Cllr Chris Brant, Cropredy & Hook Norton

18/06/2026

-led Cherwell will use the funding to boost investment in the local economy, and explore new growth opportunities.

Our executive has approved a £250,000 investment to help shape future growth across the district by supporting vibrant communities, creating strong infrastructure, and unlocking future opportunities.

This is all about making sure Cherwell remains a great place to live, work and do business, now and in the future.

Link to news story in the comments👇

17/06/2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Come on England! We are all behind you! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🦁🦁🦁

17/06/2026

at Cherwell are committed to making safer. Big strides have been made in tackling antisocial behaviour since the PSPO was first introducted in the town last year. 👮‍♀️👮‍♂️

New powers introduced to tackle anti-social behaviour in Banbury town centre

15/06/2026

I know there will be many communities across the Cherwell District who will be worried by the Government's announcement today, and I would like to reassure residents that this designation should not mean local voices no longer matter or that communities should give up fighting for the places they love and care about.

Today's decision by Government to place Cherwell District Council into planning designation raises some serious questions.

Let's look at the facts.

has been designated because 11% of major planning decisions were overturned on appeal between April 2023 and March 2025 - just 1 percentage point above the Government's 10% threshold. Among the nine councils designated today, Cherwell is the least above the threshold. See table below.

led Cherwell District Council has already acknowledged the issue and has spent the last year working with the Planning Advisory Service to improve performance, strengthen governance and increase capacity. Latest figures indicate Cherwell will fall below the Government's threshold in the current monitoring period.

That is why many local people will struggle to understand comments from MP Sean Woodcock, who claimed:

"It’s been patently obvious for a long time that the leadership of Cherwell District Council is not fit for purpose when it comes to planning."

Extraordinary.

This is the same Sean Woodcock who served on Cherwell's Planning Committee and later as a substitute member during much of the period covered by the Government's assessment.

The real problem facing Cherwell is not a lack of planning permissions. More than 11,000 homes already have planning permission but remain unbuilt. The biggest barriers are infrastructure delivery, utility capacity and developers not building out approved sites quickly enough.

As MP Calum Miller for Bicester and Woodstock has rightly pointed out, this looks less like planning reform and more like a Whitehall power grab.

Local people are being punished for problems national government has failed to solve.

The answer isn't taking more decisions away from local communities. The answer is delivering the roads, electricity, water and sewage infrastructure needed to support the growth that has already been approved.

Building on the significant improvements already delivered, Cherwell's planning service will continue to support sustainable growth, provide high-quality planning advice and decision-making support to the Planning Committee, and work with communities, businesses and investors to help shape a successful future for the district.

Read more here: www.cherwell.gov.uk/news/article/1319/council-voices-frustration-over-planning-designation

13/06/2026

A beautiful afternoon at Horley Summer Fete! 🌞

Another year and another 'Slide the Pint challenge' with the local Rev! This time Reverend Guy Edwards. 🍺 Guess who won!? 😆

Well done to everyone involved! These events are so important for our village communities. What's always good to see is people coming from different villages and the local area to support other villages.

So much going on today with Balscote Fete, the Banbury Show and much more!

13/06/2026

💜 : Celebrating the Hidden Heroes in Our Communities 💜

This , I want to recognising the extraordinary contribution made by unpaid across .

Many people don't think of themselves as carers, yet every day they provide essential support to a parent, partner, child, friend or neighbour. Their dedication helps loved ones live independently and with dignity, often while balancing work, family life and other commitments.

The Liberal Democrats have long championed carers' rights, and our leader, Ed Davey, has spoken passionately about the challenges carers face, drawing on his own experiences as a family carer. His advocacy has helped shine a spotlight on the invaluable role carers play and the need for greater support and recognition.

That's why organisations such as Carers Oxfordshire are so important. They provide advice, training, carers' assessments, wellbeing support and opportunities for carers to connect with others who understand the realities of caring.

If you're an unpaid carer, please know that support is available. Visit Carers Oxfordshire to find out more about the help and services on offer.

💜 You can also support their work by:
• Making a donation
• Volunteering your time
• Fundraising in your community
• Raising awareness of the support available to carers

www.carersoxfordshire.org.uk

Oxfordshire County Council supports unpaid carers through its Adult Social Care services, funding carers' assessments, advice, wellbeing support and practical help through its partnership with Carers Oxfordshire. The Council is committed to ensuring carers receive the recognition and support they deserve.

This Carers Week, let's thank every carer for the compassion, dedication and love they show every single day.



Photo credit: Carers Oxfordshire

12/06/2026

A beautiful start to this year's in Shenington with the very talented

An intimate and engaging exploration of Queen Elizabeth l.

It was a real please to attend tonight's concert.

Monies raised from this weekends events are split between humanitarian aid for 🇺🇦, and helping to maintain the church buildings in Shenington and Alkerton.

Well done to everyone involved!

Enjoy the rest of ShenFest!

12/06/2026

Residents in Wardington are rightly frustrated by the impact of HS2 construction traffic on our roads.

Time and again, road surfaces are repaired, only to be damaged again by heavy HGV movements. I've also received reports of lorries speeding through the village, raising concerns for residents.

Local communities are putting up with years of disruption while seeing little direct benefit from HS2. That's why I'm calling on HS2 to meet with me and explain what more can be done to reduce the impact of construction traffic and ensure our roads aren't left paying the price.


Oxfordshire County Council

10/06/2026

🚧 Boddington Road Bridge Reconstruction – Road Closure Notice 🚧

Residents and farmers are advised that essential bridge reconstruction works will begin on 15 June on the small bridge on Boddington Road over the canal feeder stream, north of Claydon.

Due to the narrow width of the carriageway at this location, it is unfortunately not possible to maintain vehicle access while the work is carried out. As a result, Boddington Road will be closed to vehicular traffic for up to 8 weeks.

A local pedestrian diversion will be in place throughout the works to maintain access for those travelling on foot.

I appreciate that this closure will cause inconvenience, particularly for local residents, farmers and businesses, but these works are necessary to ensure the bridge remains safe and fit for the future.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while the reconstruction is completed.

09/06/2026

🚧 Road resurfacing improvements coming to 🚕🚌🚲🏍

24 August to 11 September

To minimise disruption, the work will be carried out overnight between 8pm and 6am and will take place in three phases:

🔶️ Phase 1– A361 Southam Road, from the A422 Hennef Way roundabout to Warwick Road/Castle Street.

🔶️ Phase 2– A361 Horse Fair, from Warwick Road/Castle Street to Banbury Cross roundabout.

🔶️ Phase 3 – A361 Southam Road/Horse Fair, from the A422 Hennef Way roundabout to Banbury Cross roundabout.

🔶️🔶 ️I will keep pushing for Southam Road from Tesco to Dukes Meadow Drive to be resurfaced. 🔶️🔶️

These works will help deliver a smoother, longer-lasting road surface on some of Banbury’s busiest routes. Signed diversion routes will be in place where required, with access maintained for pedestrians and cyclists.

Thank you in advance for your patience while these improvements are carried out.