Thanks to Charlie for the following.

“I’d firstly like to thank you for your excellent blog highlighting so many really wonderful things and organisations the town and it’s people have to offer. As a relatively new arrival to Abingdon it really has helped us settle in to the town and given us an insight into the community and the events on that are so very hard to find when you move to a new place.

I’m sure your not short of posts but we live near the Bellinger garage and have just become aware the planning application by Churchill retirement homes for 39 retirement apartments has been submitted. The application can be found at …
P17/V0321/FUL“

As it happens I was short of posts after 4 days away, and work is very busy at the moment. And so it was very helpful.

On a personal note I got rid of the Corsa when Bellingers moved, and bought a Panda from the local Fiat dealer instead.

I used to use that same Hartwell garage when they sold and serviced Rovers. The Rover logo has long since gone, as have the petrol pumps and convenience store.

A lot has changed in the last year or two on one of Harry’s old dog walks. (I once did a blog called harrydogblog.com featuring Harry.)

Walking along the ridge of the dog walking field, next to Masefield Recreation Ground, the new houses of Morland Gardens can be seen down below.

Another development can also be seen over the fields. The new houses of Walnut Meadow are now visible as the distance between Abingdon and Drayton shrinks.

The first houses of Walnut Meadow, already with people in, stand alongside the bridleway that leads from Mill Road in Abingdon to Drayton.

There are also houses starting to grow next to the farm track that forms a circular walk back to Abingdon.

Looking at the Walnut Meadow development plans I see there is a large space for future sports pitches and a pavilion. Drayton are getting something of community value from their development.

Churchill Retirement Living will be building retirement apartments on the site of the old Bellinger car dealership.

It is not going to be the new home of Harley Davidson, Oxfordshire, who recently moved from their showroom in Wootton. They have moved instead to Nuffield Way – on the Abingdon Business Park.

The formal start of consultation for outline planning permission for up to 900 homes and 50 retirement homes north of Abingdon is underway. The plans can be found at this link or by searching P17/V0050/O on the Vale Planning Site – where comments can be made.

Start Consultation Period   13th January 2017
End Consultation Period    15th February 2017
Target Decision Date            2nd May 2017

According to the application form, the outline plans also include a local centre, a site for a primary school, a care home comprising 80 beds, children’s nursery, public house / restaurant, retail spaces, open space, and sports pitches (near Peachcroft Farm). There will be accoustic fencing for the A34 noise.

Access would be by 2 junctions onto Dunmore Road, and 2 onto Twelve Acre Drive. The approximate size of the site can be seen on the picture above. Detailed plans would be put forward in due course.

(There is another informal consultation process in progress, from another developer, for 200 additional homes on the circus field by the Wootton Road roundabout.)