FREE car parking will be the “key” to the future success of Bicester town centre.

Yesterday morning hundreds of people turned out for the opening of Bicester’s £70m town centre redevelopment.

A decade after the plans were first mooted for the development of the former Bure Place and Crown Walk car parks and following several false starts, the new Sainsbury’s supermarket, Vue Cinema, car park and bus interchange opened to customers. Shops at the development include Sports Direct, which is due to open next month, restaurants Prezzo, Deans Diner and Nandos, which, are expected to open this autumn, as well as clothing store Peacocks.

The Collectors Box opened its doors yesterday and jeweller Biagios will relocate from Crown Walk into Pioneer Square. Up to 1,000 people gathered at Pioneer Square to welcome, and finally step inside the site, after watching it being built over the past 18 months.

And it is hoped the two hours’ free parking at the new 526-space multi-storey car park will help rejuvenate the town centre.

Tony Douglas, owner of Henry’s Menswear, in Sheep Street, and car parking campaigner, said: “Traders have had a pretty dire 18 months.

“We’ve had a recession and people could not get into the town centre. We have had no parking, but this should open it up again.

“It has been designed so there are lots of walkways and people are going into Sheep Street. This will work.”

But Mr Douglas says Cherwell District Council should now consider at least one free hour in all its car parks.

Norman Bolster, Cherwell’s executive member for economy and estates, has pledged that the council would review its policy over charging for parking in its Bicester car parks.

He has been involved in the development from the start and said: “It’s fantastic weather and fantastic to see so many people turn up.

“There were days sometimes when I doubted it might arrive. It looks fantastic and hopefully it will be.”

Town, district and county councillor Les Sibley added: “Free parking is key but the development has got all the ingredients to make Bicester a success.”

At 8.30am prompt, soldiers lined the entrance to Pioneer Square ready for Lieutenant Colonel David Clouston, commanding officer of 23 Pioneer Regiment, and Cherwell District Council chairman Lawrie Stratford to unveil a plaque honouring troops from the regiment, which is based at St David’s Barracks and has been linked with the town for 70 years.

Minutes later, Bicester Community College student Klaudia Kabzinska, 14, and St Mary’s School pupil Rushani Arumguham, 10, cut the ribbon declaring the supermarket open.

They won a competition to design a ‘bag for life’ for the opening day which was given away to customers.

Next it was the turn of Vue Cinemas, which picked five worthy residents to have their hands cast in concrete to be displayed outside the movie theatre.

Lawrie Stratford, of Cherwell District Council, said he was “extremely proud” of the new development and its link with 23 Pioneer Regiment. Lt Col Clouston said: “For several decades and for many of my senior soldiers, Bicester is a home they keep coming back to time after time.

“For some junior soldiers it’s the only home they have known.

“The people of Bicester have always made us feel welcome.” He said after the regiment learned it would be disbanded as part of the defence cuts, it had been “emotional”.

He said the regiment had been honoured to be asked if the redevelopment could be named after it.

TIMELINE

  • 2003 Study commissioned by Cherwell District Council to identify potential development land.
  • 2005 Firms sought to come up with proposals to redevelop Bure Place and Crown Walk car parks. These include Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.
  • 2007 Plans approved. Work is due to start this year.
  • 2008 Cherwell District Council steps in as a partner to Sainsbury’s following the economic slump.
  • 2009 Sainsbury’s buys Crown Walk from developer Stockdale, securing the redevelopment.
  • 2010 Work is due to start in January 2010 and it is hoped it can be completed by the end of 2011, but the project is delayed over legal wrangles about the road and objections from traders about a compulsory purchase order for some of the surrounding land.
  • 2010 Work is completed to move the River Bure from one side of Manorsfield Road to the other.
  • 2011 Seven objectors still remain to the compulsory purchase order, triggering a public inquiry. On the first day of the inquiry all objections are removed, paving the way for work to start.
  • 2012 Work starts in January.
  • 2013 July 10, Pioneer Square opens, with huge crowds turning out for the occasion.