Banbury's two floodlit Playzones take over 100 bookings a month in their first year. Book Chandos Close or Princess Diana Park for £3 an hour, 7am to 10pm.
Banbury’s two Playzones are taking more than 100 bookings a month, a year after they opened. The floodlit all-weather pitches are at Chandos Close and Princess Diana Park.
Cherwell District Council marked the anniversary on Wednesday. It built the pitches with Banbury Town Council and the Football Foundation. The town council has run the bookings and the upkeep since they opened.
Anyone can book a slot, and an hour costs £3.
Who is using them
The council says youth football clubs have been among the biggest users. The all-weather surface lets their teams keep playing through the darker, wetter months.
Other regular users named in the council’s announcement:
- Banbury Madni Mosque runs a rounders programme for women, girls and families at Chandos Close. It has 37 participants registered, aged from 10 to 59, and meets every Thursday.
- Oxford United in the Community runs a free weekly football session for children and young people at Princess Diana Park. Some have also taken coaching qualifications.
- Cherwell’s Youth Activators have run free activity sessions there in the half terms and summer holidays.
A spokesperson for the mosque group said the rounders sessions provide “a welcoming entry point into sport for women, girls and families”. One participant told the council: “It’s the only low-cost space where our youth can play football regularly.”
Oxford United in the Community said having a pitch “right in the very heart of the community” means young people can get there “without the need for too much transport”. It added that the floodlights mean sessions “continue regardless of time of year and weather”.
Councillor Dr Lisa Smith, Cherwell’s portfolio holder for leisure, called the Playzones “a great asset to the community”. Councillor Shaida Hussain, leader of Banbury Town Council, said they “have been a great success”.
How to book a Playzone
Banbury Town Council’s Playzones page sets out the details:
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | Chandos Sports Ground, Chandos Close, OX16 4TL; Princess Diana Park, Prescott Close, OX16 0RD |
| Open | Seven days a week, 7am to 10pm |
| Price | £3 for a one-hour session |
| Pitch | 30 by 20 metres, 3G artificial turf, floodlit |
| Book | Online, by day and time: Chandos Close or Princess Diana Park |
For a regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly slot, the town council asks you to contact it on info@banbury.gov.uk or 01295 250340.
The pitches are not only for football. The council says the surface suits other sports too, including ones played with a wheelchair or crutches.
What it means for you
- It is cheap. An hour is £3 for the whole pitch, booked online.
- Check your shoes. Wear trainers, flat-soled shoes or astro trainers. Football boots with moulded studs, studs or blades are banned, and so are heels, because they damage the surface.
- Clubs use it too. Youth football teams train there through the winter, so check availability before you plan an evening session.
- Free sessions exist. If you have a child who wants to play, ask Oxford United in the Community about its weekly session at Princess Diana Park.
For other free and cheap things to do in town, see our things to do in Banbury page.
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