Cherwell District Council

Cherwell District Council is proud to announce that Castle Quay Waterfront is now fully let. The opening of Pinto Lounge at the Waterfront on Saturday, 24 August, marks a significant milestone for this high-quality attraction and Banbury town centre. This success supports the council’s Banbury Vision to revitalise the town centre, boost business growth, attract visitors, and enhance the local community. Read more at https://lnkd.in/esTvn6Tn

The deputy leader and chairman of the council have released statements reflecting on the week of violent unrest across the UK. Councillor Lesley McLean, Deputy Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “We are determined that no-one living in our area should experience discrimination based on their country of origin, religion or ethnic background and I want to reassure our residents that we will not let the unacceptable acts of mindless violence seen elsewhere dissuade us from our commitment to serving and supporting them.” Councillor Dr Chukwudi Okeke, Chairman of Cherwell District Council, said: “No-one deserves to feel intimidated because of where they are from, their faith, or the colour of their skin and I know the people of north Oxfordshire join me in rejecting any attempts to exploit the Southport atrocities to sow division in our communities.” Read the full statements at https://lnkd.in/grAbJCxp

Taking your dog to a polling station? Share your pictures with us using #dogsatCherwellpollingstations 🐶

Congratulations to our dedicated community wardens who are now equipped to offer even greater mental health support to people across the district! Trudie, Helen, and Yvonne completed Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) with local charity Nai’s House, which enhances their ability to help anyone suffering a mental health crisis. Trudie reflected on the training, “I now feel confident and empowered to ask questions and have challenging conversations with individuals about suicide." Our wardens are always on patrol, ready to listen and assist. Let's break the stigma around mental health together. Reaching out is a sign of strength. For more resources, visit the Oxfordshire Mind website. In case of an emergency, call 999. #MentalHealthMatters #CommunitySupport #SuicidePrevention #ReachOut

Huge congratulations to Tony Bates as he completes 40 years of service on our street cleansing team in Bicester! Tony started his role as a teenager and takes pride in keeping his hometown looking its best for all who visit, picking litter, emptying bins, and tackling fly-tips and graffiti. He can trace his family history in Bicester back hundreds of years and acts as an informal ambassador for the town, offering directions and advice to tourists and, even on occasion, reuniting people with lost property that he has recovered. Last week our Chief Executive Gordon Stewart presented Tony with a richly deserved long service award.

Our new chairman Cllr Dr Chukwudi Okeke will be fundraising for Oxfordshire Mind during his term of office. The charity provides a range of services, advice and information for residents experiencing mental health problems. Cllr Dr Okeke makes history as our first chairman from a black ethnic minority and said “I got into politics to promote a healthy society where everyone, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and social background, can thrive. Cherwell is a fantastic area to live, work, and do business, and I am eager to continue promoting it as such.” Cllr Okeke is pictured with his wife Dr Sandra Okeke.

Councillor David Hingley has been confirmed as the new leader of the council following the local elections. Cllr Hingley said: “It is an honour to serve as the new leader, the first in 20 years, and to represent Cherwell, my home." He appointed his executive of Liberal Democrat and Green councillors at Wednesday's annual council meeting. You can read more and see who holds the various executive posts here https://lnkd.in/eqa-AuDE

We're very proud to share that our 'recycling trio' James, Jenny and Sandra received a highly commended award in the Local Authority Team or Individual of the Year category at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management last week. James, Jenny and Sandra do a fantastic job of working to promote recycling and waste management best practices, whether that's putting together handy information for households or attending our community events. We're pleased that their hard work has been recognised.

All 16 of the 2024 district council election results have now been declared. There are 48 seats on the council in total and the political make-up of the council is now as follows: Conservative - 11 Green - 4 Independent - 3 Labour - 13 Liberal Democrat - 17 The electorate was 119,024 and there was a turnout of 30.58 per cent. You can find the detailed result for your ward by browsing this directory. https://lnkd.in/egHKHkN6

Colleagues across the council have worked incredibly hard preparing for the local elections.    We want to take this moment to thank everyone involved, as well as the members of the public who have signed up to work at the polling stations and the counts. #LocalElections2024 #LocalGov #PPCElections #Cherwell