There was a meeting of Abingdon Town Council this evening to consider reports from the council’s sub Committees, and agree next year’s budget.

The meeting began with a prayer from Revd Charles Miller where he prayed among other things “Inspire the council with a right judgement in all things, and … a zeal for the common good.”

Councillors expressed concern about the mud on the road left be lorries leaving the Drayton Road building site, and the danger presented sometimes by lorries turning into the site. The Mayor undertook to write to the district council to express the town council’s concern.

There was then a heated debate about setting up a working group to consider the council’s future carbon cutting. Conservatives first suggested postponing the working group agreed at a previous town council. They then proposed it be set up under Widdecombe rules so that the ruling Conservative party have 3 members, and the opposition Lib-Dems 2. This left the independent Angela Lawrence out in the cold. But the Widdecombe rules were voted through by all the Conservatives; all the Lib-Dems abstained, and only Angela voted against. She appeared to be the one most passionate about making things happen in this working group.

A decision was made to allow a 2nd monthly Farmer’s Market. There was also a discussion of Market fees. On this occasion it was Conservative Councillor Vicky Jenkins who was a lone voice. She said that the town council was subsidising the Farmer’s Market whose rents were 38% less. Both Markets should be treated the same.

Other committee papers were all agreed including those on the Guildhall which I will return to soon.

There followed a party political discussion on the budget. The Lib-Dems proposed some amendments to the budget. These included adding £60K to the Community fund to help save Abingdon’s Children’s Centres, and £30K not £10K towards pushing ahead with the Neighbourhood Plan. To pay for these changes they wanted efficiency savings, charging more for some council services, and not putting quite so much towards the future cemetery fund, or buying additional Christmas lights.

In the end this amendment was voted down largely on party lines with Angela Lawrence the independent and another councillor choosing to abstain. The main Conservative argument was that the Lib-Dems should have thought of these ideas earlier and got it properly discussed through committees beforehand.

But it did produce a good lively debate. When everything is agreed beforehand town council meetings can be as dull as next year’s budget sheets.

At the recent meeting of the Town Council planning committee it was recommended that the town council lead the development of a Neighbourhood Plan for the town.

Thame has a very good neighbourhood plan that gives a framework for decisions about future development – all agreed in a referendum of the town. Wantage will soon have one too.

People in South Abingdon have already been through consultations towards developing a Resident’s Plan (called SARP). A lot of work was put in by volunteers gathering information, working with people who had already developed successful Residents Plans. As a result a questionnaire was put together to go to every house in the area. That was sent to the Vale of White Horse District Council for approval, and was never heard of again. Perhaps, instead, the Town Council can bring back that good work into the town’s neighbourhood plan.

At the meeting, Hester, representing The Friends of Abingdon, said The Friends are very much in favour of such a plan as it will allow more local control of CIL Money (Community Infrastructure Levy paid by developers to build in the area), and help control development. The Friends hope to see a wide variety of people involved to ensure the process is inclusive.

So the next stage is for the town council to put money in the budget for next year, to hire a consultant with the expertise to lead such a process, and get all sorts of people involved. Then in a couple of years we can all vote on it.

Town Councillors were invited to a planning committee meeting to make a collective response to the County Council’s proposal to close Children’s Centres in Oxfordshire. There were also members of the public who came to speak.

Oxfordshire County Council is having funding cut by central government, and so is proposing to close all the children’s centres and set up a more reduced centralised service for only the most vulnerable, and has given 3 options:
1. Eight Family and Resource Centres for the most vulnerable. With some universal services provided by other agencies
2. Eight Family and Resource Centres with limited universal services provided by the county
3. Six centres, with grants to help for other groups to set up universal services.

At the meeting, members of the public had argued that the current universal services were essential, and cutting them was a false economy – intervention cost far more later on. The children’s centres have built trust with families over the years, and that would be lost. Children’s Centres also offer a professional service that cannot be matched by the voluntary sector.

Abingdon has 2 children’s centres: one in a dedicated building in ground next to Caldecott School – built about fifteen years ago when the family centre and community centre at Saxton Road were demolished for housing. The other is in the grounds of Dunmore School.

Councillors discussed the matter. None of them wanted to loose the 2 Abingdon children’s centres because of all the work they do. Some councillors opposed the closures. Others thought the voluntary sector could fill the gap. Others wanted to press the County Council to look for additional funding to try to keep more centres open, including those in Abingdon, and particularly the one in South Abingdon. It was left to the Chair, Deputy Chair, and Town Clerk to bring the different ideas together, and send a reply to the consultation.

If you want to send your own response you have until 10th January

In Abingdon Library there is a poster advertising a consultation on the future of children’s services in Oxfordshire – that is the proposed closure of all Oxfordshire’s 43 Childrens Centres.

There are also papers on further Budget saving options for 2016/17. There are 92 items that could be cut to produce savings. They include:

• Remove the real time bus information service to save £140,000 annually.
• Remove subsidised bus services and save £1,220,000 annually.
• Reduce street lighting maintenance and save £920,000 annually.
• Cut the number of waste recycling centres to save £205,000 annually.
• Reduce maintenance of footpaths to save £40,000 annually.
• Stop the funding of the seven Health and Wellbeing centres (used by the elderly) to save £2,050,000 annually.
• Reduce support for the homeless to save £1,500,000 annually.

There appears no end to the possible cuts. The Oxfordshire Consultation website has more information.