LOCAL businesses have pulled together and stumped up the funds for new signs in Langford Village, Bicester, to help highlight the area's offerings.

A private sponsor and several businesses in the area joined forces to help raise awareness of Langford Village local centre and its leisures facilities.

The community hope by erecting the new roadsigns it will be much more obvious for visitors and emergency services to find the best that Langford Village has to offer and help increase footfall for local traders.

Tom Dexter, manager of Tesco Express which was among businesses to help fund the new signage, said they welcomed the increased visibility.

He added: "This has been the best introduction for our business and the Langford Centre for a long time."

Another business which help fund the project was FLTR Coffee. Director Jeff Lothamer said: "This project is a great addition to the infrastructure of Langford and will encourage visitors and those unfamiliar with its facilities to see what Langford local centre has to offer."

The project was a community-led scheme which, although was approved by Oxfordshire County Council, was implemented without council tax funding.

It was designed and implemented by Sign Sense, a local Bicester design consultancy which makes signs for various projects across the country.

Other businesses which helped fund the Langford Village project includes The Nightingale pub and Sun Wah Chinese takeaway.

Andy Ng, owner of Sun Wah, said: “This introduction will attract many new customers who otherwise would have driven straight past the Langford Village Local Centre."

Pub landlord of The Nightingale also said he was delighted with the new signs, adding: "This last weekend we have seen a sharp increase in trade many of which are new customers. The new signing must be partly responsible for this."

Langford Village local centre is also the starting point of the original 5km health route, set up by Cherwell District Council to get more people out and about exercising. The painted line leads people along a 5km route around Bicester in line with the NHS Healthy Town ethos the area is striving for.

The village centre is also in close proximity to the Jubilee Lake and Langford Brook Nature Reserve which the community hope will be better used with new signage in place.