and she would not be in favour of any residential development.

She added: “It’s right in the middle of an industrial zone. It would be better used for employment.

“It’s not near any schools or other facilities and there are no pathways or bus routes linking it with the rest of the town. I don’t think it’s sustainable.

“If new homes were built at the entrance to the former Didcot A site they would be cut off by heavy traffic.”

Decommissioning of the power station is under way, and the towers could come down before the end of 2014.

Last month RWE npower confirmed that the three 325ft cooling towers and tall chimney closest to Didcot would be blown up first. The three towers closest to Sutton Courtenay may be exploded or taken down gradually.

Spokesman Kelly Brown said the group is still in discussions over the development of the site.

“A proportion of the site will be safeguarded for possible future power generation use,” she said.

“The remaining land is available for redevelopment. We are supportive of the emerging Local Plan, which envisages employment related development.”