A High Court bid to stop an out-of-town retail park has failed.

A judge yesterday upheld Cherwell District Council’s decision to approve the Banbury Gateway scheme beside the M40 junction in March last year.

The owners of Castle Quay and Banbury Cross Retail Park sought a judicial review to have the LXB Properties scheme thrown out.

Scottish Widows, which owns Castle Quay, and Aegon UK Property Fund Ltd, which owns Banbury Cross, brought the case over concerns that business would be “sucked away from the town centre”.