This funding  from the Homes and Communities Agency will be used to provide essential road links around the site on the edge of the town.

It will also support the early release of land on the site and enable the development of 2,586 new homes, a new district centre, three schools, a new university technical college and community and healthcare facilities.

The HCA cash injection will accelerate the overall rate of housebuilding at Great Western Park from 180 to around 280 homes a year, increasing the number of jobs on the construction site from around 400 to approximately 650 at its peak.

HCA Executive Director for the South and South West, Colin Molton, said: “This investment will play an absolutely critical role in unlocking the full potential of Great Western Park, which is an essential part of the area’s growth ambitions.

“Encouraging progress has been made on this development and we look forward to building on this success in the months and years ahead.”

John Lofthouse, Commercial Director at Taylor Wimpey Oxfordshire, said: “We welcome this investment in the Great Western Park development, which will support the creation of much-needed new homes for local people, and look forward to working with the Homes and Communities Agency as this exciting new community continues to take shape.”

More than 700 new homes have been created on Great Western Park to date. Sovereign and Soha are managing the first affordable homes completed on the site.

This further investment will be subject to the agreement of contracts with the Great Western Park consortium, which is expected to complete in the coming weeks.