Banbury Oxfordshire nice??

[Movinghome27]

I have to leave my home (due to circumstances) I'm a council tenant so Im not buying so can't pick certain area either been offered suitable home in Banbury I am not familiar with the area never been does anyone know if it's an okay area for bringing up children is there much to do is it friendly etc TIA

I’ve been to Banbury a lot. It’s excellent for the motorway, really good railway station & seems safe.

The schools are decent if my memory serves me correctly. There is a massive redevelopment going on in the town. Lock29 being the latest addition, it’s a food hall. Premier Inn, Lidl, a cinema and other things are also in development. The shopping is decent… Banbury has recently lost its H&M as well as GAP but still has a good selection of shops, it also has a retail park which has M&S, Primark, Next & FatFace to name a few.

Overall it’s a nice place to live and I wouldn’t mind living there.

Sorry to be a downer OP but it’s quite a deprived area - lots of drug running & social deprivation (based on a relative who is in social work there)

Are you elsewhere in the county now?

Parts of Banbury are a bit run down as is the town centre but no moreso than many market towns all over the UK. There is redevelopment going on in the centre (as already mentioned) and lots of housebuilding with some really nice estates plus of course you are right on the edge of some wonderful countryside and have great transport links.

I live locally and Dougie's post is accurate. Definitely not the poshest town in Oxfordshire,but it's an affluent county. There's lots of new investment with redevelopment and London commuters moving in. I work with social workers and Banbury is no worse than most market towns. Good points are definitely its central location and easy access to wonderful countryside and pretty villages. It's generally safe and a good place for children, although a bit limited when they get to teenage years- again like most market towns.

If you're potentially homeless with children then almost any offer of a house is a good one OP, I guess?

Are you going to be offered any other alternatives do you think?

As others have said, it may depend on where in Banbury and how old your children are.

I know it well. It's a pretty standard market town. It's a little run down in places, but overall it's not terrible and certainly not somewhere to avoid. Lovely surrounding villages and countryside on the doorstep, canal, good out of town stores and smaller shops and cafes in the town centre. Very good train connection to London and Birmingham. You'll be fine there!

I know it very well. It's fine, the town centre has suffered in recent years but there is also a huge development in its final stages.

There is only one really 'rough' area, which is essentially one long road.

Gateway Retail Park is excellent.
Brand new big Lidl - very good.
Mill Arts Centre
Decent cinema
Spiceball Sports Centre
DS is now 14, but there were tons of pre-school activities and groups we attended.
35 minutes from Stratford and Warwick.
55 minutes by train from London.
45 minutesby car from Oxford.
Reasonable schools; BGN and The Warriner are sought after.
Canal
Surrounded by absolutely gorgeous countryside.

There are FAR worse places to live!

I am also planning a move here at the end of the year with my family, so interested in all the answers...

...oops posted to soon.

We stayed at the premier inn to have a look around and we enjoyed the general vibe. It was Jubilee weekend and there was a nice family event in the local park. The old part of the town is really nice with the independant shops/bakers/butchers.

We had a good meal at the Barley Mow and there was live music. It will be a big change for us but it seems like a nice place for a family, and a reasonable commute 2 days a week to london.

I have joined a couple of Facebook community pages snd it seems theres often events snd fundraisers in the parks and surrounding villages.

Of what i have read, and also something a shop assistant said to me when i mentioned moving, Bretch Hill seems to be a place pepple say to avoid. My MIL lives in Banbury now, and she warned me off a few houses near there. As previous poster said it seems to be one street.

It's hard going to completely new place. All the best if you do decide to move.

Yes, Bretch Hill is regarded as rough - although there are perfectly nice, smart houses towards the northern end.

Easy to do 'deals' in town centre, no one hides it.
Bit risky for 14yr olds, easily drawn in.
Bloke openly collecting 'tax' from beggar and complaining about small value coins.

We've been here over a decade and like it.

Banbury is changing - there are a lot of newbies from London/Oxford because property is still relatively affordable and there are a lot of new builds going up.

Some areas as previous posters have said are a bit rough. Bretch Hill is best avoided. There are some OK ish bits at the bottom but higher you go, the rougher it gets.

Several good/outstanding primaries. Warriner/BGN are the favoured secondaries. Wykham Park is best swerved for the time being.

Town centre has suffered a bit from the usual shop closures. But the canalside has been redeveloped with a new cinema, restaurants, bowling alley etc. And there's an Old Town bit with independent shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs.

Easily commutable to London/Oxford/Birmingham by train. Milton Keynes and Northampton are

Hey,

I am considering moving from London to Banbury with my wife and our 5 month old.

I was wondering if you went ahead with your move and if so, how you’ve found it?

any help you can be would be much appreciated!

Zombie