DIDCOT has been named as one of the top 10 towns in the country for its ability to successfully fight the recession.

A recent survey of the nation’s shopping centres found not every high street was failing, despite the economic downturn and the growing trend for people to buy goods online.

The survey listed the top 10 most “resilient” high streets, which have shown growth in customer footfall and spending over the past three years.

Didcot came ninth in the top 10, one place ahead of Dumfries in Scotland.

Chamber of Commerce chairman Mike Foster said: “A rise in VAT and other household bills has put pressure on shoppers’ disposable income, so I think it is very good news for the district that Didcot is bucking the trend.

“People come to Didcot because they can park for free for two hours in Sainsbury’s and then walk up into the Orchard Centre and Broadway. National chains like PC World, Argos and Next bring people in and the opening hours make the town very competitive.

“Not as many shops are open in Abingdon, Wallingford or Wantage on Sunday.”

The survey last month was carried out by Milton Keynes Synovate Retail Performance for The Sunday Times. Neither the increase in footfall or the amount of investment has been disclosed.

In March, shopping centre developer Hammerson, which runs the Bullring in Birmingham, announced that hundreds of new jobs could be created in a £125m expansion of the Orchard Centre.

The £50m first phase opened in 2005 and transformed the town centre. It included the Cornerstone Arts Centre, Cineworld cinema, and dozens of new shops.

In phase two, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Debenham’s could all open flagship stores by 2014, as part of a 200,000 sq ft development of new shops, cafes and restaurants.

Town council leader Margaret Davies said she was delighted Didcot was outperforming market towns in South Oxfordshire and the Vale.

She said Paul Townsend, president of Abingdon Chamber of Commerce, had been proved wrong when he claimed Didcot was a “clone town”.

Mrs Davies said: “Didcot doesn’t have a market square but I think it’s more vibrant than a market town. With the Orchard Centre, Hammerson are getting a high return for a relatively small capital outlay.”

Ahead of Didcot in the top 10 high streets were Walthamstow in London, Poole in Dorset, Cwmbran in Wales, Doncaster in South Yorkshire, Bracknell in Berkshire, Yeovil in Somerset, Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, and Macclesfield in Cheshire.