Latest news with #CherwellDistrictCouncil
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Councils pay Oxford college £545,500 after planning delay
Two councils have paid a total of £545,500 to an Oxford University college after delays to a planning County Council and Cherwell District Council were told to pay the costs to Merton College over its planning application for 540 homes at Rutten Lane in college first submitted the application in 2021, but in 2023 decided to appeal because Cherwell District Council failed to make a decision on authority said it had carried out a "thorough examination" of the case and an action plan was in place. The Planning Inspectorate awarded costs to Merton College as part of the obtained by the BBC show that Cherwell District Council has now paid £401,769.74 and Oxfordshire County Council has paid £145, inspector's report said that Cherwell District Council had "delayed development that should clearly have been permitted".It added that Oxfordshire County Council behaved "unreasonably" over a request for a contribution to highway works at the Peartree Interchange as part of the development is part of the 4,400 new homes allocated by Cherwell Council in Yarnton, north Oxford, Kidlington and Begbroke to meet Oxford's housing needs.A report released by Cherwell District Council's auditors said that a review had found significant "weaknesses" in the authority's handling of the said: "The council has already been financially exposed as a result of these weaknesses and, if left unaddressed, there is a risk that the situation reoccurs with other strategic site applications it handles."A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said: "A thorough examination of the case has been undertaken. "An internal management action plan has been prepared to address the findings of that examination for immediate implementation."An Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson said it had "considered the Planning Inspectorate's decision and it will continue to review its internal procedures related to the outcome of this appeal and subsequent costs ordered against the authority". You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
UK's historic lido is reopening just in time for summer - with Olympic-size pool, waterslides and splash zone
A historic lido has undergone a £130k renovation and reopened just in time for summer. Banbury Open Air pool, which is part of the Woodgreen Leisure Centre in Oxfordshire, first opened in 1939. The Olympic-sized swimming pool is Banbury's only outdoor pool and a 'much-loved' spot by local residents. Renovation work has seen new showers and toilets installed as well as improvements made to the site's changing rooms. The 50m heated outdoor pool has eight lanes as well as an outdoor slide and a splash zone. Rob Pattenden, Cherwell District Council's healthy communities chief, has said that the renovation work shows the swimming pool is 'very much moving with the times'. 'Swimming is such an accessible and beneficial form of exercise and so it's a brilliant way for us to invest in our communities' health and wellbeing,' said Mr Pattenden. 'With the warm weather we're having, I fully expect people to be making the most of Banbury's wonderful outdoor pool as it opens its doors for another summer.' Renovations include a new accessible step-free shower for people with disabilities. The pool is extremely popular with locals and has a 4.5 star rating out of 5 on Google Reviews. One reviewer described it as a 'lovely pool' that's 'really reasonably priced' while another said it was a 'great place for a swim'. Adult tickets to the lido cost £5.65 while those aged 50+ or between 3-15 years can swim for £3.70. Elsewhere, Guildford Lido has also reopened for the summer season after a £2 million refurbishment. The 50m heated pool has installed brand new changing rooms and improved its drainage systems ahead of the 2025 season.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Banbury lido undergos £130,000 upgrade ahead of reopening
Facilities at a "much-loved" outdoor swimming pool have been upgraded ahead of its reopening in time for District Council has invested £130,000 into Woodgreen Leisure Centre in Banbury ahead of the reopening of its 50m pool on on the lido includes new showers and toilets, as well as improvements to the changing room Pattenden, the council's healthy communities chief, said the investment showed the swimming pool was "very much moving with the times". "Swimming is such an accessible and beneficial form of exercise and so it's a brilliant way for us to invest in our communities' health and wellbeing," Mr Pattenden said."With the warm weather we're having, I fully expect people to be making the most of Banbury's wonderful outdoor pool as it opens its doors for another summer." Among the improvements at the leisure centre is a new accessible, step-free shower for people with changing rooms and lockers have been reconfigured for "ease of use", the council for the project came from money secured from developers, through Section 106 agreements, which are used to mitigate the impact of developments on the local lido, which the council said was "much-loved", first opened to swimmers in 1939, and is Banbury's only outdoor swimming addition to the pool itself, the facility also includes a flume, a splash park and a snack bar. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oxfordshire village could get 250 new home development as plans considered
Plans are being considered for a development of 250 new homes near the train station of an Oxfordshire village. Developers are going through pre-planning application stages for a proposal involving 250 dwellings, public open space, transport links and a play area in Islip, near the train station of the village north of Oxford. A screening opinion application has been made to Cherwell District Council by developer Barwood Land, to determine whether the proposal would constitute and Environmental Impact Assessment development. READ MORE: Man in hospital after crashing motorbike in Banbury alleyway The site is off Bletchingdon Road, on the northern edge of the village of Islip. It makes up just under 13.5 hectares of land and is a decommissioned fuel depot, first implemented as a purpose-built RAF fuel distribution depot during the Second World War, until it was taken over by Esso Petroleum Company Ltd in the 1960s. Stay connected to the heart of Oxford for less! 🚨 Our flash sale is ON: get trusted local news for just £5 for 5 months or 40 per cent off an annual subscription. Don't miss out — subscribe now! 🗞️👇 — Oxford Mail (@TheOxfordMail) April 29, 2025 The fuel depot was closed and subsequently decommissioned in 1994. READ MORE: Book of condolence opened after body found in Oxford Redevelopment plans would include the removal of 16 large, semi-buried fuel storage tanks, demolition of associated structures and buildings and remediation works, including removal of pipelines and pump houses. The development is in the preliminary stages of the application, but details revealed so far include the intention to build 250 homes, public open space, pedestrian and cycle links, a play area, drainage, landscaping and other related works. The district council aims to decide on the screening opinion application by May 14.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gurdwara plan for industrial estate unit
Sikhs in North Oxfordshire could have a new place of worship if a plan to move to a unit on an industrial estate gets the go-ahead. The Gurdwara Sahib Banbury has applied to use the unit in Thorpe Close in the town after "outgrowing" its current gurdwara in West Street, where it has been based since 1992. It said that "despite continuous efforts and multiple meetings" with Cherwell District Council to find a suitable new venue, no other viable solution has been found. Other sites, including land next to the Muskeeter pub, have been dismissed as unviable over recent decades. Balbir Singh Dhesi, the president of Gurdwara Sahib Banbury, said using Unit 4 in Thorpe Close is "a rare and viable opportunity" that would "serve the community while contributing positively to the local economy and industrial estate". No funerals would be conducted at the site and most services would take place on Sunday mornings. The current gurdwara in West Street has only on-street parking but the Thorpe Close site offers eight allocated parking spaces. Cherwell District Council is due to make a decision on the application sometime in June. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Cherwell District Council
