Banbury’s second PlayZone – a state-of-the-art sports facility provided by the Football Foundation – has been declared open today in Princess Diana Park.
Published: Friday, 17th October 2025
Part of a partnership between the Football Foundation, Cherwell District Council and Banbury Town Council, the PlayZone offers the community a safe, inclusive and welcoming space in which residents and sports teams can come together, practice and socialise.
Following the successful launch of the first Banbury PlayZone at Chandos Sports Ground, Grimsbury, earlier in September, this PlayZone arrives on time and on-budget after the initial ground-breaking around 10 weeks ago. This started a period of construction that commenced in August with the goal of completing it in time for the half-term school holidays.
One of the key goals of the Princess Diana Park PlayZone is to provide a secure and flexible space for women’s and girls’ sports groups. The PlayZone’s features – including durable 3G artificial grass surface, long-lasting panelling and bright LED lighting – make it well-suited for year-round use.
Cherwell District Council has engaged with partner organisations and local community groups to plan a programme of dedicated football sessions for women and girls, which will be held at the new PlayZone. These sessions will be delivered by: Oxford United in the Community, Banbury United FC, Banbury Irish FC, The Hill Community Centre, and The Sunrise Multicultural Project.
Funding for the project came predominantly from the Premier League, the FA and the Football Foundation, who provided 75 per cent of the financial support for the build. Cherwell District Council provided the remaining 25 per cent of the funding. Banbury Town Council, meanwhile, committed the land required for the project, and also agreed to provide the ongoing revenue support through the continued management and maintenance of the PlayZones.
Princess Diana Park was identified as an ideal location for the PlayZone as it aligns with the Football Foundation’s aims of providing facilities in areas of local need and enables the provision of an all-weather football training facility which can be used all year round.
Booking for the Princess Diana Park PlayZone will open imminently, with members of the public and local groups and clubs able to book online or call 01295 250340. With sports allowing individuals to access social, physical and health benefits, PlayZones serve as an excellent opportunity for local residents to get involved with friends, local teams, or schools and clubs while developing their skills as players and teammates.
Councillor Rob Pattenden, Cherwell District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities, said: “Access to an inclusive, high-quality sporting facility brings profound benefits to local communities, from the happiness and elation it brings in the moment, to the longer-term impacts on people’s health and life chances.
“Not all communities benefit from the same level of access to sport, but Football Foundation PlayZones are working to redress that balance, and it’s something we’re very happy to help fund. Having listened to key voices in the local community, we’ve facilitated a high-quality programme of dedicated sessions for women and girls, and I know that, after a fantastic summer of women’s sport, lots of our residents will be inspired to take part.”
Councillor Mark Cherry, Chair of the General Services Committee at Banbury Town Council and a Councillor on all three local councils, said: “I’m looking forward to the opening of this new PlayZone, which is sure to prove an incredibly valuable resource to local groups and clubs across this part of Banbury. As a local Ruscote Councillor who lived on Bretch Hill estate since 1976, it’s great to see a sports facility provided by Cherwell District Council and Banbury Town Council that will be used by the local community. Banbury Town Council is eager to take on the care and maintenance of this PlayZone and anticipate it will provide a first-class environment in which young people from all walks of life can develop their sporting skills.”
To find out more about the Football Foundation PlayZones programme, visit their website: footballfoundation.org.uk/playzones-programme