The future of the Mill Arts Centre has been secured for the long-term following a transfer of ownership between two local Councils.
A unique 237-seat theatre venue that hosts a wide variety of live events, the Mill also provides a diverse range of artistic, educational and participatory workshops for local residents of all ages, abilities and interests. Conservative-controlled Cherwell District Council agreed to purchase the vibrant Banbury arts hub from Oxfordshire County Council on Monday, 17 December with the transfer approved by Oxfordshire County Council today, Tuesday, 18 December.
The acquisition will provide The Mill with a long-term lease which will support external grant applications and help the Mill achieve ambitious future plans.
Councillor Andrew McHugh, Cherwell District Council’s Leader Member of Health and Wellbeing said: “I am thrilled with the District Council’s decision. The Mill provides important arts provision for the community and is well-loved locally. This transfer will help the centre continue its great work in entertaining audiences and engaging residents with the arts.
The purchase is also further evidence of Cherwell District Council’s commitment to the regeneration Banbury’s Canalside. It is our hope that the Mill will become the cornerstone of the Castle Quay cultural quarter.”
Calthorpe County Councillor Eddie Reeves, who helped to finalise the ownership transfer in his role as Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Property, added: “Discussions about the future of The Mill Arts Centre have been ongoing for some time. The Mill is a centre of arts excellence and Banbury's only dedicated Arts centre. Everybody is therefore delighted to have achieved such a positive outcome for the centre and the residents it serves.”
