Bicester

Bicester (/ˈbɪstər/ ^ⓘ BIST-ər) is a historical market town, garden town, and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in south-central England that also comprises an eco town development at North West Bicester and a self-build village at Graven Hill. Its local market continues to thrive and is now located on Sheep Street, a very wide pedestrian zone in the conservation area of the town. Bicester is also known for Bicester Village, a nearby shopping centre.

Bicester has expanded rapidly in recent generations due to the town's picturesque historical town centre, garden town, independent and high-street shops, restaurants, and excellent rail connections to Oxford and its imminent connection to Cambridge, as well as rail links to Birmingham and London. It is similarly proximate to Brackley, Buckingham, Banbury, Milton Keynes, and Aylesbury. A considerable volume of high quality and environmentally friendly housing stock has been constructed recently, in particular at the Elmsbrook eco-town and the self-build homes at Graven Hill. Its flat topography and compact size is suited to walking and cycling, which, together with an active cycle campaign, has attracted a significant focus on developing improved active travel infrastructure, including the majority of a recent £14 million central government award to Oxfordshire County Council dedicated to safer walking and cycling.

Bicester has its own town council. In 2014 the government, in concert with the local planning authority, planned for Bicester to become a garden city on the basis of the size of its buffers, and distance from the Metropolitan Green Belt as well as to accommodate the demand of commuters to London and Oxford. Up to 13,000 new homes will be built.