Cherwell District Council has (CDC) appointed a consultancy team to deliver a Football Development Plan for the town of Banbury.

The project, which is being overseen by the CDC in partnership with Banbury Town Council, is being undertaken to better assess the specific needs and challenges in terms of football in the Banbury area.

Sport consultancy Strategic Leisure has been appointed to deliver the plan which will be used to underpin funding applications to the Football Foundation and other key funding bodies.

The plan is the third such study to have been commissioned by CDC - with similar work having been undertaken in Bicester and Kidlington.

Phil Barefoot, associate director and project manager at Strategic Leisure, said: "While the current economic climate does make securing funding difficult, we are confident that the process of developing the plan, including putting together a Football Development Partnership, and engaging with key players, from the local clubs up to the Oxfordshire FA, will build the capacity of the local football community and encourage a sense of accountability."

The work will also entail detailed site planning, pitch orientation and ground assessments, undertaken by Strategic Leisure's specialist division SLD.