Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils have announced they intend to move in a new building on their former site at Crowmarsh Gifford.
The two councils have been in temporary accommodation since the fire that destroyed their offices in an arson attack in January 2015. They moved into a vacant building on Milton Park six months after the fire, where they have been ever since.
During that time the councils have investigated a wide range of options for their permanent home, and have now concluded that the most cost-effective solution is to move back to the site that is owned by South Oxfordshire District Council.
The councils will now work to prepare the site to build a new, smaller headquarters, which is more suited to their needs. The building will include a new council chamber for South Oxfordshire’s committee meetings, while the Vale’s committees will continue to take place in The Beacon in Wantage.
Cllr Matthew Barber, leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We have explored a range of options available for our permanent home, and there’s no doubt now that Crowmarsh represents the best value for our residents, as it was before the fire.”