The council has welcomed an agreement with Oxford United FC, which paves the way for a range of community benefits to be delivered alongside the club’s new stadium.
Published: Monday, 2nd March 2026
Cherwell District Council’s planning committee resolved to grant planning permission for the stadium at its August meeting last year. Since then, work has been underway on a Section 106 agreement, which needed to be completed before permission could be granted.
This has now been signed by all parties, and the council has formally granted planning permission. The agreement secures construction apprenticeships for district residents; special access for schools, charities and community groups; quarterly community events; and use by Oxfordshire FA for its annual county finals.
It will deliver a woodland management plan protecting land to the south of the new stadium. It also covers improvements to the transport network; measures to reduce ecological impact; 20 per cent biodiversity net gain; and a package of works to reinforce supporting infrastructure capacity.
Councillor David Hingley, Leader of Cherwell District Council, said: “This is one of the most high-profile planning applications our council has ever been called on to determine. I remain very pleased by the thorough, professional and fair-minded way the application was handled, both by officers and the councillors on the Planning Committee, who were painstaking in their deliberations.
“We always said the next step would be to ensure the stadium secured as much benefit as possible for our communities. This detailed and wide-ranging agreement locks in transport and infrastructure benefits as well as environmental protections.
“It also supports our communities with apprenticeships, provides opportunities for schools and charities to take part, and gives the assurance that the club will build on its excellent links into local grassroots football.
“The diligent and meticulous work that goes into preparing these sorts of legal agreements often flies under the radar, so I want to take this opportunity to thank the council officers who have shown such dedication in making sure that Cherwell’s communities, and particularly in the Kidlington area, can benefit fully and fairly from the promise of this exciting new stadium.”
The August planning meeting was streamed live online on the council’s website. With 8,731 members of the public watching, it was by far the council’s most widely watched public meeting.
People can find the Section 106 agreement on the planning section of the council’s website.