After many months of anticipation, Banbury Town Council officially opened its new allotment site at the Bloxham Vale development. At a ceremony attended by both council members and the public, the ribbon was cut and the allotment opened, marking an end to a prolonged period of negotiations and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Banbury Town Council and it’s array of green spaces.
The ceremony was led by the current Banbury Town Mayor, Councillor Kieron Mallon, who also serves as councillor for the Easington South area, where the allotment is located.
Banbury Town Council allotments are designed to provide residents with a space to create their own garden space, allowing them to grow flowers, fruit, vegetables and other produce. With hundreds of individual plots across 3 sites managed directly by the council, the Bloxham Vale allotment is the latest addition to Banbury Town Council’s many community green spaces, which also includes several parks and cemeteries.
Since the transfer of ownership on 25th February 2026, the allotment site has undergone several alterations and improvements carried out by Banbury Town Council, in order to ensure that the site was of the appropriate quality before opening it to the public. This included soil preparation, installation of plot dividers and the provision of green waste composting facilities.
The council was able to employ its knowledge obtained from previous experience overseeing its established set of allotment sites to implement a number of features specifically intended to make using the allotments simple, straightforward and enjoyable for anyone renting a plot.
Local residents had demonstrated great patience waiting for this facility, and were offered the opportunity to join a waiting list before the allotments were officially opened to the public, in order to ensure they would be able to start utilising their plot as soon as the space was declared open. Demand was unprecedented, but greatly appreciated by Banbury Town Council, and was reflective of the importance of – and need for – such a site to be constructed in the area.
The Town Mayor, Councillor Kieron Mallon, said, “I have been working with local residents to finally get these allotments from the developer and Cherwell. As the local member for Easington I personally had to intervene in the prolonged legal negotiations. The result is a fantastic addition to the amenities of this new part of our town, now to be managed by the Town Council. As a former allotmenteer myself I know the great satisfaction of growing your own can bring, now for the planting and sowing”.
The council looks forward to seeing the allotment flourish in the months ahead and encourages residents who have taken a tenancy to get involved cultivating and producing home grown produce.
To find out more about Banbury Town Council allotments please click here.