Author Archives: Backstreeter

New Look for the Museum Banners

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The museum banners on the Market Place have changed. The old sky-blue banners, in place since 2011, have now been replaced with deep green ones.

The new design features Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council’s colours and coat of arms, giving it a more formal look.

The previous banner had a lighter, airier look — echoing the blue of the sky, and blending with the background, but less easy to read.

On the old blue banner, ‘MUSEUM’ ran down the flag as one word. On the new green one, the letters are stacked, with the addition of “Free Admission” to make that clear.

What’s On in Abingdon (over the next week)

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Abingdon 1945 Exhibition
(4 October – 23 December, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm at Abingdon County Hall Museum)
Marking 80 years since the end of WWII, this free exhibition explores Abingdon in 1945 – from food shortages and evacuees to VE/VJ Day celebrations and post-war changes.

Abingdon Michaelmas Fair & Fair Service
(Sunday 4:00–9:00 pm, Monday & Tuesday 2:00–10:30 pm at Abingdon town centre – Market Place, High Street, Ock Street)
Europe’s longest street fair returns. Opens with the Traditional Fair Service and Blessing: Sunday 5 October, 3:30 pm, on the Golden Galloper in Abingdon Market Place

Conversations with Susie Howard
(Thursday 9 October, 7:00 pm at St Ethelwold’s House)
A talk about the growth and development of “St Eths” with Susie Howard. Free event — to reserve a place, contact the organisers.

Mighty in Power – Launch Concert
Friday 10 October, 7:30 – 9:30 pm at St Michael & All Angels’ Church
An evening of music from the newly released CD Mighty in Power by Abingdon composer, David Preston, sung by the Northcourt Singers. Tickets £15 on the door (children free).

Just Jane – Jane Austen Afternoon
Saturday 11 October, 3:00 – 5:30 pm at St Michael & All Angels’ Church
An afternoon of Jane Austen readings with contemporary music, coffee, tea, cakes and conversation. Tickets £15 (door) / £10 if pre-booked; under-18s free.

Town Council Meeting – 1st October 2025

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The Town Council met in the Roysse Room, a former schoolroom. Councillors were reminded to speak clearly as the acoustics are not ideal, and one request was made for improved lighting so papers can be read more easily.

Mayor’s Engagements
Mayor Cllr Rawda Jehanli has had a busy schedule but was unable to attend this meeting. Deputy Mayor Cllr Skinner took the chair.


County Councillor’s Report
* East St Helen Street Junction – A long-awaited redesign is in progress, with local input said to be vital in getting the details right.
* Lodge Hill – Work is also underway there, designed to keep traffic moving and avoid complete road closures.

Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) Report
* Leadership Change – The Chief Executive has stepped down at a time of uncertainty about the council’s future.
* Joint Local Plan – The Planning Inspector has asked VWHDC and South Oxfordshire to withdraw their joint plan, citing poor coordination with Oxford City over housing numbers.
* Flood Prevention – The trash screen near Chiltern Close needs urgent attention to reduce repeated flooding. The Environment Agency and UKAEA are involved.

Environment, Amenities & Infrastructure Committee
* Cemetery Chapel – Renovation work is complete, with suggestions it could now be used for weddings and christenings as well as funerals.
* Bus Shelters – New shelters have been installed, and maintenance is underway. Praise was given for the cleaning and upkeep on Radley Road.
* Play Areas – Improvements at Chiltern Close and Chaunterell Way (and elsewhere) are being funded mainly through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) developer contributions.
* Stratton Way Underpass – A grant is being sought to improve lighting.
* Traffic Island Monk – The removed figure will be repurposed as a bug hotel in Boxhill Wood.

Community Committee
* Fair Music – The Council has asked fair operators to reduce noise later in the evening.
* Bridge Safety – Plates are now covering most of the holes on the Ock bridge near the fair. The Town Council will ask the District Council to place plates over the latest holes, to ensure safety during the fair.
* Grants Awarded – Support was given to Mental Health Natters, Abingdon Youth Football Club, Home Start Southern Oxfordshire, and other groups.
* Town Crier – The newsletter will now be published quarterly. Councillors need to be aware of deadlines for articles.


Planning Committee
As the only member of the public present, I was invited to comment or ask a question at the start. Having skim-read the council papers online, I stood up to praise the planning committee for its workload and persistence. Unlike other committees (which meet once between full councils), the planning committee has met five times.

It has:
* Commented on dozens of routine planning applications, objecting where necessary to overdevelopment.
* Responded to major consultations and pressed for local action.
* Written a strong letter to David Wilson Homes about delays to Oxford Road sewer works.
* Monitored the slow delivery of promised North Abingdon facilities (shop, pub/café, over-55s housing, and primary school).
* Attempted to meet the NHS commissioning board about GP provision in Abingdon; when rebuffed, involved the local MP, who also struggled to make progress.
* Pushed for South Abingdon to be included in the SESRO (Abingdon Reservoir) environmental assessment.
* Continued to monitor Dalton Barracks development and traffic impact.
* Advanced work on the Neighbourhood Plan.

At the end of the meeting one councillor noted that the usual process of formally proposing and seconding minutes before discussion had been skipped. The tone was more informal than usual, and the open meeting ended in just 45 minutes.

I left before councillors discussed a confidential matter. This may have related to the Abbey Hall, where heads of terms have reportedly been agreed for transferring ownership to the cinema operator — or perhaps to something new.

Plans to Improve Cycling or Walking Through Abingdon Town Centre

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National Route 5 of the National Cycle Network runs all the way from Reading to Holyhead – and right through Abingdon. But here in town it has never quite lived up to the standard you’d expect of a national route. The paths in and out of Abingdon have been resurfaced in recent years, but there’s still room for improvement between St Helen’s Church and the Abbey Gateway. At the moment, cyclists have to take a long detour and then dismount – so many instead risk heading the wrong way up East St Helen Street.

Oxfordshire County Council has now published plans to improve things. The aim is to make cycling and walking through the town centre safer, with a new contraflow on East St Helen Street to legitimise what some cyclists already do.

The scheme also looks to sort out the junction at the top of East St Helen Street, improving it for people on foot, on bikes, or using mobility scooters. An outline was first put forward by local cycling enthusiasts, then refined by transport specialists – and now it’s open for wider comment through a public consultation. The junction plans include additional zebra crossings and the use of an enlarged island in the middle.

More crossings do mean more time when traffic has to stop, slowing traffic coming up Bridge Street or along Stert Street, where there are already other pedestrian lights.

The funding is already secured: a £1.47 million government grant from the Active Travel Fund will cover design and construction.

The public consultation runs from 30 September to 28 October 2025, with drop-in events at the Guildhall on:
Saturday 11 October, 10am–3pm
Tuesday 14 October, 4pm–7pm

A consultation report is expected in December. Final designs should follow in spring 2026, with construction due to start that spring and finish by summer 2026.

Details and the online consultation can be found at: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/eaststhelenstreet