A planning application P18/V0492/FUL has been submitted for the Old Gaol ground floor.

Originally in 2008 when Cranbourne Homes became the successful bidder, against other schemes, the complex included two restaurants and a shop. The public feedback back than in 2008 was that there were a number of empty shops in Abingdon and so the plans were changed to three restaurants.

One restaurant area became a Costa. The other two are still vacant and, according to the planning application, the letting agent says ‘that larger multiple restaurant chains have not bought into the location of The Old Gaol …’ So the management company have put in a planning application for a change of use. This would involve converting one restaurant space into flats, and running the other themselves as a cafe / wine bar.

Anybody travelling along the Marcham Road will see the large crane in the grounds of the soon to be expanded Oxford Abingdon Hotel.

The first thing that struck me is that the long jib sticks out as far as Homebase. It is a wonder it does not topple over.

I will be back in a couple of months time to see how the building has started to grow.

Work progresses on redeveloping the Open Air Pool at the Abbey Meadows. But with so many lorries coming and going along the path, to the service entrance round the side, the mud keeps getting churned up.

Other than work people, there are people going to the Abbey Brass Band hut who use the path – either to one of the training bands, or the senior band.

There was the problem of the dark as well, but a light has recently been added and improved matters a little. Gravel is sometimes put down, but it soon gets churned by the next few lorries.

One parent, who takes their son to band practice every week, suggested boards would have helped. Another band member told me there used to be a drier way round the edge but even that has become muddy. Wellington Boots are a necessity.

The building previously known as New Abbey Court is being converted from offices into a total of 32 flats. The original planning application for this building submitted in 2013 was more radical and involved a rebuild, and was objected to by a number of local people including the Friends of Abingdon Civic Society.

The new plans do not change the look of the buildings apart from creating an additional entrance from Old Station Yard. The scaffold has been put up to allow the external building to be given a facelift.

There will only be parking for three cars and so most of the new tenants will either not have cars or need somewhere to park in the town centre. The approved plans for 32 flats can be seen at P17/V2427/PDO. Some of the flats do look quite small – they start from 31 square metres. Further plans for the minor external changes were submitted earlier this month.

New Abbey Court  contained a number of offices round a gated courtyard, and was built in the mid 1980s, after 55-59 Stert Street were demolished. I believe The Abbey Press was at number 57 for some time; Burgess (Abingdon) Ltd were at number 55 until 1961. Then number 55 was converted to a shop called Deaney’s – possibly furniture. The Registrar and Public Assistance offices were at number 59 for some time.