Monthly Archives: June 2019

Abingdon takes on single-use plastic

Look ahead to Saturday
Abingdon has been awarded ‘Plastic Free Communities’ Status as it takes action on Single-Use Plastic.

Abingdon has joined a network of communities across the UK who are leading the way to tackle throw away plastic at source. Abingdon is the 65th Community to be awarded Plastic Free status by marine conservation charity, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), in recognition of the work it has done to starting to reduce the impact of single-use plastic on the environment. (The picture was taken at Added Ingredients where people can refill containers with detergents and washing liquids
Look ahead to Saturday
as well as coffee ground on the premises, and a large variety of teas.)
Look ahead to Saturday
Local Leads Anne Smart and Caroline Townsend started the campaign last year due to rising concern about the amount of damage being done by plastic pollution, particularly to our marine environment and wildlife.

Abingdon Cuts Plastic is a sub-group of the longstanding environmental group Abingdon Carbon Cutters.

Anne says: ‘Our Town Council officially supports our initiatives, and many sectors of the community are doing their best to reduce the amount of single-use plastic they use. Our MP, Layla Moran, is actively supporting our efforts to reduce the amount of plastic packaging used by local supermarkets.’

Eight local schools have joined our campaign, and we are encouraging others.

In October and April, Abingdon Cuts Plastic teamed up with Kingfisher canoe club and the litter-picking group AbiBinit, to hold two big river and riverbank clean-ups, which were well supported by lots of volunteers.

Look ahead to Saturday

Look ahead to Saturday
The sign sitting on Park Road, ready for Abingdon School’s leavers ball, does show a degree of pessimism about the weather. (Thankyou to Iain for this.)
Look ahead to Saturday
Let us hope that the Annual Rugby Sevens tournament on Saturday from 11am is not hit by snow.
Look ahead to Saturday
and that the sun does shine on the Trinity Church Summer Fair.

The Local Excellence Market also happens on Saturday. This is a quarterly market where local food producers, craftworkers and retailers sell their goods on Abingdon Market Place. They are used to trading in all weathers: ice or sun.

Town Council Meeting – 26th June 2019

Town Council Meeting
A Special Meeting had been called earlier on 21st May to make some quick decisions after the election. The most noticeable decision was to change the flag flying policy and allow the rainbow flag to fly over the County Hall. It was also resolved in committee to organise an Abingdon Pride event and set aside £1,000 for that purpose.

This evening’s Town Council meeting began with prayers.

Grant cheques were presented to a number of community groups.

I asked a question about cycling safety on roads and the town bus service and got a detailed reply from Cllr Sam Bowring, the new Town Council leader. These things are being considered and they have a cycling expert to help them.

The Abingdon Carbon Cutters did a presentation about their activities. The last Town Council meeting before the election had declared a climate emergency. That was not common knowledge so Carbon Cutters asked for more publicity.

The Carbon Cutters announced Abingdon’s move towards a plastic free town (I will do a separate blog on that soon).

Once the meeting proper began we found that most of the decisions had been taken in committees …

The Town Council is to undertake an appraisal of the Albert Park area to stop inappropriate developments.

The planning committee had no objection to the creation of  a kayak and canoe storage facility on Abingdon Lock Island. The district council will now decide.

The Amenity Committee agreed to do tree surveys and possibly cut down trees, and use more suitable trees, around the River Close play area . The trees are blocking out light to some houses despite repeated pruning and this has long been an issue.

Replace the notice boards in Bath Street, Roysse Court and Market Place.

Purchase three new replacement bus shelters.

Transfer some planters to Reynolds Way in the autumn for planting in winter spring etc.
Town Council Meeting
£1,000 will be allocated for Pest Control in the closed churchyard of St Helen’s Church.

The Communication Committee agreed to start publishing the Town Crier in the autumn, something the previous Conservative led council had not done. Then do a communications review.

To move the Information Centre to the ground floor reading room in the Roysse Court offices, and look further to try to find a better place.

The Finance Committee agreed to appoint a sub-committee to consider the future of the 41 town bus which comes up for renewal in October.
Town Council Meeting
These committee papers did not take long to discuss. There then followed a 35 minute debate about whether Town Councillors should wear robes at Town Council meetings and civic events. The new leader, Sam Bowring, said there was no policy and they needed to decide. There was one new councillor in particular who had almost decided not to stand for council when she heard she would have to wear a robe. All councillors agreed robes should be worn at civic events. 8 voted to keep the gowns at Full Town Council meetings, and 6 voted against. It was a passionate debate on both sides and did show that even though the council has now 18 Lib-Dems and 1 Green, they have many voices. The leading voice to keep the gowns came from a young, new councillor. He wanted to honour the tradition and heritage of the town. While a more established councillor described it as wearing fancy dress, and another as setting councillors apart.

The Great Get Together

The Great Get Together
On Sunday at St Ethelwold’s House in Abingdon people came together for the Great Get Together.
The Great Get Together
It included a big bring and share lunch. Drinks were served from one table, salads and savouries from under a gazebo, and the puddings and cakes from St Ethelwold’s Hearth.
The Great Get Together
We all got a label to say who we are.
The Great Get Together
There was music throughout the afternoon.
The Great Get Together
The children were enjoying the clay modelling table. But as a few of them came from overseas and are being helped by Host Abingdon, here are two adults enjoying the clay modelling table.
The Great Get Together
The Great Get Together is a celebration of the fact that we have more in common than … , inspired by the murdered MP Jo Cox.