PLANS for the £50 million extension of Didcot’s Orchard shopping centre have now been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council and could be approved by July.

Four years ago shopping centre owners Hammerson put forward plans for a £125m extension but the proposal has now been scaled down and new homes are no longer part of the scheme.

Hammerson has now submitted an application for 24 new shops, including a Marks & Spencer food store, six restaurants and cafes, a new gym, and 225 parking spaces.

Plans include a bus route via Station Road as the current service road between Broadway and Hitchcock Way will be built on. Bus companies want to use Station Road for buses to access the shopping centre and avoid the Jubilee Way roundabout.

Council leader John Cotton said: “The planning application is now in and that’s a move forward. Now people in Didcot need to express their views on the options that are being put forward.

“It has taken a long time to get to this point and the application now needs to be judged against planning policy. I expect it will be July before the application goes before the planning committee.”

An agent for the developer GL Hearn said: “The development proposal seeks to create an enhanced attractive retail and leisure offer in Didcot town centre.”

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