KIDLINGTON could be the first village in the county to take on a new healthy town initiative.

The ‘healthy place shaping scheme' would see the village develop projects that would help its residents to live a healthier lifestyle.

After the success of the scheme in Bicester, Cherwell District Council says it is looking to bring it to Kidlington.

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Councillor Andrew McHugh, Cherwell’s lead member for health and wellbeing, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for people living in Kidlington. There have been several initiatives trialled in Bicester which have made a real difference to peoples lives.

“I look forward to seeing many of those being brought to Kidlington, along with other new ideas designed specifically for the village."

Bicester was named an NHS Healthy New Town in 2016, which provided funding for projects encouraging people to increase their physical activity, think more about their diet and help people to become more involved in their community.

Some projects included marking 5km blue lines through the town for runners to follow called 'Health Routes' and having town events such as Bicester Bike day and Bicester Big Lunch.

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The town also holds a 'Bicester Green Spaces Summer Challenge' to encourage residents to explore and visit the green spaces in Bicester.

Although the funding for Bicester ended in March this year, the council is continuing to finance the project while extending it to other towns and villages in the district.

Cherwell’s Community Services team will be at Kidlington Gala Day this Saturday where they will listen to residents’ opinions about how they think the scheme can be developed in the village.