Kidlington Parish Council voted unanimously to change its status at a meeting on Thursday 20 February 2026 following a consultation with residents.
Councillor Melanie Moorhouse said the move would give the Oxfordshire community important extra protections in planning and policing decisions.
She said the first issue related to how police officers were allocated to town centres, while recent planning changes have downgraded green‑belt protection around villages to grey belt and increased protection around towns.
“By making a change of our status, we can give Kidlington those protections,” the councillor said.
Moorhouse said the move would also give the town a “stronger voice” to “maintain its identity and community”.
“I do want to stress, this doesn’t mean that anyone has to start calling it a town – people can still say they’re going to the village,” she said.
“Our hope is very much that it will not change our community – it will in fact secure our very much community identity.”
(Extract from BBC News article).