A QUAINT village on the outskirts of Oxford has become a town – nearly 40 years after first applying.
Kidlington, which is one of the largest villages in England and sits close to the Cotswolds, first attempted to change into a town in 1988, although this was voted against at the time.
According to the BBC, the recent decision behind the status update comes after the government made changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and National Policing Guarantee last year.
As a result of those changes, towns can get extra protections, especially when it comes to both planning and policing.
Now as a town, Kidlington is also looking to build new houses that could see it rise from 13,600 residents to between 30,00 and 40,000.
The new town weirdly became a tourist attraction back in 2016, when floods of Chinese tourists flocked there.
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Baz Daniels, a resident for more than 20 years, said at the time: “Kidlington is apparently being marketed by Chinese tourist agencies as a beautiful English village on the way to Bicester Village shopping centre.
“Many of the visitors live in cities and love to see things like the hanging baskets and little flowers in people’s gardens.”
When it comes to visiting nowadays, the quaint village-now-town boasts a 13th century church with a 220-foot spire and a number of pubs, such as The Black Horse, The Jolly Boatman and The Turnpike.
In one pub, The Black Bull, you can grab two cocktails for a tenner or head to monthly bingo events.
One visitor said: “The Black Bull is the best pub in Kidlington by far.
“Always such a good atmosphere – if you’ve not visited yet I would highly recommend you do.”
The Oxford Canal, which was completed in 1790, also runs through the village.
From south Kidlington to the canal’s end in Oxford, it runs alongside the River Cherwell making it a scenic walk in the village.
In in the surrounding area, just a nine-minute drive away, you will find Blenheim Palace as well, which is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
The palace is surrounded by 2,000 acres of gardens to explore and inside the palace itself, visitors can explore the State Rooms and a Churchill exhibition.
Tickets cost £43.50 per person to visit Blenheim Palace.
Of course, the picturesque university city of Oxford is just down the road too, where you can explore historic buildings such as the Bodleian Library or head to the thriving Covered Market.
The Parish Council had previously tried to get town status in 1988, but residents voted for it to stay a village.
But this time round, Councillor Melanie Moorhouse asserted the decision “doesn’t mean that anyone has to start calling it a town – people can still say they’re going to the village”.
She added: “Our hope is very much that it will not change our community – it will in fact secure our very much community identity.”
Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council added: “Our proposal aims to better tailor services to meet the needs of local residents, and empowering town and parish councils across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire is an important part of that.”
Despite this, some locals are still not happy about the change.
One person commented on Facebook: “To me as an oldie and lived here all my life it will always be a village.”
Another added: “I will never call it a town!”
In other UK village news, here are five pretty English villages that will make you feel like you’re in The Holiday with cosy pubs and cottages.
Plus, the picturesque UK village named the world’s most beautiful – but locals are not happy.