Part of the retaining wall, and the bridge, at the Upper Reaches site in Abingdon are in need of repair to prevent further damage.

The freehold of the site is owned by Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC), inherited from Abingdon Borough Corporation after local government reorganization in 1974. In 1969, Abingdon Borough Council granted a 125-year lease, which still has 69 years to run. The current leaseholder, Contemporary Hotels Ltd., closed the hotel in June 2015, ten years ago, and is responsible for repairs and maintenance.

The Upper Reaches is part of the Central Abingdon Regeneration Framework (CARF), which aims to see the site redeveloped. In the past the leaseholder, through the Oxford Mail, has suggested redeveloping the site as hotel and residential. 69 years on a lease may not be seen as very long for any redevelopment, although it is a very long time for the site to remain derelict.

The lease can only be terminated early by mutual agreement between VWHDC and the leaseholder, and any plans for redevelopment need to be agreed between the lease holder and VWHDC.

The annual parish meeting is tomorrow (26/03/2025 at 19:00 – 21:00) at the Roysse Room in the Guildhall. This meeting ends with a time to ask questions about the town. Although the Town Council no longer has responsibility for the Upper Reaches they may still be asked to raise concerns with VWHDC on behalf of residents about this and other matters such as lack of progress with the unstable building on West St Helen Street.

The redevelopment of No. 22 Stert Street and No. 20 Queen Street, behind, is progressing. The shop at No. 22 Stert Street has been completed since August 2023 and occupied by a barber, while the remainder of the development has been ongoing.

No. 20 Queen Street previously housed a butcher’s on the ground floor and a gym on the first floor.

During the last couple of days, the medieval-style passageway through Queen Street has been temporarily closed to allow for the installation of underground services.

Most of the existing buildings have been converted into flats, with additional flats and solar panels added above the old roof.

The first stage of a four-phase public consultation on the redevelopment of Dalton Barracks has been ongoing and two sessions were held today in Abingdon, one in the Northcourt Centre and one in the Roysse Room. The initial focus is to gather feedback on the vision for transforming the former military site into a Garden Village that integrates with the surrounding area and reflects the sites past. Out of this will come a Master plan

Dalton Barracks, located on the site of the former RAF Abingdon airfield, will cease military operations in 2031 as part of a government initiative. The airfield was operational from 1932 to 1992, and the site has used by the army logistic corps since, so the land will have served military purposes for 99 years.

In the initial phase of development, approximately 2,750 homes are planned and incorporated into the local development plan through 2041. A second phase aims to increase this to over 5,000 homes, constructed over a longer period.

The consultation process will include a master plan and more detailed plans in 2025, with a planning application expected in 2026. If approved, construction on the first homes could begin in 2029.

The project’s official website, www.daltonbarracks.com, has more information and provides a way to give feedback and sign up for updates. Abingdon Library has feedback forms for people who prefer paper and could not get to any of the events.

Outside the Aldi supermarket on the Wootton Road there have been roadworks since the start of September to replace the old gas mains. They have caused tailbacks particularly back along Copenhagen Drive.

Most of the houses at the Kings Gate development have been finished. There are still a few to be built close to the A34

There is no road sign yet for these houses but I did see a food bin with the name Hasnip Mead, presumably named after Audrey Hasnip, or possibly Keith Hasnip, both of whom were Mayors of Abingdon.

Walking through the Abbey Fields development there are three cross roads that end at the fence with the A34: Gower Road, Knights Mead, and Cox Way. There was Brian Gower Shoes. F Knight & Sons ran the hardware store that is now Sydenhams. And Cox? There have been two mayors of Abingdon with the name Cox, a Mayor of Ock Street called Cox, a local historian called Mieneke Cox, and various businesses called Cox. But I am probably missing the most obvious Cox.

There is still a lot of building activity in Abbey Fields.

Further along is The Meadows, where building work is fairly new. There is a new marketing suite, the third marketing suite on the walk.

Arriving at the Oxford Road Roundabout, work on upgrading the roundabout, planned to be completed in Autumn 2024, has been stalled for some months. Autumn ends on November 30th and so two weeks remain to meet that target. Beyond can be seen Radley Reach.

At Radley Reach are completed buildings and a lot of buildings work in progress and another marketing suite. It does not look as if anybody has moved in yet.