Your voice at County Hall
Oxfordshire County Councillorfor Banbury Grimsbury & Castle
The Banbury Sun motif is derived from the historic 'the Sun in splendour', an element of the official coat of arms of Banbury, Oxfordshire.
About Paul-Austin
Serving the Banbury Grimsbury and Castle division, I work hard every day to represent your interests at Oxfordshire County Council — from fixing local roads to fighting for better services and a stronger and a more resilient town centre, where businesses can thrive and residents can be proud of.
“Have we fallen into a mesmerised state that makes us accept as inevitable that which is inferior or detrimental, as though having lost the will or the vision to demand that which is good?” a question posed by Rachel Carson in her magnum opus, ‘Silent Spring’. Rachel was right, not only in terms of our degraded countryside, but what we expect from our built environment too. Banbury hasn’t been prioritised or invested in enough — this needs to change, and change it will.
Key Priorities
Roads & transport
Paul-Austin and his volunteer team are campaigning to sort out the potholes, improve road safety, and are pushing for better public transport connections across Banbury. Your county councillor is also keen to find a solution to bus routes relying on Section 106 Funding (Developer Contributions). Paul-Austin believes in making roads safer for all road users: pedestrians, motorists, cyclists and equestrians alike.
Housing
Ensuring existing housing is capable of remaining warm in the winter and cool in the summer. New housing should be accompanied by new infrastructure.
Environment
Protecting green spaces, improving air quality, and working towards a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous Banbury.
Community safety
Working with police, fire and rescue, trading standards, other local services, and residents to keep our neighbourhoods safe and welcoming for everyone.
Health & wellbeing
Championing access to mental health support, social care, and healthy living services for every resident across our town.
Economy
Paul-Austin has been advocating a novel approach to developing a thriving new economy for Banbury. An economy that will bring back civic pride.
Education
Ensuring every child and young person in Banbury has access to high-quality education, well-resourced schools and opportunities to learn in a way that suits them best. People of all ages should have access to affordable education and training.
Tooley's Boatyard Forge, Castle Quay, central Banbury.
A Vision for a
Future Banbury
Banbury stands at a crossroads. Decades of chain-retail dependent growth, the hollowing-out of the high street, and the loss of distinctive local character have left the town searching for a new identity. Paul-Austin's vision is of a Banbury that is greener, better connected, more economically resilient, and prouder of what makes it unique — a market town with the ambition to become something genuinely special.
Paul-Austin has authored four interlocking prospectuses that set out that vision in detail: a living forest woven through the urban fabric; an integrated transport and landscape strategy that treats all road users equally; a greenway threading parks, canal, and countryside into one coherent network; and a bold economic proposition that turns empty units into workshops for makers, craftspeople, and food producers. Each document is his own work — researched, written, and published independently — and together they form a blueprint for a town worth living in.
Prospectus
The Forest of Banbury
A vision to plant thousands of trees across Banbury — in streets, parks, and neglected spaces — creating a cooler, greener, more biodiverse town that supports wellbeing and the local economy.
Authored by Paul-Austin Sargent
Vision
An Integrated Transport & Landscape Vision
A strategic framework for transforming how Banbury moves — prioritising active travel, public transport, and landscape-led design to reduce car dependency and improve quality of life.
Authored by Paul-Austin Sargent
Prospectus
The Banbury Greenway
A proposed strategic green corridor linking Banbury's open spaces, canal towpath, and countryside into a coherent network for walking, cycling, nature, and everyday journeys.
Authored by Paul-Austin Sargent
Economic Vision
Charting the Void: Market Town to Maker Town
A radical economic proposition for Banbury's empty units — transforming vacant retail and commercial space into artisanal incubators for makers, craftspeople, and independent food and drink producers.
Authored by Paul-Austin Sargent
Walk of Life
88 miles. One man. One dog.
The challenge is over.
Paul-Austin's 88 mile walk from Stamford in Lincolnshire to Banbury in Oxfordshire is over. BUT this doesn't mean that the opportunity to give towards the cause is over. Please follow the links below to the Just Giving Pages.
Paul-Austin's dog, 'Woody' is also trekking along the Jurassic Way. He also has a fundraising page for Dogs for Good. So, feel free to support Woody's efforts too.
The journey in pictures
Stand up for our services!
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