In February of 2018 Bicester Vision will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary. To mark this occasion we are offering 10 lucky recipients a reduction of  50% in their joining fees. To be eligible the organisation’s needs to operate in Bicester and employ at least one member of staff that lives in Cherwell District. No gimmicks and no strings attached.…

Bicester Pioneer Rotary – a new approach for Bicester Would you like to be involved in the local community? Meet new people and have fun with a wide-range of social and volunteer events? Then Bicester Pioneer Rotary Club could be the first step towards fulfilling those ambitions. In a fast growing town like Bicester, we…

Our partnership is growing. Since the last AGM in December 2016 we have gained 13 new partners and are now a Partnership of significant size. It has been wonderful to welcome the following local organisations into our thriving, public and private sector partnership: Bioregional Applied Landscapes Design Ltd fortyplus people Wednesday Business Club db symmetry…

Thank you to everyone that joined us at Bicester Technology Studio for our 2017 Annual General Meeting. During the meeting, we presented several films commissioned by Bicester Village and Bicester Vision. We were fortunate to have the support from Bicester Chamber of Commerce, Bicester Town Council, Cherwell District Council and partners of Bicester Vision.  …

In October of 2017, we visited an Inward Investment event called MIPIM UK. We proudly flew the flag for Bicester and ensured that the international attendees became aware of Bicester Garden Town. As well as Bicester Vision being there, Cherwell District Council and Brethertons both sent staff to lead conversations on Bicester. Our aim was to attract…

HUNDREDS of apprenticeship opportunities will be available when the expansion at Bicester Village opens in October. More than 30 new shops will open at the designer outlet in Bicester and with that will come a range of apprenticeship roles. Bicester Village spokeswoman Miranda Markham said: “With the newly extended Bicester Village set to open in…

With the summer holidays on the doorstep, Healthy Bicester has come up with a challenge competition which is free and fun for all the family. Residents in Bicester are invited to explore the main green areas in the town with the chance to win a Fitbit or a family swim pass for Bicester Leisure Centre.…

The 6th Cherwell Business Awards Gala Dinner, held at the fabulous Heythrop Park on Friday 5th May, brought together more than 240 guests to celebrate the hard work, success and entrepreneurship of business people within Cherwell District. Headline sponsors Cherwell District Council opened the Awards Dinner, and Kirsty Leahy from Banbury Sound hosted the ceremony. …

THIS YEAR THE CHERWELL BUSINESS AWARDS 2017 WILL TAKE PLACE ON 5TH MAY AT HEYTHROP PARK AND WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AS MANY LOCAL BUSINESSES AND FRIENDS JOINING US ON THIS CELEBRATION FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE CHERWELL DISTRICT COUNCIL AREA THEREFORE WOULD LIKE TO OPENLY INVITE YOU TO JOIN US ON THE 5TH…

Call for Bicester residents to take part in the health and wellbeing survey Bicester residents are being invited to complete a survey about their health and wellbeing as part of the Healthy New Town programme. A copy is being sent to every household in Bicester and residents can fill the survey online from today. Bicester…

Working with Cancer The Hummingbird Centre will always look at ways to work with the Community of Bicester and the surrounding villages. One Christmas Mechelle Harris, Founder of The Hummingbird Centre was approached by a company in Bicester who within a month 3 employee’s had been diagnosed with cancer, they wanted to support them but…

Plans to reduce vacant town centre properties and boost economic growth have been given the go ahead by Cherwell District Council. On Monday, 6 March Cherwell’s executive approved a report outlining proposals to award business rates incentives to bring empty properties in the centres of Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington back into use.   The report…

The work on Bicester as a Healthy New Town is coming along well. Cherwell District Council working with Oxfordshire Clinical Research, A2Dominion, Bicester Town Council and Bicester Vision are developing a range of exciting initiatives to promote health and well-being at home and in the workplace. The team includes Jenny Barker Assistant Director for Bicester, CDC Nicola…

Bicester is growing and as well as being a destination of choice to live it is a great place to do business. To support the growing economy we think dedicated co-working space would provide a place where great things will happen. Do you work on your own and would benefit from the buzz of a…

Bicester Green, a local award winning social enterprise, is looking for a partner to help deliver its successful bike loan scheme.   About the scheme The Bicester Bike Loan consists of a fleet of eight adult hybrids and two Brompton folding bikes as well as a choice of accessories such as child seats, tail bikes…

Young Enterprise plan to continue their work with schools in Bicester during 2017. This is a full year of activity that was match funded by Bicester Vision. Heyford Park Free School Tenner Challenge   Masterclass – the Small Business Challenge)   Employability Skills Assembly to Year 10s The Cooper School Company Programme team (Year 12)  …

The 2016 Annual General Meeting on December 8th saw Phil Shadbolt take the role of Chairman of Bicester Vision. Phil, co-founder of Zeta Group in Bicester, has managed his company since its inception in January 1989. He is Board member of several local enterprises including the Oxfordshire LEP, Activate Learning Trust and is also a Governor at Oxford Brookes University. Phil…

The Cherwell Business Awards 2017 is Launched and Open for Applications Businesses from across North Oxfordshire came together on Tuesday 1st November at Norbar Torque Tools’ new premises to mark the Launch of the 2017 Cherwell Business Awards. The Awards, now in its 6th year, continues to honour the very best businesses and business people…

On 1 June 2015, long-standing Bicester Vision members, Meeson Williams Phillips, merged with Bidwells.Meeson Williams Phillips has brought valuable local commercial property expertise to Bicester Vision, working for many local businesses on relocation, agency and lease consultancy, three local business parks, as well as being the commercial property consultants for the local centre sites on…

Are you ready to transform your future? We’ll help you go further than education. OPEN EVENT AT BANBURY AND BICESTER COLLEGE – BICESTER CAMPUS Come along to learn about our motorsports, motor vehicle, engineering, vehicle restoration and Apprenticeship programmes. Meet students Have a go at activities in our industry-standard facilities Use the latest technology in…

A FESTIVAL OF HISTORIC MOTORING, AVIATION AND MILITARY ENDEAVOUR TAKING PLACE AT THE UK’S BEST PRESERVED SECOND WORLD WAR BOMBER STATION – BICESTER HERITAGE IN OXFORDSHIRE Featuring the very best in heritage action to create a weekend of nostalgia and excitement… Displays and flypasts from historic aircraft – including the return of the Blenheim bomber…

Have you say on the proposed new school The proposed Studio School would: open in Bicester in September 2016 provide free education for up to 310 students aged 14 to 19 years of age specialise in sustainable construction technologies and business logistics, taught alongside a core curriculum be supported by leading local employers to offer…

The prestigious 2015 Cherwell Business Awards Gala Dinner brought together 200 guests to celebrate the hard work, success and entrepreneurship of business people within North Oxfordshire. The 4th Cherwell Business Awards, which took place on Friday 15th May, once again shone the spotlight on the ingenuity, dedication and achievements of many talented individuals and businesses…

Commercial property consultancy, Meeson Williams Phillips, has helped to secure a new and permanent home for Bicester foodbank. The foodbank, which has been ‘homeless’ since September, operated out of a van and from the Bicester Early Intervention Centre’s premises in Launton Road on Fridays, until they moved into their permanent home at 29a Market Square…

Bicester Office Park                                                                             The official Ground Breaking Ceremony for the new Bicester Office Park took place on, Friday 23rd January, at which Cllr Alastair Milne Home – Chairman, Cllr Barry Wood – Leader, Sue Smith – Chief Executive of Cherwell District Council, and Cllr Lynn Pratt – Bicester Town Mayor,  were present. (See attached photo)…

Our final edition of 2014 is intended as a quick update on the ongoing roadworks in and around the town. We hope you all enjoy a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. please click here to download the latest bulletin  Bicester Bulletin Update -December 2014 Look out for more frequent bulletins…

Cherwell District Council has won a prestigious European energy award after being nominated by the National Energy Foundation earlier this year. The council scooped the ACE Award Overall Winner in the category Energy Smart Municipalities.The award went to Cherwell’s Eco Bicester initiative, which combines a town-wide energy efficiency programme with the building of a new…

A Government planning inspector will return to Cherwell District Council next week to resume his scrutiny of the document outlining where to build 22,800 homes by 2031. In June this year inspector Nigel Payne halted the examination into Cherwell’s submitted Local Plan to allow the council to amend the document to accommodate revised housing targets.…

Bicester is to receive a multi-million pound award to fund the delivery of 13,000 homes, 21,500 jobs and a new motorway junction after being awarded Garden Town status by the Government. Earlier this year the Department for Communities and Local Government announced it would offer financial support for local authorities who met the criteria of Garden…

To support Small Business Saturday on 6 December, all Cherwell District Council owned car parks will be free for the day. The move is aimed at encouraging shoppers and visitors to Banbury and Bicester in support of the district’s small businesses. The council owned car parks in Kidlington are permanently free of charge. Please note…

A vice which transforms into a children’s cricket set was named the winning creation at a competition between three educational establishments in Bicester. Banbury and Bicester College beat off entries from Cooper School and Bicester Community College to be named the winner of the Circular Product Competition which was held as part of the international…

As part of Clearview Traffic’s support for Brake’s annual national Road Safety Week, we are sponsoring the execution of a car crash extraction demonstration at the Banbury & Bicester College motorsports campus on Telford Road. Working in partnership with the college, the Bicester and Kidlington fire crews, and the Oxfordshire Road Safety Officers, we will…

Following thousands of votes, over 1,500 nominations and applications and a frenzy of excitement, the Oxfordshire Venus business women Awards announced the 2014 winners at the Oxford Belfry on Friday 14thNovember 2014.  Hosted by Cerys Nelmes and Tara Howard, Venus Awards Founder, the evening was a huge success.   Expanding across the country, in regions already such as Dorset,Devon, Southampton, Brighton, Portsmouth, Oxford and Birmingham, this is the first year the Venus Awards were in Oxfordshire to recognise and reward the amazing businesswomen of Oxfordshire.   The awards were founded in 2009 by Tara Howard, then Managing Director of Langtry Manor Hotel in Bournemouth.  “The night was magical, the food fabulous,the setting stupendous and the atmosphere electric.   It was so inspiring to see the wealth and diversity of successful Oxfordshire business women. I felt so honoured to be on stage with the winners of the various categories who were deservedly recognized for their achievements.   We have not had an awards ceremony yet without lots of laughter and a few tears – this year was no exception.”   Together with the Regional Partner for Oxfordshire, Sarah Airey, a local business women herself and owner of The buzzworks, a PR and communications consultancy, the Venus Awards were launched in May 2014.  “Oxfordshire is a county with a tremendous future. There are so many opportunities for businesses to succeed and grow.These awards celebrate the vital part that women play in this success. All the women finalists – not just those that took home the trophies – and their energy, enthusiasm and drive to succeed are an inspiration.”   Below are the very worthy winners for Oxfordshire:   Oxford Mail Business Mother of the Year                Jody Fletcher     Chilli Promotional Products Limited Jody is proud to be a busy working Mother, juggling hersuccessful business, with a hands on role as Mum.  Jody set up Chilli Promotional Products in2008 and works with many large (and small!) businesses throughout the UK.   Henmans Freeth Businessof the Year                                  Alison Hargreaves     Guides for Brides Alison is the founder and Managing Director of Guides forBrides, an on-line wedding business dedicated to putting businesses in touchwith brides. She is proud to be part of a female oriented team in a maledominated industry of on-line publishing.   Thames SecurityManagement Customer Service Award              Michelle Jennion      A-Plan Insurance – Witney Michelle Jennion works hard to make the complicated andconfusing process of buying insurance enjoyable and easy to understand,providing service and prices that cannot be found anywhere else.   Heart Employee of theYear                          Charlotte Cardosi      My Beauty Room  Charlotte takes a great deal of pride in doing an excellentjob. It is obvious by her bubbly personality and friendly smile that shethoroughly enjoys her work. She is a caring, empathetic, positive individualwho is entirely reliable and committed.   Employer of the Year                                     Emily Boardman        Turpin & Miller LLP “Emily Boardman is a Solicitor and one of the Partnersat Turpin & Miller LLP. She is the head of the Family Department. She works in both the Oxford and Reading offices. She studied law at The University of London (SOAS) andobtained her professional qualifications from  …

The economic benefits brought about by the creation of the North West Bicester eco town are beginning to be felt locally through increased employment and apprenticeship opportunities. At last Thursday’s (23 October) meeting of the Eco Bicester Strategic Delivery Board, members heard more about the Employment and Training Management Plan (ETMP) which has been submitted…

A record number of employers took to the Bicester Job Fair to advertise employment and apprentice opportunities across the local area. On Friday, 17 October, Cherwell District Council was joined by 28 other organisations in hosting the town’s second job fair of the year at the John Paul II Centre in Bicester. More than 120…

Bicester Bulletin –October 2014  After a short summer break, we’re back with more news about projects in Bicester, please click here to download the latest bulletin Bicester Bulletin.October 2014 (557 KB)

A decision on whether to endorse changes to accommodate additional homes within Cherwell District Council’s Local Plan will be made by councillors at a meeting on Monday. Earlier this year Government Inspector Nigel Payne halted the inquiry into Cherwell District Council’s Local Plan to allow the authority time to revise the document to accommodate additional…

Now in its 4th year, the organisers and sponsors are proud to announce the launch of The Cherwell Business Awards 2015.  Applications and nominations can be made online at http://cherwellbusinessawards.co.uk/ from 20th October 2014 through to 30thJanuary 2015. The Cherwell Business Awards continues to grow and establish a solid reputation within the North Oxfordshire business…

Students at three of Bicester’s schools and colleges will compete against each other to promote the benefits of a ‘circular economy’ which encourages the continual reuse of raw materials and products. Cherwell District Council has teamed up with sustainability organisation Bicester Green and Bicester Vision to host the Circular Product Competition as part of the…

A contractor is being sought to deliver the next phase of Bicester’s new Sports Village which will include the provision of a pavilion and car park. At a meeting of Cherwell District Council’s executive last night (Monday) councillors agreed to begin the tendering process to appoint a developer to deliver the second phase of the…

Businesses are being offered the chance to promote and fill existing vacancies for free at the Bicester Job Fair.On Friday, 17 October, Cherwell District Council will host the event at the John Paul II Centre in Causeway to help bring jobseekers and employers together under one roof.It is hoped the event will replicate the success…

A pioneering scheme which could use household waste to heat up to 6,000 homes in Bicester is continuing to move forward with the appointment of specialist consultants to investigate the scheme. Earlier this year Cherwell District Council received a grant of £83,000 from the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s Heat Network Delivery Unit to…

The much anticipated announcement of the semi-finalists for the NatWest Venus Women’s Awards Oxfordshire 2014 was made on Tuesday, 2nd September.In a suspense-filled  evening at the BMW North Oxford Garage, nominees, sponsors and friends gathered to find out who would be invited to the penultimate event, the Finalists announcement being hosted at Henmans Freeth’s offices on Thursday, September 25th.    Two categories go to the public vote these are Heart Employee of the Year and Oxford Mail and Times Business Mother of the Year, this begins17th September for a week whilst the other categories were judged by their Sponsors.    When asked about the selection process Tara Howard said “Whether it be by the public or decided by the sponsors, making it through to this stage of the process is something to be shouted about and I think we are going to get lots of shouting going on over the next couple of months until we gather together atthe Venus Awards Ceremony.”  The Semi Finalists are:    NatWest Small Business Award Semi Finalists                                                                                                                Alison Day –My Beauty RoomSue Caulfield – Metro Rod (Oxon and West Bucks)Victoria Thomas – VT Accountancy    Claire Ring – Central hair and barberJane Bowler – Dews Meadow Farm / Thames Valley Farmers’ Market Co op Ltd    BMW North Oxford Garage Green Business Award Semi Finalists                                                        Alison Campbell – Stillwater Publishing LtdSusanne Austin -Oxfordshire Green Construction Showcase/Oxfordshire Green Construction NetworkCathy Cornish – Wild to Wonderful Garden Design           Sarah McBride – Mitty Moos Ltd.Barbara Osborne – Oxford Business Mentors   INCA New Business Semi Finalists  Amber-Lauren Ballantyne-Styles – Amber-Lauren Fine Art   Lin Worthy – Worthy Conclusions   Sarah McBride – Mitty Moos Ltd  Katie Griffiths – Love From Katie  Lucy Jane – The Individual Funeral Company     Check a professional.com Professional of the Year Semi Finalists Ruth Hawkins – Turpin & Miller LLPSarah Morris – HR2YOUMonica Franke – Clinic on the Green, OxfordCatherine Morgan – Blake Morgan LLPKathleen Parker – Wellers    New Media and Online Semi Finalists  Clare Fielder – The Pistachio View Alison Hargreaves – Guides for Brides  Christine McRitchie – Earthwise Trading  Tracey Greenway – Independent Travel Experts   Marneta Viegas – Relax Kids     Influential Woman Semi Finalists  Lisa Ruggles – Gorgeous Concepts trading as Ruggles LeisureCathy Dunbabin – Opendoorz Ltd   Debbie Behan – Heathfield House Nursing Home  Lorraine Frost – Oxford Innovation  Angie Major – Blueberry Business Support Ltd     Entrepreneur of the Year Semi Finalists  Jackie Cross – Jacqueline Cross Photography Melanie Lester – Tm Design Studio  Natasha Ellard – Urban Element  Sarka Naivertova – Sarkaa Ltd  Steph Croft-Simon – Nom Foods Limited     Jennings Inspirational Woman Award Semi Finalists  Alison Campbell – Stillwater Publishing Ltd  Sue Caulfield – Metro Rod (Oxon and West Bucks) Lottie Moore – WISH Women Alison Thompson – ADHD Kids Nancy Hunt – The Nasio Trust – Abingdon     Home Based Business Semi Finalists   Jayne Johnson – Better People Ltd – Recruitment Services Becky Considine – OXVAS – Oxford Virtual Assistant Service  Lin Worthy – Worthy ConclusionsClare Fielder – The Pistachio View  Angie Major – Blueberry Business Support Ltd  …

Plans to create a sports village in Bicester are continuing to move forward with work now underway to prepare the second phase of the project. At a meeting of Cherwell District Council’s executive yesterday (Monday, 7 July), councillors received an update on progress to deliver sports facilities in south west Bicester. Members heard the first…

One of the first business owners to receive advertising and website grants from Cherwell District Council has encouraged others to take advantage of the scheme. Earlier this year, Cherwell announced it would be investing £15,000 to help independent traders in Bicester after receiving £100,000 Portas Funding from the Government to boost trade in the high street. The £15,000…

Superfast broadband provision across Cherwell came a step closer last night (23 June) when the council’s Executive backed a recommendation to invest £500,000.Cherwell is working closely with Oxfordshire County Council who in turn are working with BDUK to increase the coverage of superfast broadband. The money is set to make 95 per cent coverage a reality across the district, and…

The final phase of Bicester’s Pioneer Square development to provide an iconic community building and gateway to the town has been given the thumbs up by councillors. Yesterday (Thursday, 19 June) members of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee approved plans for the erection of a five storey building comprising community and town centre uses at…

Ownership of the UK’s largest self-build housing project will be transferred to a new company which has been established with the sole purpose of delivering the scheme. At a meeting of Cherwell District Council’s executive yesterday (Monday, 16 June), councillors agreed to create the Graven Hill Village Holding Company, to be wholly owned by the…