Last chance to vote for Banbury and crown it Britain's best town centre

Banbury is a finalist in the Town Centre category along with Balckburn and Hemel Hempstead and as of November 11 had received the most public votes to take the lead.

Public votes make up half of the overall judging criteria with a panel of expert business leaders contributing the other 50 per cent.

The judges visited Banbury on Friday November 4 taking notes on the towns architecture, vibrance and the many independent businesses in Banbury’s old town.

Deborah Owen-Ellis Clark, who is the head judge and works with British Land who are one of the sponsors of the awards, said: “I am looking for a great mix of independents, pop-ups and multiples so there is good retail on offer.

“I’m also looking for food, people want to come to town centres to eat. Shopping is just one of the things they do these days.

“Also well-kept, a sense of community and culture, what are they doing to enliven the place and make people want to come a visit it.

This year’s competition saw a record 900 entries across all 14 categories, including the new categories for individuals and shops.

Over 400,000 votes have been cast by the public, who can vote directly for their best-loved high street online.

High Streets minister Andrew Percy said: “The buzz generated by this year’s competition has seen a record breaking 400,000 votes cast already,

“Cherwell District Council has worked extremely hard but this is the last push and there’s still everything to play for, so get online and vote now for Banbury.”

Banbury also boast a second finalist, The Artery, which is vying for the top spot in the best shop on Twitter category.

If Banbury wins, not only will they get a share of prize pot worth £100,000, but they’ll also receive expert training from Google’s digital taskforce for shops, bars and restaurants, as well as a trip to Twitter UK’s London office to boost their social media skills.

To cast your vote for Banbury click here.