The Vale of White Horse has refused planning permission for 160 dwellings on a field South of Abingdon.

Grounds for refusal included:
1. It is outside the provisions of the approved local plan.
2. It would generate additional traffic in an area already at capacity.
3. It would lead to loss of the rural aspect of the area.
4. It would generate more sewage in an area already at capacity.
5. The developers have not even entered into discussions about social housing and help towards highway measures etc. .

Around 200 people have written in response to the planning application, the vast majority are against.

The developers, Hallam Land Management Ltd, may still appeal.

Road works are taking place near Abingdon Community Hospital this week. There is an unused plot of land between Abingdon Motorcycles and Abingdon Court Care Home on Marcham Road, and Thames Water are working to supply water to the plot.

The plot was for many years covered by a mound of earth. It is now about to be built on.

A planning application was allowed on appeal for this plot (back in 2006) for a four storey residential development comprising 14 one & two bedroom flats with parking for twelve cars. So my guess is that there will be flats. But there are more interesting rumors that KFC are coming to Abingdon either here, or in the Abbey Shopping Centre.

Champion House, the large Edwardian House next door to John Mason School, on Wootton Road, has been demolished.

An archaelogical survey says the house was built around 1914 on the site of an orchard that had once been a quarry. More recently the building has been used as offices by Oxfordshire County Council Care Services.

The plan is to turn the area into 24 sheltered apartments with communal facilities including parking.

A previous plan for Champion House was rejected and rejected again on appeal in 2011, but having modified the plans to make more space at the front, and reduce the size of the building, plans were approved in 2012. The town council strongly objected to the original plans, worried by a narrow entrance for traffic near a school, but had “No Strong Views” in 2012.

Six new apartments are on the market in Stert Street which were until recently vacant offices.

2012 saw an increase in the number of applications to change offices in Abingdon town centre to residential use.

In July 2012 plans were submitted to convert ground floor offices in Lombard Street to form 2 one bedroom and 1 two bedroom apartments.

October 2012 – West St Helen Street – plans submitted for change of use of building from offices to residential to form 10 flats.

November 2012 – Bath Street – plans submitted for change of use from commercial to residential.

There were also three other planning applications submitted in Bath Street to change upper floors from commercial to residential use during 2012.