Bicester Garrison consultation, family events and rail changes

Cherwell District Council has made a fresh intervention over the proposed use of Bicester Garrison Site A, calling for residents and local authorities to receive a meaningful opportunity to scrutinise the plans.

Council leader David Hingley wrote again to the Home Secretary on Wednesday, 29 July. The council said it still needs clear answers about security, policing, healthcare, transport, infrastructure, funding and the effects on surrounding communities.

The Home Office is assessing whether part of the former military site could accommodate up to 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers. It has submitted an application through the Urgent Crown Development process rather than the usual local planning route.

That distinction matters. Under the urgent process, the final planning decision sits with central government. Cherwell Council is concerned that this could reduce the council’s formal role and give residents less opportunity to comment than they would receive through an ordinary planning application.

The Home Office updated its public information on Thursday, 30 July, confirming that feasibility work could continue for several months. It says no final decision has been made about whether the site is suitable.

Should the proposal proceed, occupancy would be introduced in stages. The government says the site would be used for at least ten years, with security operating around the clock and services such as healthcare and casework provided on site. It would not be a detention centre, and residents would be able to leave the site.

For now, survey work and planning activity should not be mistaken for final approval. The next practical questions are how residents will be able to make representations, when the planning documents will become available and whether the government will respond directly to the council’s latest requests.

Cherwell District Council has announced a programme of free and low-cost summer activities for children aged five to 16, including sessions available in and around Bicester.

The programme includes sport, arts, nature activities and games. It may be particularly useful while some facilities at Bicester Leisure Centre remain temporarily unavailable. Young people aged 14 to 18 can also apply for an Active Leader course running from Monday, 24 August to Friday, 28 August. Families should check the Get Oxfordshire Active and YouMove Cherwell listings for local availability and booking requirements.

Voters in the Chesterton and Launton division will elect a new Oxfordshire county councillor on Thursday, 3 September.

The vacancy follows the resignation of Will Boucher-Giles, who had represented the division since May 2025. The confirmed candidate list is due after 4.00 pm on Friday, 7 August. Anyone who needs to register must do so by 11.59 pm on Monday, 17 August. Applications for postal votes close at 5.00 pm the following day.

Oxfordshire Trading Standards is warning families to be careful when buying low-priced squishy toys after officers seized unlabelled fruit-shaped products and counterfeit NeeDoh Nice Cubes.

Before buying, check for a UKCA or CE mark, the name and address of a UK manufacturer or importer, and suitable safety warnings. Missing labels can mean the product has not passed the required safety checks. Concerns about an item can be reported through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.

Passengers travelling towards Oxford late on Saturday, 8 August should check their journey before leaving.

The railway between Oxford Parkway and Oxford will close after 10.55 pm for engineering work. Replacement buses are planned between Oxford Parkway and Oxford, with some services also involving Bicester North. Earlier Bicester-to-London journeys are not the focus of the closure, but anyone connecting through Oxford should use the Chiltern Railways journey planner for the final timetable.

Public event pages around Bicester are heavily focused on one practical concern this week: keeping children occupied without turning every day out into a costly one.

The confirmed options include Wednesday’s free-entry Teddy Bears’ Picnic in Garth Park, the Summer Reading Challenge, craft and technology sessions at Bicester Library, and the council-backed holiday programme.

Individual activities may have limited spaces or separate booking rules, so checking before travelling is sensible. The useful change this summer is not one blockbuster attraction, but a broader collection of smaller activities spread across the town.

Bicester Green’s Library of Things offers a straightforward alternative to buying equipment that may only be used once or twice.

Members can borrow items for DIY, gardening, camping, parties, motoring and household jobs. That can save money and storage space while keeping usable equipment in circulation for longer.

The service forms part of Bicester Green’s wider repair and reuse work at 16 Sheep Street. The organisation also supports practical skills, repairs and waste reduction, using donated materials and equipment where possible.

It is especially useful for occasional jobs: the tool needed for one shelf, camping equipment for a weekend or extra supplies for a party. Before ordering something new, checking whether it can be borrowed locally is a sensible first step.

Bicester Garrison: We will check for published planning documents, consultation arrangements and any government response to Cherwell Council’s latest letter.

Chesterton and Launton by-election: The confirmed candidate list should be available after nominations close on Friday, 7 August.

That is your Bicester week: one major decision to watch, several useful dates to note and plenty of reasons to get out around town.

What free or affordable school-holiday activity should more Bicester families know about?

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See you next week.

Cheers!!