Welcome Home Parade
The 23 Pioneer Regiment returned to Bicester on the 28th of November and the town welcomed them home in style. A parade to honour our soldiers went through Sheep Street followed by a chance to meet and greet them in The Garth. The Mayor of Bicester Cllr James Porter had a few words on their return:
"For me, its an honour and privilege to be part of the Welcome Home Parade for our troops. These brave men and women have put their lives in constant danger every day. They have endured great hardships in hostile distant lands so we can be safer at home. Some have been injured or maimed and some have made the ultimate sacrifice. The Welcome Parade is our salute to their courage and bravery and the opportunity for everyone to say 'thank you' for what they so selflessly do."
Bicester Town Centre Redevelopment
After much discussion between development partners the future of Bicester Town Centre has started to become a reality. Work on the new £70 million town centre may just be a few weeks away, the town will see a large scale and much needed improvement that will include:
- Sainsbury's supermarket
- Multi screen cinema
- New retail units
- Improved parking facilities
Partners Sainsbury’s, Stockdale Land and Cherwell District Council have come to an agreement and planning permission has been accepted for planned major construction work to begin from early January. Planned redevelopment includes:
- the diversion of the River Bure from the east side of Manorsfield Road onto the west side and landscaping along the new river route
- the diversion of existing utilities connections on both sides of Manorsfield Road in order to accommodate the diversion of the River Bure
- Improvements to Manorsfield Road itself including the creation of a new footpath/cycleway on the west side of the road and the introduction of a roundabout at the junction with Hanover Gardens.
please follow the link to Cherwell District Council for more information
Eco Town - Latest news FEB 2010
The North West Bicester eco development is to receive a £9.5m cash injection for a number of exciting projects. Schemes including a new sixth form building, affordable homes, measures to promote walking and cycling in Bicester and a demonstration eco-home are now possible thanks to a successful bid by Cherwell District Council.
Many of you may be aware of recent government proposals that have seen North West (NW) Bicester selected as one of the pioneering eco town locations in the Eco Towns Planning Policy Statement (PPS).
NW Bicester has been selected as the site for 5,000 home eco development that will promote Bicester as an exemplar eco town development with high living standards that couple with environmental benefits. Such benefits for the people of Bicester include first rate public transport and zero-carbon technology.
The major changes for the town, aside from housing development, would be numerous, including much needed Oxford to Bicester rail improvements. There could also be changes to junction 9 of the M40 and/or consideration of a junction 9a. In addition to this the government is intending to make help available to each eco town location such as economic development, education improvements, social services provision, green and sustainable technology, and institutional structures for community building and governance.
Planning for this eco town is in its early stages and more detailed information can be found on the Cherwell District Council website accessed via the link at the bottom of this page.
Follow the links below to get the latest news:
ECO TOWNS
CHERWELL COMMUNITY PLANNING PARTNERSHIP