Category Archives: building work

Didcot Power Station Chimney at night

3 Replies

Chimney
The lights of the 200 meter high chimney at Didcot Power Station can be seen reflected in the River Thames at Abingdon.

A lady, I knew, approached while I was taking the picture, to say ‘Unlucky Didcot’. Her father worked there as part of the initial crew, and over the years she could remember other accidents, during the building of the power station, and since. Then just last year the woodern cooling towers, for the new gas fired power station, caught fire. Yesterday part of the concrete and steel boiler house, being prepared for demolition, collapsed, tragically killing one person. Three others are missing.

Day 3 of the Inspector’s Stage 2 Examination of the Vale of White Horse Local Plan

19 Replies

There have flyers about a new Community School opening in North Abingdon. I do not know whether it has any relation to the new primary school in the draft local plan. The proposed Opening Date is September 2017.
Smarts
Information and Survey at northabingdoncs.com.

Also thanks to Hester for the following written a few days ago …

I attended Day 3 of the Inspector’s Stage 2 Examination of the Vale of White Horse Local Plan on Thursday to hear the discussion on the proposed development sites around Abingdon. It was an interesting experience: I had thought it might be very legalistic and boring in places, but this was not the case – largely due to the fact that the Inspector, Malcolm Rivett, had a sense of humour and handed the proceedings with a light and friendly manner. It was billed as a “round-table” discussion, but there were around 30 people at the table (representing various local councils, also the Council for the Protection of Rural England, other interest groups and the various developers) so it needed careful management. There were probably around 20 observers.

The previous day’s discussions had been about the Green Belt: it appears that this was quite contentious as the Vale, County and City Councils all have their own take on it. No doubt we will hear more of this when the Inspector makes his report. Most of Thursday morning was taken up by discussion of the proposals for East Hanney, Radley and Kennington, all of which are being strongly opposed by their Parish Councils and by groups concerned with the Green Belt and the environment. I had to leave before the discussions on the two North Abingdon sites (along Dunmore Road and part of Twelve Acre Drive) but I am told that the main concerns raised were over transport and air quality. These sites are currently in the Sunningwell and Radley parishes but would probably be moved into Abingdon if they go ahead: as I understand it Abingdon Town Council is not opposing them, so were not present.

One particularly interesting area of discussion was the cumulative effect of all the individual proposals in the area just to the North of Abingdon – not just those under discussion at present, but also the upgrades to the Lodge Hill interchange and ideas which have been mooted by the County Council in relation to a park and ride and possibly a lorry stopover area at Lodge Hill. Concerns were expressed not just about the effects on transport and the environment, but also on the “deliverability” of all the proposals within the specified 5 years: someone wondered whether there would be sufficient building materials and skilled labour to build that number of houses in this area in that time. These are key issues for the Inspector and will presumably be discussed in more detail at the sessions on 16 – 18 February.

Large Office Block in Abingdon converted to Flats

16 Replies

Flat Conversion
The large office block, previously known as Mansard House, and more recently as Publishing House, has been converted into one and two bedroom flats.

‘To Let’ signs have now appeared at the windows as the work nears completion.
Flat Conversion
Round the back, the two fire-escapes have been enclosed to create entrances, and the windows have had balconies added. They look out towards the Charter multi-story car park – not very far away.
Flat Conversion
There is a long stretch of grass alongside the multi-story, with some bare trees.
Flat Conversion
There is no reason for anybody to go down that stretch of grass. It ends at a wall where a local comedian has painted an exit.

Guildhall Plans moving towards an application for planning permission

38 Replies

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council agreed plans and a budget for redeveloping the Guildhall in a meeting on the 15th December, and are working towards a planning application for the changes.
Guildhall Plans
The back view of the Guildhall will change as the unused concrete ramp, that frames this picture, will disappear.
Guildhall Plans
The main change is to the 1960’s Abbey Hall. The stage will move from the left end to the right end. Raked seating will be added on the left, and the hall will be soundproofed so that louder entertainments are heard inside rather than outside.

The grass area will become a ground floor glassed entrance with a cafe area.

The budget for the project is about £2 million. A half of that comes from  money given to the town council by the district council as part of the hand over of the loss making Guildhall. The other half will come from a loan. The loan will be payed off by profits from the cafe.
Guildhall Plans
The plans for the old entrance and foyer, and access to the old part of the building, are less clear. Answers to questions posed by Dr Jim Halliday, at a council meeting 2 weeks ago, indicated

“How the current lobby area and bar is used is subject to further discussion.”

“There is still an ongoing debate (with the proposed removal of the front ramp necessary to allow opening up the front elevation), how to still retain direct DDA access from the existing front steps to the existing first floor front entrance lobby. One suggestion would be to construct a discreet platform lift….”

So it appears that the plans are nearly there – but with some decisions still to take.