FORMULA 1 icon Sir Frank Williams is being honoured with a road in his name on a new housing estate.

In April, South Oxfordshire District Council suggested the name Eagle Down for the road through Didcot’s Great Western Park, an estate of more than 3,000 homes now being built.

But town councillors said the “ridiculous” suggestion should be rejected because it reminded them of Black Hawk Down, the film about a US helicopter crash in Mogadishu in 1993.

Taylor Wimpey Homes, which is building homes on the site, instead said the main road through the development should be called Great Western Way.

But Didcot Town Council said that was too similar to the town’s Great Western Drive and could confuse emergency services.

Now South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have agreed to call the road Sir Frank Williams Avenue, to honour the Grove-based F1 boss.

It is understood that the councils have approached Sir Frank to ask his permission to name the road after him and he has agreed.

Ann Ducker, leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Sir Frank Williams has made an incredible contribution to the area and has helped to cement southern Oxfordshire as a real centre of excellence for motor sport and engineering in general, so it is only right that we can honour him in this way.”

Matthew Barber, leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Great Western Park is set to be one of the most important locations in the two districts, so we are incredibly grateful to Sir Frank for agreeing to lend us his name for the road and helping to put the area on the map.”

Both councils are involved in making the decision because the estate crosses district boundaries.

Nick Hards, chairman of Didcot town council’s planning committee, said: “I would have no problem with the road being called Williams Avenue but the suggested street name is too darn long.

“The town council’s original suggestion was Eagle Drive but the district councils are going against tradition by making the decision themselves. We will recommend that the town council objects.”

Although the team is now based in Grove, Sir Frank established Williams Grand Prix Engineering in an old carpet warehouse in Didcot in 1977. Last year, Sir Frank, 68, announced he was stepping down as chairman of the team.