The revamped toilet block at Abingdon’s Abbey Meadow re-opened yesterday, 6th March. The Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) has funded this refurbishment, which follows on from the re-opening of the rebuilt open air pool in 2018, and the redesigned play area in 2017.

The block has been completely refurbished and includes five self-contained unisex toilets and a men’s urinals. The Abingdon Lions have added a defibrillator.

The block also includes a ‘Space to Change’ facility, which includes a wheelchair accessible toilet and a height adjustable adult-sized changing bench and hoist. The ‘Space to Change’ was not in the original design but after a large petition by parents and the intervention of the local MP and others it was added to the design.

Cllr Alice Badcock, Vale of White Horse District Council cabinet member for community services, said: Abbey Meadow is the most-visited park in the district and now with all the changes we have made to make it more accessible, it can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.

Cllr Helen Pighills, Vale of White Horse district council ward member, said: These improvements are great news. The inclusion of a ‘Space to Change’ toilet is so important for ensuring more families and children with disabilities can make use of Abbey Meadow.

Thankyou to VWHDC for the press release and quotes. The work was done by Oxford Direct Services – the commercial arm of Oxford City Council. The splash pad and outdoor swimming pool at Abbey Meadow will be open for the summer from 25th May.

Today there was an exhibition about the first phase of homes off the Dunmore Road in North Abingdon (425 from 900). The land includes part of the field to the right of the footpath to Sunningwell, and the field to on the left of the footpath – after the woodland round Tilsley Park.

Dunmore Road is part of the route round Abingdon. There will be two new junctions to serve the first 425 homes, and so traffic flow will be impacted.

The development will help finance the south facing slip lanes at the Lodge Hill junction onto the A34. That should reduce the amount of traffic on the Dunmore Road. However those Lodge Hill plans are currently lodged with the Highways Agency and they could be biding their time. The Oxford to Cambridge Expressway is also under consideration this year. So they might delay a decision on Lodge Hill until the expressway route is decided.

The exhibition was at the Northcourt Centre and was very similar to previous housing development exhibitions and comprised some stand up exhibition banners, maps scattered on tables, and representatives of the developers for people to talk to about the plans. You can view the same banners online and make comments at https://northabingdon.co.uk/.

The banners show which parts will be built by Barratt Homes, and which by David Wilson Homes, and examples of houses they built recently. They also show the estate roads, and green spaces (one is called LEAP)

The banners do not address the main local worry that these houses will be built before any infrastructure – that is not just the A34 slipways, but also the new primary school. Doctor surgery capacity in Abingdon will also an issue. I heard one developer representative saying ‘I am not a traffic expert’, but as always that is what many of the questions were about.

It was a sunny day in Abingdon.

Demolition experts have moved into to the ex Bellinger Garage on Ock Street – after the new care home got planning permission on appeal.

Nearby work has been underway pollarding the Plane trees on Conduit Road. The road has been kept open and the tree surgeons pass down a log at a time on the one side, allowing cars to pass on the other.