Banbury: Opinions?

[spinaltap]

After completing her post-graduate studies, my daughter is now permanently resident with a good job in Oxford (Associate Marketing Manager for Routledge).

Ideally, I would move there too but for Oxford's high property prices compared to where I presently live (and for the type of home I'm prepared to live in).

I'm contemplating a compromise move to Banbury, which is only 10 minutes from Oxford by train. For me, Banbury property prices are more realistic. A new Redrow development is planned there on the Bloxham Road.

However, for those with first hand real-world knowledge and experience of Banbury, what is your opinion of living there?

What do you consider to be its positive and negative aspects?

 

[ChrisEdu]

Will she ride a c#ck horse?

 

[Charles Morgan]

It's not Slough.

 

[abecketts]

Nice part of the world, the cereal factory can give the town a certain aroma.

 

[spinaltap]

Nice part of the world, the cereal factory can give the town a certain aroma.

So, I'd be exchanging the smell of one Mondelez factory for another.

 

[st13phil]

Banbury is the biggest of the three towns in the area, Banbury, Brackley and Bicester. It has the sort of facilities you'd expect (The Mill Arts Centre, Castle Quay shopping centre, etc.) and a reasonable selection of housing. While much of it gives the impression of being quite genteel, some parts of the town centre can be a bit like the Wild West on a Friday or Saturday night. Some areas (especially around the station and football club) were prone to flooding, but since the introduction of a new flood defence scheme in 2012 the risk seems to have reduced.

If you're particularly looking for a new build property, then I'd suggest taking a look at Bicester which is the subject of significant expansion over the next decade. Bicester is much smaller than Banbury and doesn't have all the facilities its bigger neighbour does, but it's a pleasant place to live and it doesn't suffer some of the drawbacks of Banbury.

 

[spinaltap]

I appreciate the advice, but from what I can see for myself new build properties in Bicester are more expensive - and smaller - than the Redrow design I have seen planned for Bloxham Vale in Banbury.

Also, having visited Bicester Town in recent weeks, the selection of shops is significantly smaller compared to Banbury. Bicester Village is the dominant feature of the town, from what I can see.

However, I have recently visited the Graven Hill self-build site in Bicester: I will have to wait another month before they reveal their prices.

 

[StuartK]

Stick to Oxfordshire villages

 

[moonloops]

Nice part of the world, the cereal factory can give the town a certain aroma.

Banbury stinks, but they must get used to it living there..

 

[StuartK]

Chipping Norton is nice

 

[Yugguy]

Smells of coffee.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Chipping Norton is nice

Are house prices comparable with Banbury?

 

[Red C220]

What have house prices done in this area over the last 2-3 years? Have they been relatively stable or have you seen a lot of inflation?

The area in which I live has had HPi of around 50% in the last 2 years which is now showing signs of returning to some level of reality, but it's going to take at least 12 months maybe longer I'd guess.

I'm just wondering if Oxford has had similar in which case it might be worth sitting tight.

Interestingly where my Mum lives (Dereham Norfolk) has had little to no HPi in the same period and is actually showing signs of a stagnation/little bit of a fall.

 

[Doodle]

Bicester is much smaller than Banbury and doesn't have all the facilities its bigger neighbour does, but it's a pleasant place to live and it doesn't suffer some of the drawbacks of Banbury.

Apart from the shopping village, which should be avoided at all costs if you value your sanity. I'd rather be kicked repeatedly in the testicles than go within a 2 mile radius of it at weekends.

 

[spinaltap]

The latest Gov.UK HPi published figure for Cherwell is +9.1%, while Oxford is +9.5%.

 

[st13phil]

Apart from the shopping village, which should be avoided at all costs if you value your sanity.

Fair comment, but it's easy to avoid if you wish.

As an aside, The Bicester Village shopping facility is now the second most popular UK tourist attraction by visitor numbers after Buckingham Palace. Not sure whether that's an accolade or not

 

[moonloops]

The Bicester Village shopping facility is now the second most popular UK tourist attraction by visitor numbers after Buckingham Palace.

Ah Bicester Village - where the chinese travel tens of thousands of miles to buy products made in china with 1000% markup, and then lug it all back home.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I've been going to Bicester and close by regularly for about 5 years. The pace of development there is startling and the road network now inadequate. On several occasions there have been mile long queues to Bicester Village, add in the huge new housing estates and poor roads and gridlock beckons.

 

[tec]

Bicester is having an extra 13,000 houses built and will soon be an overspill from London.
There is nothing in Bicester at all apart from a designer clothes shopping centre for people that like wasting good money on over priced clothing.

Banbury has better shopping, and rail connections and is a much more lively place to live.

 

[spinaltap]

Bicester Village is a bit of a rip off: the L.K. Bennett shoes my wife bought for £52 from John Lewis (brand-new/un-opened/un-worn) were £89 at the Biscester Village L.K. Bennett outlet (used/worn/scruffy).