In the Town and Vale by-elections in Abingdon yesterday, the Lib-Dems won the town and vale seat previously held by Peter Jones of the Conservatives.

Lorraine Oates is the new town councillor. She got 709 votes against 515 for Conservatives and 124 for Labour.

Andrew Skinner is the new District Councillor. He got 683 votes against 518 for Conservatives and 133 for Labour.

In the central Abingdon vacancy, caused by the loss of Penny McDougall, Jan Morter of the Lib-Dems retained the seat with 719 votes against 413 for the Conservatives and 216 for Labour.

This means on Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council there are now 10 Conservatives, 9 Lib-Dems, 1 Labour, 1 Independent. So the Mayor Making next week will be very close. If the Independent and Labour candidate side with the Lib-Dems, as seems likely, then Mayor Making will revert to the old pattern where the next in line, that is Sam Bowring, becomes Mayor. But we will see then.

The March Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council meeting was in the Roysse Room rather than the Council Chamber – possibly because Reverend Paul Smith took prayers at the start and his wheel chair doesn’t go up stairs. The town council is now half way through its four year term and has settled down to working together.

In the section where councillors propose motions under Standing Order 8, there were 4 motions proposed:

1. There was a proposal by Conservatives that the Town Council arranges a Flood Fair where the EA and other agencies can demonstrate flood protection equipment like flood gates. Agreed by all.
2. There was a proposal by Lib Dems to call on the County Council to make swifter progress on the Flood Risk Management Document for the Thames Valley. After a Conservative amendment, to also add the Environment Agency (EA), it was voted in unanimously.
3. There was a proposal by Lib Dems to call on the District council to make swifter progress with its local housing supply plan. Again agreed unanimously after a Conservative amendment.

4. There was a proposal by Conservatives that the plaque put up to commemorate The Queen opening the museum in 1956 be moved so it does not get hidden behind the new doors. Agreed by all.

It was mentioned by one Councillor and an officer that there was a mystery surrounding the disappearance of the wreaths from the war memorial. Normally they are all left for a few weeks, and the one from the Royal British Legion is left for most of the year. It turned out not to be such a mystery. It had been very windy and the wreathes were being blown all over the place and the British Legion took them away for safe keeping.

The one area where there was disagreement was who should be the next Mayor. The Conservatives proposed, the Deputy Mayor, Andrew Todd. The Lib Dems stuck to their guns and proposed Samantha Bowring for the third year running. There was only one nomination for Deputy Mayor: Angela Lawrence, an independent. May 8th is Mayor Making.

This evening was the annual parish meeting held by Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council to let people know what has been happening in the last year. Big events in the last year were the jubilee and re-opening of the museum. There are ongoing big plans for the Guildhall.

There will be an exhibition showing those Guildhall plans about 18-20 April to include the cinema/theatre design, better accessibility to the historic rooms, as well as improving the general ambiance and look of the modern Abbey Hall.

The number of homes in Abingdon has been reduced from 12,683 to 11,580 in the last year for council tax purposes. People claiming council tax relief no longer count as part of an accounting exercise – pushing the responsibility for council tax relief onto local councils. It means a relatively small loss for the town council this year as there are transitional arrangements but that could be taken away.

We also learned:
* Allotments have had a difficult year through flooding.
* More dog bins will be provided where there is a problem.
* Abingdon in Bloom will be re-launched this year. It was called off last year.
* Work on the MG gardens has progressed well over the winter months.

* At the end of the year, when the lease ends, town council offices will be moving into Roysse Court above the registry office.
* The cemetery will fill up in 12-15 years. About £300K has been saved towards a new cemetery.
* People have praised the town council for its work helping to keep pavements clear during snow.
* The new Garden of Remembrance will soon be open for ashes.
* The James May program about mechanised Bun Throwing will be broadcast in a couple of months time.
* The Town Council planning committee voted down having Greene King replacing traditional pub signs.

The town council play equipment budget will be re-instated, although town council play equipment is in a very good state.

It came as news to me today that the date of the next general election has been fixed as May 7th 2015, which will coincide with the next District and Town Council elections, and be about nine months after the Scottish Independence Referendum.

Last night Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council held a special meeting to respond to the Local Government Boundary changes proposed for May 7th 2015. Individuals and organisations can make their own response on the Boundary Commission Website .

For twelve years we will have had the anomaly that Caldecott Road and Caldecott School are outside Caldecott Ward. If these recommendations are used that will no longer be the case, but Northcourt will be outside NorthCourt Ward, and Larkmead and John Mason will be in Fitzharris Ward, and Fitzharris School will be outside.

As to the general election the Oxford West and Abingdon Lib-Dems have just chosen the person they want to stand as their candidate – pictured above. So it is Goodbye Evan, and Hello Layla.