Cherwell has approved £20,000 for a canal mural on Castle Quay and £13,000 for hoardings at the empty former Burger King. Updated November 2026.

Banbury is to get a painted mural celebrating its canal on the outside of Castle Quay, above the lift bridge by Tooley’s Boatyard. Cherwell District Council’s Executive agreed £20,000 for it on Monday 2 November, in a £209,000 round of local projects.

The same round pays for hoardings on the empty former Burger King in Bridge Street. These will advertise the town’s cultural venues.

The decisions can still be called in by councillors until noon on Monday 9 November.

The mural

The business case places it on the cream panel of the Castle Quay wall, directly above Bridge 164. The idea came from the Banbury Quays Consortium.

It will run in two phases:

  • Phase one, £5,000: artists work with local people and Banbury College art students on the design. This is planned for between now and March 2027.
  • Phase two, £15,000: artists paint the wall, with scaffolding. This is planned for April to September 2027.

The council says the timing matters because of events planned for 2028. That year is the 250th anniversary of the canal coming to Banbury.

It follows two temporary canalside murals the council commissioned for the window panels of the former H&M store. It is also separate from the Banbury Futures mural, which Banbury BID announced for a wall inside the shopping centre in July.

The former Burger King

The council owns 43 Bridge Street, which was once the Bear Inn. It is unoccupied.

The council’s property team will pay separately for the essential timber, glazing and external redecoration work. The new money covers plywood hoardings for the window panels, with graphics in the council’s “Made in Banbury” branding. The budget is up to £13,000, including about £4,500 for the hoardings and up to £2,000 for the artwork. The scheme also needs advertising consent.

This was the one Banbury project that divided the councillors who reviewed it. The record of their meeting shows three votes for and none against. Five councillors chose not to record a vote. The other three Banbury-area projects each passed by eight votes to none.

What else was funded

Each of the three areas has a £300,000 fund for 2026/27. The money comes from Cherwell’s budget, and ward councillors recommend the projects.

Banbury area, £66,000

  • Windmill Community Centre, Deddington, £25,000: air conditioning. The centre, about six miles south of Banbury, is the parish’s main emergency refuge, and some rooms get too hot in summer.
  • Canal mural, £20,000.
  • 43 Bridge Street, £13,000.
  • North Aston bus shelter, £8,000: a new shelter about eight miles south of Banbury. The stop at The Fox crossroads on the A4260 moves about 100 yards south because of poor visibility at the junction.

Bicester area, £81,000

  • Youth grants, £55,000: for local groups, schools and organisations to run activities for young people.
  • Town centre improvements, phase 3, £26,000: more public art, planters and visitor information along the walking trail.

Kidlington area, £62,000

  • High Street parking, £20,000: a solution for unsafe parking at “Tesco Corner”, where the report says enforcement has had limited effect.
  • Park Hill Recreation Ground, £19,500: solar lighting along the new path.
  • Begbroke Village Hall, £15,000: a study into moving the car park and the play area.
  • Heritage walking trail, £7,500: information boards linking Banbury Road, High Street, Church Street and St Mary’s Church.
Bar chart of the ten projects funded on 2 November 2026, from £55,000 for Bicester youth grants down to £7,500 for the Kidlington heritage trail, with the Banbury canal mural at £20,000 and 43 Bridge Street at £13,000
The ten projects in the November round. Chart by Banbury Online
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Councillor Lesley McLean, the council leader, said the projects “have been identified locally” and will help to “create vibrant places”.

How much is left

The report sets out what remains of each area’s money for 2026/27:

Area Fund Agreed earlier This round Left
Banbury £300,000 £122,000 £66,000 £112,000
Bicester £300,000 £186,000 £81,000 £33,000
Kidlington £300,000 £238,000 £62,000 £0

Banbury has had the least agreed of the three so far.

What it means for you

Nothing changes on the street yet. Each scheme still needs a final cost plan, and the mural and hoardings need full business cases.

If you want a say on the mural, the plan is for artists to work with local residents on the design. No dates or sign-up details have been published, and we will report them when they are. Earlier work paid for by the fund includes the weekend street cleaning and new town centre benches.

Sources