This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Cherwell Labour Leader condemns Bicester Village crowds as “appalling”
16/06/2020
Councillor Sean Woodcock calls for Cherwell District Council to reprimand Bicester Village owners
Pictures of large crowds of people ignoring social distancing rules at Bicester Village have incensed the leader of the Labour group at Cherwell District Council. Councillor Sean Woodcock has written an open letter to Barry Wood, the Leader of Cherwell District Council urging the Council to write to Bicester Village’s owner stressing their disapproval.
Pictures emerged yesterday (Monday) of large crowds of visitors at Bicester Village all within close proximity of each other. Councillor Woodcock wrote, “The pictures of crowds of shoppers not socially distancing, was genuinely appalling”.
Bicester Village is owned by Value Retail, an international organisation which operates eleven luxury outlet destinations in Europe and China. Bicester Village reopened at 10 on Monday following it’s closure through the lockdown period.
Councillor Woodcock wrote, “… this virus remains out there and there is still no vaccine or proper treatment for it. With 60,000 excess deaths in the UK this year, nobody should underestimate the importance of maintaining social distancing or doing what we can to control the spread of this virus.
“Small businesses are making necessary adjustments in order to play their part while still operating. So it is not right for one of the wealthiest organisations, Value Retail, to allow such flagrant breaches to occur through their own negligence. It is not fair either”.
Councillor Woodcock says he is not joining other’s calls for the closure of Bicester Village, but does feel action must be taken. He wrote, “I trust that you and the Council will be stressing to Value Retail in the strongest terms possible, your disapproval of Value Retail and how they have allowed this to happen”.
Bicester Village’s own website acknowledges the need for social distancing, stating, “We have a code of conduct asking our guests to respect a 2 metre distance, in line with the government’s guidance on social distancing, between themselves and other guests when in the Village, in the boutiques and in all of our public areas. Guests can also sign up to a Digital Queuing system and book a space in a digital queue at some of our boutiques where you will receive a SMS with your entry time”.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Fiona Wright On 18/06/2020 at 9:31 am
This was an absolute disgrace on the part of Bicester Village. No social distancing, nor masks! As a HCP, working locally, it is a huge insult to me and my profession. Bicester Village management are blatant liars to say they followed Government guidelines! They should be hauled to task!