When I stood for election as County Councillor for Banbury Grimsbury & Castle, I made a commitment to represent every resident in this county division — not just those who voted for me, and not just those who already know how to navigate the council system. That commitment starts with understanding the place I represent.

This post is an introduction: to the division, to the communities within it, and to the issues I hear about most often when I knock on doors across the Ruscote Estate, Nethercote Rural Hamlet, part of Neithrop  and  the former Saxon settlement of Grimsbury.

Banbury Grimsbury & Castle is one of the most diverse electoral divisions in north Oxfordshire. It covers a large swathe of east Banbury, including the Grimsbury, the streets around the site of the former Banbury Castle, and a number of mixed residential areas spreading out from the town centre.

The division has a higher-than-average proportion of residents in social housing, a significant number of families with children, and a growing population of working-age adults employed in Banbury's logistics and manufacturing sectors. It also is home to some great, active community organisations and faith-based groups.

The 2021 Census data highlights just how distinctive this division is compared to the national average. Grimsbury & Castle has significantly higher proportions of:

• Younger working age residents (aged 25 to 39 years)
• People in Routine and Semi-routine occupations (36% vs 19%)
• One person households (33% vs 27%)
• People living in private rented accommodation (36% vs 20%)
• People from an Asian ethnic background (14.5% vs 6.4%)

Since my election, I have knocked on hundreds of doors and attended dozens of community events. The issues I hear about most consistently are:

Roads and pavements. The state of some streets in Grimsbury is genuinely poor, and residents are rightly frustrated. I am pushing for more investment in highway maintenance and have logged dozens of specific defects with Oxfordshire Highways.

Anti-social behaviour. Several residents have raised concerns about behaviour in certain public spaces, particularly in the evenings. I have been working with Thames Valley Police to ensure that community policing resources are directed where they are most needed.  I am meeting with our Area Commander on a regular basis and I'll be out and about with our local Chief Inspector to highlight resident concerns.

Access to health services. The pressure on GP surgeries and the state of Horton General Hospital are issues I hear about regularly. I have launched a petition to rehouse the cancer centre, and I continue to raise the GP access issue with the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee.

Green spaces. Grimsbury has some lovely parks and open spaces, but they need investment. I am working with the town council and county officers to identify funding for improvements.

My role as County Councillor is to represent your interests at Oxfordshire County Council — a large and complex organisation that makes decisions about roads, schools and  social care. The relocation of the Banbury Central Library is a priority.

But the job is not just about what happens in the council chamber. It is about being present in the community, listening to what residents need, and making sure that the people who make decisions in Oxford understand what life is actually like in Banbury Grimsbury and Castle Division.

I hold regular surgeries where residents can come and talk to me in person — dates are on the contact page. You can also email me, write to me at County Hall, or use the contact form on this website.

If you have a problem that involves the county council — a road defect, a concern about a school, a question about social care — please get in touch. That is what I am here for.

And if you want to get involved in the community more broadly, I am always happy to connect you with the local groups and organisations that are doing brilliant work in this area.

Paul-Austin Sargent is the County Councillor for Banbury Grimsbury & Castle. Surgery dates and contact details are on the contact page.