Nominations for candidates start on 20th March. So you have about a month to decide if you want to stand. I was an independent candidate for the town council 4 years ago but didn’t get in. It was an interesting experience.

New for 2023 – you must show a photo ID when voting at a polling station. If people have not got a photo ID, they can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 25th April. It can be applied for online and needs a National Insurance Number and a digital photo. See https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id

The voter ID scheme was agreed upon by parliament last year. According to opendemocracy.net, between 995,000 and 3.5 million people do not have the required ID. It will affect some age groups, ethnic and gender groups more than others. Voter turnout in local elections is low in any case, and this could reduce it further.

The Central Abingdon Regeneration Framework (CARF) has been published to guide future town centre development. It includes options for redeveloping three sites owned by the Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC): The Charter, Abbey House and The Upper Reaches.

It is called a framework and not a formal plan, but it can be used by the Local Plan to 2041 that VWHDC is beginning to consider. (The local plan to 2031 was adopted in 2016. That allowed all the new housing in North Abingdon, currently being built. The plan to 2041 will take account of the Oxfordshire Strategic Vision adopted in 2021 that aims for a more sustainable future.)

CRAF Options for those VWHDC three sites were in CARF_Final_Document_LR_Feb23.pdf

59% of people responding supported Charter and Bury Street (North) proposals. Options included the potential to redevelop the site to include restaurants, shops, new housing (including homes for the elderly), a health hub, potential employment/office space and a new and improved public library/tourist information centre to replace the existing facilities.

55% of people responding supported the proposals for Abbey House. Options included a mixed-use building with office space, residential accommodation, a hotel, a health hub and other community uses.
70% of people responding supported the proposals for Upper Reaches. Options included redeveloping part of the Site to potentially provide a hotel and function space, restaurant and other leisure uses, and possibly new homes. There could also be recreational space. (Any change would be subject to the leaseholder agreeing or giving up their lease.)

The CARF also included a more general survey on central Abingdon topics.

Q5. What are the top three things you like about central Abingdon? Those with the most support (over 5%) were:
The River (frontage and access) 15%
Access to green spaces, including Abbey Meadows and playground space 15%
History / Character of Place / Aesthetic 13%
Market Place 12%
Great variety of shops and independent shops 12%
The coffee culture 7%
Great pubs and restaurants 6%
…

Q6. What are the top three things that need to change or could improve central Abingdon? Those with the most support (over 5%) were:
Better retail, food and beverage offer 25%
Address traffic volume/control 15%
Improve parking and accessibility 12%
Address empty/vacant shops 9%
Improve leisure and community facilities (incl. improving the opening hours of Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool) 8%
Better and safer cycleways and pedestrian routes 8%
…

The report and survey answers are at CARF-Consultation-Report-FINAL.pdf

It is too big to try to summarise here but I have had a go.

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council held a special town council meeting this evening. The only thing to be discussed on the agenda was a confidential property matter. The town council say on their website ‘Abingdon Town Council has been negotiating with the Abbey Cinema regarding a new lease for the cinema for some time.

The Council meeting on Thursday 25 August has been called so we can give matters our speedy consideration.’

On the other hand, the Abbey Cinema has said

‘The current situation is that both we and the council appointed our own professional negotiators to agree terms and to commission jointly financed reports on the state of the building prior to lease. This identified that considerable investment is required (c.£345k on roof and regulatory compliance and a further c.£280k over the next 5 years). We have offered to take on £400k of this investment.

We thought things were going well, if very slowly. Or we did until we received from the council’s solicitors on 4 August an unexpected communication containing notice that if we did not sign by the end of August, they anticipated instructions to give us notice of termination. The lease provided for signature was in draft form and bears no relation to preceding negotiations. We cannot understand this.’

The Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils have terminated the lease of the office building in Milton Park. They say in a press release.

‘At the end of September, to significantly reduce unnecessary costs, we will be moving to some temporary office space in the Vale’s Abbey House building in the centre of Abingdon where we plan to stay for a couple of years while South Oxfordshire District Council completes the development of a new office building at Didcot Gateway.

Most of the building in Abingdon is being leased by Oxfordshire County Council, but there is a small amount of available office space on the ground floor.’

The press release then explains why the move to Abingdon is temporary:

While Abbey House will be a suitable office location for the short term, over the longer term, the councils will need more collaboration and non-desk based space, in a more energy efficient building. This will help us meet our targets to become carbon neutral councils and will also help both councils to continue to improve our financial sustainability and offer the flexibility we need to recruit and retain staff in an increasingly challenging jobs market.