One of the UK’s greatest villages is about to grow to be a brand new city – however native residents aren’t glad about it

Life in one of the UK’s biggest villages has been pretty idyllic up until now. 

Considered the gateway to the Cotswolds, Kidlington has both the quaint English village feel but with plenty of modern amenities on its doorstep. 

Just a short drive from Oxford, it strikes the perfect balance between rural charm and the hustle and bustle of city life.

But peace in this charming, tight-knit community threatens to be shattered after the local parish council voted for it to become a town. 

The move has divided its 14,000 residents, with some concerned their picturesque village will become ‘just another little town’ and living costs will be pushed up.

But others say its popularity has led to an influx of people moving there – and it is in need of better infrastructure to support the larger community. 

Parish councillors voted unanimously in favour of becoming a town earlier this month – and say it will give Kidlington better protection.

Tony Lewis, 81, said: ‘It’s a bad step because we had the distinction of being the biggest village in England.

‘Now we are just another little town. The other thing is that once you become a town people want a mayor and a town council, loads more councillors and the rates will go up like mad.

The retiree, who has lived in Kidlington for 38 years, claimed that becoming a town would lead to a ‘lot more money’ being spent for the ‘privilege of being something which is totally unnecessary’.  

‘I believe money should have been allocated to other things like potholes for instance. The roads are in the most disgraceful state I have ever seen,’ he added. 

Kidlington’s population stood at 13,600 in 2021 but this is set to increase dramatically due to the number of developments planned there.

Disagreeing with the move, Gloria Mundy, 72, retired said: ‘I have been here since 1975 and it’s always been a village and it’s got that village feel. Calling it a town, I can’t see any advantages at the moment.’

Ms Munday added that it would be her preference to remain a village because it has  ‘more of a community feel’.  

She said: ‘A town to me seems something that it’s not. I don’t know what it represents being a town.

‘My experience, when things like that are said I have very little faith because it never comes to fruition.

‘I can’t see by being a town it’s going to improve.’

Peter Talboys, 86, retired said: ‘My concern is why spending a lot of money on this town thing when they should be fixing potholes and all the fly-tipping?’

‘We assume there isn’t going to be any differences.

‘The trouble with Kidlington is that is just charity shops, barbers and nail bars – there’s no real shops that are of any use.

‘Whether the town status will bring nice shops back it’s unlikely but we will never know.’

Janet O’Brien said: ‘I really think it should stay as a village – we’ve got enough big busy towns around here without having any more.’

Resident Jacquie Hobbs said: ‘It’s always been a village and it’s our village – all the people that have grown up here and know it as it is.’

However, the move has been welcomed by many residents. 

Alex Babic, 54, said: ‘People who are born and bread here might not like the idea of it changing because nobody really likes anything to change but things move on.

‘The population is much more larger now than it was 20 years ago for instance and the infrastructure needs to be able to support that and as a result it can’t stay as a village forever.

‘I think it would have been useful to have allowed the residents of Kidlington to have their own say on it. and I don’t think that was ever done.

Lifelong resident Robert Allen, 49, said he had no ‘sentimental attachment’ to Kidlington waving its village status.

He continued: ‘We were the biggest village in Europe, what did that actually lead to? It’s not like it became a tourist destination as a result of it.

‘If Kidlington becomes a suburb of Oxford and if that improves the actual overall standard in Kidlington if there’s more money for policing, for improving the roads and some of the parks then great I am happy for it.

‘You wake up and you still live in Kidlington. It was always a large village and now it might be a small town, you know? I don’t think it’s going to affect anyone’s day to day lives.’

Kidlington first attempted to change into a town in 1988 – but this was voted against at the time.

Changes to the Government’s planning rules last year mean that green belt land around towns now get greater protection. Green belt land around villages has been downgraded to grey belt.

Government policy also means that the former village will get greater police cover as a town.

Councillors said that if Kidlington becomes a town it would more defensible from ‘land grabs’ and prevent it from being absorbed into Oxford.

Leader of Oxford City Council Susan Brown welcomed the decision for Kidlington to become a town.

She said: ‘As the parish council says, this will help unlock important new funding streams to support Kidlington residents and businesses.’

She added that under the city council’s plans for a Greater Oxford council with expanded boundaries, Kidlington Town Council would have a ‘louder voice’ and play an important role in neighbourhood level governance.

Councillor Melanie Moorhouse said the move would give the Oxfordshire community important extra protections in planning and policing decisions.

She told the BBC: ‘By making a change of our status, we can give Kidlington those protection. I do want to stress, this doesn’t mean that anyone has to start calling it a town – people can still say they’re going to the village,’ she said.

‘Our hope is very much that it will not change our community – it will in fact secure our very much community identity.’

She added: ‘The reason the conversation came about was to protect our green belt and to allow the town to have more policing.

‘What residents have told us is that they don’t want Kidlington to be a suburb of Oxford. This is us as a council trying to take care of Kidlington’ interests.’

Liberal Democrat MP Calum Miller, who represents Bicester and Woodstock, said he respected the outcome and supported the decision for Kidlington to become a town.

He added: ‘We are in a period of rapid change, with major growth pressures across Oxfordshire and local government reorganisation on the horizon.

‘In that context, it is entirely reasonable for communities to want a stronger voice and clearer representation.

‘Kidlington Parish Council has run a thorough and transparent consultation, with extensive resident engagement and a clear recognition of Kidlington’s history and identity.

‘Town status will help Kidlington speak for itself, protect its distinct place in Oxfordshire and make sure decisions about its future are shaped with local people, not done to them.’

Green councillor Ian Middleton, who represents Kidlington on the parish, district and county council, said: ‘I think one of the reasons why Kidlington is making that step now is because it makes the town more defensible by any land grabs by Greater Oxford.

‘We are a town in our own right now, and it gives us a stronger position rather than being absorbable by this single monolithic city.’