Plans to expand a business park near Wantage have bolstered calls for a railway station in the town.

Owners of Grove Business Park on Downsview Road have brought forward proposals to turn the site into a leading science and innovation hub.

This is expected to create around 2,000 extra jobs in the area.

READ MORE: When will Oxford Railway Station be CLOSED this summer?

Andy Holding of Wantage and Grove Station Supporters Group said: “The expansion of the business park has made the case for the railway station much stronger.

Oxford Mail:

“A lot of people will be commuting into the area and that could put one thousand extra vehicles on our already congested roads.

“Rail transport is clearly the better option.”

He added: “The area around the business park is also growing.

“There is expected to be a huge population growth in Wantage, Grove, Blewbury and Harwell over the next 10 years.

“But the infrastructure in the area is currently quite poor.

“We need a railway station to get a lot of the traffic off the roads.”

A Wantage and Grove station was initially opened by Great Western Railway in 1846 but has seen no trains since 1964.

If re-opened it is expected to serve around 2.1 million passengers a year.

A petition calling for the opening of the station had already gained 1,500 signatures.

Oxford Mail:

Mr Holding explained that he believed the owners of the business park were in support of plans for Wantage and Grove station.

Grove Business Park was recently taken over by investment company, the Oxford Endowment Fund.

The company held an open day to exhibit their plans on Thursday evening (June 8) at Boston House in Grove Buisness Park.

More than 20 business, 21 councillors and members of the public attended the exhibition.

A spokesman for the Oxford Endowment Fund said: “Feedback across all sessions was very positive with the planned increased in scale and quality of the park together with the new investment and quality of jobs created in the life sciences, innovation and technology sectors welcomed. 

READ MORE: Plans for MAJOR expansion of business park

“The proposals for improving access and permeability with the adjacent residential development were particularly strongly supported. 

“There was feedback across a range of issues which are being assessed and which will be encompassed within the planning application.”

Oxford Mail:

The plans include improving the existing buildings, landscaping, amenities and infrastructure of the park, as well as some 32,773 sq m of proposed new development.

The new development would primarily be commercial floorspace comprising of offices and research and development areas.

The site of the park was previously used as a World War II airfield.