Campaigns & Casework
A Pop-Up Manifesto
Imagine Banbury as a vibrant centre for innovation, business, and community spirit. Why not rethink public spaces creatively to spark economic growth, boost skills, and bring more people to our town?
Vision
Imagine Banbury as a vibrant centre for innovation, business, and community spirit! By cleverly using local authority and other public body(e.g. the NHS), resources for pop-up businesses, we can breathe new life into underused spaces and create more footfall.
This could spark economic growth, boost skills, and bring more people to our town centre and public areas.
What is a pop-up site?
A pop-up site is a temporary business that can set up shop on local authority or NHS land and facilities.
Bring in money for both the business and the council, public body or NHS site.
Get people excited about using local spaces.
Offer a safe space for budding entrepreneurs to try out their ideas without the commitment of long-term leases.
Pop-up sites in Banbury could be in spots with lots of visitors and lovely surroundings to really make a splash and get everyone involved.
How pop-ups could work in Banbury
Pop-ups could run from designated areas on local authority or NHS land between 6 am and 10 pm.
Businesses would make sure the sites are spotless after they're done.
These sites could be in open spaces, hospital grounds, car parks, and other public places that work well.
Benefits
Economic growth
New money coming in from land that wasn't being used before.
Community support
A chance for local entrepreneurs and small businesses to shine.
Engagement
More people visiting beautiful and unused public areas.
Wellbeing
Possible activities like fitness classes or health-focused pop-ups on council or NHS land.
Selection process for businesses and locations
Locations would be picked based on how many people visit and how nice they look, with the council, NHS estate, open spaces, car parks, and environment teams all working together.
Businesses could be judged against a tough points-based tender (which is tried and tested elsewhere):
Experience
How much experience the vendor has and how well they've run things before.
Business setup
How much they've invested in staff and the paperwork to back it up.
Sustainability
Show your dedication to running waste-free operations.
Environmental promotion
Highlight how you contribute to community or environmental projects.
Tenders could be scored 60% on quality and 40% on the annual rent bid. To make sure applications are serious, a full lease payment is needed upfront.
Key commitments
Focus on sustainability and environmental care in all pop-ups.
Encourage teamwork between local authorities, public bodies and NHS asset managers.
Promote a variety of offerings, from food stalls to wellness activities and health-focused projects.
Turn what you learn into best practices, so Banbury leads in using public spaces creatively for business.
Future outlook
Using this foundation, Banbury could grow its pop-up programme to welcome more different types of businesses. Ideas like permanent fitness classes, health workshops, community events, and seasonal markets could give businesses stability and steady income for the council and NHS.
By supporting pop-ups in Banbury, the town could discover the hidden potential of its public spaces, help local businesses, and create lively, sustainable spots for everyone.
Learning from other places
Pop-ups might open up new income streams for local authorities, public bodies and NHS land
Entrepreneurs and small businesses get important exposure and chances to grow
Paying for the tender upfront makes sure people are serious about participating
Banbury could become a pop-up business hub
Support this vision for Banbury
If you'd like to see pop-up businesses bring new life to Banbury's public spaces, get in touch and share your thoughts.
Get in touch