Bicester town centre revamp gets under way at last (From Oxford Mail)

Bicester town centre revamp gets under way at last

10:00am Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Bicester

Work starts on the redevelopment

SEVEN years after plans for rejuvenating Bicester town centre were first mooted, the bulldozers have finally rolled in.

Hoardings have gone up around Crown Walk and Bure Place car parks, and the town bus interchange, after they were closed to motorists and Buses at midnight on Sunday.

Work has already started to dig up concrete and some of the buildings in the area are expected to be demolished later this week. A Sainsbury’s supermarket, seven screen cinema, decked car park, shops and restaurants, and new bus interchange, will be built over the car parks.

Work is expected to take about 18 months and the new facilities are due to open in summer 2013.

Buses have been transferred to stops in Market Square, except the X5 to Cambridge, which will stop in North Street.

So far the move has gone smoothly. The £70m project is a joint initiative by Sainsbury’s and Cherwell District Council, and will create about 600 jobs, including construction jobs.

Norman Bolster, Cherwell’s lead member for estates, said: “After a long wait the town centre development has begun. With Sainsbury’s now in possession of the site it’s only another 18 months until Bicester gets the cinema and shopping choice it deserves and needs to move on in the 21st century.”

Paul Tyler, Sainsbury’s project manager, said: “We are very excited to be starting works in Bicester and would like to thank the community in advance for bearing with us as the development progresses.

“In the long term, the redevelopment will provide a range of exciting new visitor destinations in Bicester town centre and create approximately 600 jobs in the local economy.

“In the meantime, we hope everyone will continue to use Bicester town centre businesses as they did before works begun.”

Rob Arthur, managing director of Apollo Cinemas, said: “We are delighted that this landmark development will see Apollo Cinemas come to Bicester.”

Town centre visitors will be re-directed to car parks in Victoria Road, and the long stay Cattle Market. The Shopmobility scheme and Pop In Centre have been re-housed in a former card shop in Crown Walk.