Pandora will be opening in Bury Street next week and have been fitting out the shop, previously used by Valentina – who moved to a larger premises across the way. Pandora are well known for their customisable charm bracelets. Robert Gatwood on the Market Place also stocks Pandora jewelery.

Nearby, the shop at the Market Place end of Bury Street is being worked on to create the new Wildwood Restaurant.

There was a recent report by the Vale of White Horse District Council saying Empty shops in Abingdon have been cut by half. They say only 4.4 per cent of Abingdon’s shops are empty in 2015 compared with 8.8 per cent in the same survey last year.

One ex-pub on Stert Street is being converted into a shop, and there is a rumour that a well established Abingdon Chemist will be moving there.

It has been rumoured for a while that the large new empty unit in Bury Street will soon have a new occupant.

Superdrug will be moving from their current premises to the new unit. In planning application P15/V2508/FUL they are looking for approval for a new shop front.

When the new units were built the general understanding was they would attract some new big names to Abingdon. Now New Look have moved across into one, and Superdrug are moving into the other. Good to see the commitment of these two companies to Abingdon – even if things have not gone quite to plan.

The result of the Abingdon BID proposal has been announced. 58% of the votes cast were in favour, with 73% of the rateable value of the votes cast. The proposal needed to receive 50% or more votes in favour, with more than 50% of the rateable value of the votes cast.

Pictured above are some of the leaders of the BID proposal.

The BID lasts for 5 years and with an income of £800,000 from businesses, and likely additional income from other sources, the work to make the BID a success begins here…

Only a few days to go now. Town centre businesses are voting on whether to become a BID (Business Improvement District) for the next five years. The Yes Campaign has put out banners,

and window displays.

All businesses should have received a voting paper, and they need to be sent to Electoral Services by 5pm on Thursday, 29 October 2015 in order to count. The result will be announced on Thursday.

The Yes campaign’s presentations can be seen at abingdon.bid.