The detached house next the shops on Wootton Road, the one with the white shiplap boarding, has just been demolished. I liked that house but am told it had structural problems and was beyond saving.

There is planning consent for it to be replaced with 3 x one bedroom and 5 x two bedroom apartments.

On Northcourt Road, next to the entrance to Fitzharrys School, another detached house, described on the planning application as “of no great merit, and could not justify retention” is being replaced by 4 x one bedroom and 3 x two bedroom flats. That development is further advanced.

The redevelopment of Mayott House, an old people’s home, on Ock Street, is also advancing. Foundations are laid. Some first floor walls are up.

There will be 4 apartments to purchase, prices from £102,500, and 36 apartments to rent.

In this quick roundup of the new housing, being built in Abingdon, there is room for the elderly, and some smaller apartments, but not that much for young families.

David Buckle, Chief Executive of the Vale of White Horse District Council, has written to RWE npower expressing his disappointment that the blow down of the three southern towers of Didcot Power Station is planned for between 3-5am on Sunday 27th July.

Given that Sun Rise is 5:17, the three cooling towers could explode unseen.

Mr Buckle has asked whether the time could be adjusted to 6am to give local families the chance to watch this once in a lifetime event.

Plans for 159 dwellings in a field off the Drayton Road have been resubmitted by the new owners Taylor Wimpey. The target decision date put by the district council is 30th November 2014. Plans available here.

The new developers have introduced a modified style of housing, and drainage, but draw on the same transport study done on 6th September 2012 by their predecessor.

A planning inspector, on appeal, allowed the original plans so long as a number of conditions were fulfilled. The most significant of these were traffic mitigation measures. The original developers traffic study saw queues of 70+ during the morning rush hour on Drayton Road at the double roundabout. Their solution was to remove one pedestrian crossing and add two pedestrian crossings at new locations.

That measure was then rejected by Oxfordshire County Council – the authority required to approve any highway changes.

The new planning application says “Taylor Wimpey in accordance with the appeal decision will provide the two pedestrian crossings and necessary highways alterations as specified in the appeal decision.”

Work continues at Abbey House, the former HQ of the Vale of the White Horse District Council (VWHDC). Many VWHDC staff have already been moved to work at the South Oxfordshire District Council’s (SODC) HQ near Wallingford, leaving just front line staff to man the downstairs customer desks at Abbey House. The top two floors are to be taken over by staff from Oxfordshire County Council, and part of the ground floor will be used by the Abingdon Citizens Advice Bureau.

The only planning application so far is for increased ventilation. Natural ventilation will no longer be enough as staff numbers increase from 200 to 394 at peak times with Oxfordshire County Council moving staff in from out of town offices.

As well as the extra ventilation there looks to be a need for a new entrance at the side. That could be where the Citizens Advice will go. Presumably they will get their own air.