RESIDENTS had their first glimpse of a multi-million pound link road and new primary school.

Homeowners in Didcot and Harwell flocked to two public consultations for the new village road and the new town school.

Villagers in Harwell have campaigned for a link road that will connect the B4493 to the A417 for more than 20 years.

Parish council chairman David Marsh called the plans on show last week the 'best solution' to divert traffic away from the historic village.

He said: "We have had Blenheim Hill closed for a few weeks recently and that has given us a taste of what it is like when the village is not used as a rat run."

The £11.8m road project is the latest in a package of improvements in the Science Vale Transport Strategy.

The strategy aims to improve access to the so-called 'Enterprise Zone' and reduce congestion as thousands of homes are built in the area around the scientific hubs of Culham, Harwell and Milton Park.

In April this year, Vale of White Horse District Council granted planning permission for 4,254 homes at 'Valley Park' between Harwell and Didcot.

Another 3,300 homes are being built on Didcot's Great Western Park estate.

Didcot resident Bill Major said the road plans had come years too late.

The 71-year-old said: "We should have had lots more roads built before they started putting up houses everywhere.

"It is a very lovely road but I'm not sure what else it's going to do other than relieve traffic from Harwell."

Work is expected to begin on the road at the end of this month and be finished within a year.

Martin Ricketts, who has lived in Harwell since the 1980s, said the road had been a long time coming.

He added: "I think it is good and it will be good for Harwell when it is built.

"I'm not sure they've got all the cycling and pedestrian route worked out quite yet but the purpose of it should make a difference to the village which has born the brunt of a lot of traffic over the years."

Also on display last week were the first images of a new 420-place primary school set to open in Great Western Park by September 2018.

Prospective parents had the opportunity to quiz architects and the school’s provider, GLF Schools, as plans were on display for the first time for Chalkhill Primary School.

The academy trust is also planning to build the new Aureus secondary school down the road on Great Western Park.

Mark Leach, projects leader at GLF, said: "That means we will be able to share facilities, and pupils at this school will benefit from specialised teachers who could come down to this site and take classes.

"We are hoping this will be a through-school where our students will start at Chalkhill and then move on to Aureus."

The school will not only boast a nursery for up to 30 two to four-year-olds but it will also have inclusive facilities for special needs pupils.