FREE INSIDE
GROUP BICESTER, Banbury & surrounding villages
FREE INSIDE THIS ISSUE
TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL Bicester Village Job Fair
WEEKEND TV GUIDE
Wednesday 5 April at the John Paul II Centre in Bicester, from 4 pm to 6.30 pm. To find out more, visit BicesterVillage.com/jobfair
© Bicester Village 2017 03/17 3627
Thursday, March 30 - Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Advertising/Newsdesk: 01235 511700
Oxfordshire’s Largest Circulated Newspaper - and it’s FREE
FREE
TAKE ONE
www.oxfordshireguardian.co.uk
Big name tenants for Castle Quay revealed
By Samantha McGregor A DEVELOPER has unveiled the first tranche of businesses that will move into Banbury’s £35m Castle Quay extension project. Four restaurants, a cinema operator, a supermarket and hotel chain have already signed up for new units. They are Italian restaurant chain Zizzi, Nando’s, the Handmade Burger Company and Chiquitos. Premier Inn will open a 117-bedroom hotel with all rooms overlooking the canal. Discount supermarket chain Lidl has taken the town centre supermarket site and the new eight screen 1,300seat cinema will be run by The Light Cinema. Detailed plans have been submitted to Cherwell District Council. Developer Aberdeen Asset Management, which owns Castle Quay shopping centre, is awaiting the planning committee’s decision. If approved work could start this autumn. Keith Pulling, chief executive officer of The Light Cinemas, said: “We chose Banbury as a developing town without a modern cinema offering. “The Light will be a premium cinema experience with a commitment to local community engagement, showing a broad range of fi lms and events to appeal to all age groups.” The restaurants will face the canal,
providing a waterside dining experience. It is hoped the development will also give current Castle Quay tenants a boost as the shopping is a gateway to the new units. The centre will stay open late in the evening allowing cinema and restaurant goers to walk through it to the town centre. There will also be an additional 240 car parking spaces in the town centre. Cllr Barry Wood, leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “This project has been a long time coming for Banbury and will breathe new life into the town centre. “For years Banbury has been calling for a multiscreen cinema and since the closure of Somerfield in 2007 has been without a town centre supermarket. “This development will address both of those shortages while the addition of new restaurants and a hotel will create a thriving town centre for visitors to enjoy during the day as well as long into the evening.” Cameron Murray, of Aberdeen Asset Management, said: “We’ve been working on this complex project for a number of years and are delighted that we can now start putting names to the food store, cinema, hotel and restaurants units. “These are well known names and Continued on page 5
The proposed new multiscreen cinema complex at the £35m Castle Quay extension project in Banbury
MARCH
SALE
www.atouchofpine.co.uk
B7 Telford Road, Bicester, Oxon OX26 4LD. 01869 248864 Southam Road, Banbury, Oxon OX16 2RX. 01295 277044