‘I live in the UK town no one can pronounce - but people only know us for one thing’
Shop owners in Bicester, Oxfordshire, have hit out at outlet store spot Bicester Village that "dominates the landscape in every way".
Bradford-on-Avon: Views show quaint town in Wiltshire
Shop owners in a central England town known for its hard to pronounce name have hit out at the popular outlet store village that “dominates the landscape”.
Bicester, a market town and garden town in Oxfordshire, has a rich history and a population of about 30,000 but is most well known for being home to the enormously popular Bicester Village.
The Village, with its own train station, is a designer outlet shopping centre with 150 stores and restaurants. On offer are brands including Stella McCartney, Barbour, Mulberry, Armani and Coach.
But local coffee and cocktail bar owner, Jonathan Morgan, has said that despite the Village bringing people into Bicester, it does not benefit independent stores.
Mr Morgan, owner of the Fat Zebra in the town’s market square, said: “It is by far the main attraction. Most of us are alive because of the Village.
“It brings people in, of course, but it dominates the landscape in every way. The Village runs the town, the council doesn’t do anything without the Village’s approval.
“And even the people who come to visit the Village, they don’t come into Bicester itself apart from maybe on the way to the town’s train station. It’s totally self-contained.
“It would be better for everyone if the Village stopped only doing what was good for the village and started thinking of the town too.
“Bicester is a bit dire, there’s just not much going on other than barbers, cafes and charity shops. It’s kind of lacking and definitely needs a revamp, a kick in the right place - it’s dying, like most high streets across the country.
DON'T MISS
Oxfordshire attraction is so good - visitors warn 'visit or regret it' [REPORT]
The town so ridiculously average it was named UK's most ordinary place to live [LATEST]
Ken Bruce’s quiet life in Oxfordshire village where average home fetches £560k [INSIGHT]
“Bicester’s location is great, it’s a stop-off between north and south, but it needs someone to care about it.”
Among the other things to do in the town is the local market, the independent high street stores and historic sights such as St Edburg’s Church.
The town’s name is believed to be either derived from a personal name Beorna, meaning ‘fort of the warriors’, or from the Latin Bi-cester, meaning ‘two forts’.
Bicester can be accessed by train and bus from London, Oxford and Birmingham and by car via the A41 and the M40.
Bicester Village was contacted for comment.
