Council completes move to new shopping centre HQ

A local authority has officially relocated its offices to former retail units in a council-owned shopping centre.

The former BHS and Gap units in Banbury's Castle Quay Shopping Centre have been repurposed in time for Cherwell District Council to take up residence in them from Monday.

Residents would be able to access council services in a better-connected town centre location due to the move, the council said.

The authority had previously been based at the Grade II-listed Victorian manor Bodicote House, just outside of Banbury.

David Hingley, Cherwell District Council's leader, said the move was a "massive milestone for Cherwell District Council and the vital local services we deliver".

"Our new headquarters have been carefully designed to meet the future needs of a modern, forward-thinking council, with running costs and environmental impact greatly reduced as a result," he said.

The new headquarters includes customer services for residents and a council chamber for public meetings.

"This is part of our wider vision for bringing positive, lasting change to north Oxfordshire, and with the extra footfall it will bring to the town centre, it is another significant step forward in the regeneration of Banbury," Mr Hingley said.

The council purchased Castle Quay and its adjacent leisure complex for £121.6m in 2017.

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