At this meeting, Town Council committee chairs reported back on what the town council had been doing in the last year. Here are some bits and pieces that caught my attention …
The Finance and General Purposes Committee recommended that, as the current town centre traffic wardens are retiring in September, the responsibility for monitoring Residents Parking is returned to the County Council. The scheme was introduced in 1994 to allow residents to park near their homes. The current wardens have provided an excellent service. The Committee feel council staff are overstretched and so are not sure they can carry on with this service. The final decision is for the full Town Council.
The Amenities Committee reported another successful Fun and Music in the Parks in 2014. Tickets go on sale for the next Music in the Park on Monday.
There is an estimated ten years space left in the cemetery, and it will take 5 years to set up a new one, and so this is becoming a more pressing concern.
The Town Council is still waiting for Tenders from Cinema Operators before finally deciding on plans for the Guildhall – although the closing date has been set as August 31st 2015. The council are still looking for the best place to site the Information Office. One possibility is the Museum basement.
Throwing Buns, under new ownership, will not be running Buns in the Basement anymore, and so The Mousehole Cafe could be returning.
The Town Council got an award for good use of Heraldry. Here are the current Deputy Mayor, Councillor Helen Pighills, and The Mayor, Councillor Angela Lawrence, with the award.
The Vale District Council will be considering the new plans for the Drayton Road estate next Wednesday, when Taylor Wimpey put forward their own plans, rather than those inherited from the original applicant.
Choose Abingdon is no longer supported financially by the District Council or County Council and the Manager has left to take up a post with the Town Council. The Town Council is still supporting the Choose Abingdon committee with £10K next year. That is so that the work on the Business Improvement District (BID) proposal can go to a vote in the summer.
New bus shelters are coming on Marcham Road. The County Council pays for them, and he Town Council maintains them.
Thought that what I heard was very informative (couldn’t stay long unfortunately)…
But would be interested to find out or understand more about what is happening with ChAPs…are we actually paying for it, or not? What is £10k being spent on?
Other than that, and from what I saw in my 45 minutes….it is truely great that people are prepared to put in such truely great efforts for our great yet meagre town. Having said that….what with the 21st century yesterday and all….there has got to surely be a better, more engaging way to hold such meetings…to include more of those that it affects? There are more than a dozen people interested in all this….isn’t there?
Sorry to hear B-in-Basement are ending. I don’t often visit but they have provided an excellent service since opening (including the cleanest loo in town). If The Mousehole returns, then heavy nostalgia ! If the new management are looking for ideas, it would be a great venue for cosy ‘open mic’ nights.
For those not around at the time, when the Mousehole was running in the ’60s, the market place would be filled with motorbikes on a Saturday morning and the jukebox in the Mousehole going non stop (while the pre-bypass A34 progressed along Stert Street/Ock Street).
Daniel – I agree it was disappointing that more of us public (including regular contributors here) weren’t there. It would be interesting to know why them we could make suggestions to the new TC for next year . Is it lack of publicity, time, format – or what?
PS pity you had to leave early – you missed the report on the flowers
The Vale District Council will be considering the new plans for the Drayton Road estate next Wednesday, when Taylor Wimpey put forward their own plans, rather than those inherited from the original applicant.
Interesting to see that the planning officer is in favour of granting planning permission. Does anyone know what has changed since the plans were rejected the first time around?
Not sure if it’s the remit of the Town Council but it strikes me as odd that there are no dog poo bins on the stretch of the river from the Nags Head to Abingdon Lock.
Craig – which side of the river? If it is the far side – definitely not the Town Council. But could be VOWHDC or SODC – give them a call!
The far side – sadly!
Sorry to see the traffic wardens are retiring. Some of the most friendly people around the town and help the town in numerous ways that is not immediately apparent. I have never met such decent wardens who take their remit of serving the public very seriously. They are also the only wardens I have ever met who are apologetic about putting on a ticket, they give people plenty of chances.
I am not quite sure why they cant just be replaced by some new blood. There must be some unemployed persons in the town who would welcome the chance to get back into work and try their best to keep the traffic moving.
Chaps has sucked too much money out of the chamber of commerce and the town council with very little to show for it. I don’t think another 10k is the best way to spend that sort of money at all.
The Mousehole Cafe was open on Monday last week with extremely cheap tea and coffee, £1 per cup!
Spike S, that sounds great! I think open mic and getting bikes into the town would be fantastic 🙂
I’d love to take my son down to see that
I remember the Mousehole in the 60’s…..sad! Was the ‘in’ place to go ( see previous Mousehole comments ). Mod & rocker days.
Traffic wardens? On the basis of there always being cars in the Station Square parked underneath the No Parking signs, I didn’t know we had any.
Hester…just my luck to miss out on the best bloomin’ bits!
Meanwhile…I’m asking my Abingdon bred friends for feedback on why they don’t go to meetings. So far I have been met with guffaws of astonishment at even asking (but little explanation)… (We have a really good time, me and my mates).
Personally I think it is linked to the “localism” that Sandy spoke about (once over the disinterest and apathy). I would disagree vehemently over his assertion that localism exists (although, I am too shy, retiring, and nice to do so in a crowded meeting). Localism doesn’t exist. It is because people are so powerless, that they are so disassociated with what the council (TC in this instance) actually do. Why bother coming to a meeting?
Yes, they organise great events. Well done. But who wants to come to a meeting to hear how great things are? The spirit that grows from those events, that he calls localism, isn’t localism. It is community. That is different.
If it would make a differnce, going to a meeting, because people didn’t want the Drayton Rd development. People would attend. If going to a meeting would help get shops opened in the precinct, people would attend. If going to the meeting would mean that we could say to the Vale/Government; “thanks for the 1000 houses suggestion, but without infrastructure first I’m afraid that the town are against it, so no thanks.” And it not happen…then people would attend. THAT would be localism – local people affecting local decisions.
As it happens…it makes no difference how eagerly you do or don’t want something….it’ll likely happen anyway, as it had been decided already, by someone else, sitting elsewhere.
Localism!? I have never felt so distant from the decision making process that affects me locally….let alone thinking I may be able to influence it!
Localism isn’t dead….it never even existed!
Still…I am sure we can all agree…the flowers are eagerly awaited this year.
There are two types of people – those that moan about everything being against them and those that try and do something about it.
Heres to the people who make sure there are nice flowers, cynicism is a boring philosophy – i know – i studied it for three years.
A couple of times, I tried being upbeat, proactive, positive… I have also moaned, ranted, raised my eyebrows and shaken my head.
One of those made me feel brow beaten, depressed, small and utterly powerless. The other made me feel a little bit better.
Neither were particularly useful. Which would you choose?
I think there are more people in Abingdon that would agree with Daniel than Ian the town councilor? What is the point of going to a meeting to listen to a gaggle of egotisticle fools engage in nothing more than a mutual preening event.
Did they appologise for wasting hundreds of thousands of tax payers pounds on the utterly pointless Choose Abingdon Partnership that although set up with the nest intentions was in fact a poorly organised Quango who’s governing members were chosen by the “gang” rather than elected by those who funded it.
Did they appologise for adopting, then running very badly the now defunct Loyalty card scheme that everyone at the time said it should have been run by business, for business, but was neither.
Did they appologise for failing with their presentationt to win funding from the government backed Mary Portas project for underperforming towns? Primary school children would have done a better job in putting together a case.
Did they appologise for throwing £100k plus down the drain while sgrabbling around trying to turn theloss naking guild hall into a profit? It was well documented how much money the thing lost each year,so why take it on if the town council hasn’t the skills for the jib?
Did they appologise to Dr Jim Halliday (one of Abingdons mosr respected councillors) for not supplying him with financial dfetails/loss on the Guildhall despite him having to result in writing to the Herald because Ian you chose yo ignore his justified request?
Did you appologise for failing in another attempt to gain funding for Abingdon? I refer to your failed attempt at Lottery Funding for the Guildhall (even they thought it was a no brainer too)
And what about the BID project Ian? decided to put the unwanted project on hold untill after the election because you know the business community would rally against you in May?
It just goes on and on Ian,failure after failure and all while on your watch !
Silentone – of course they didn’t because nobody asked them. There were about 5-6 of us there from the general public, several of us (not being as shy, retiring and nice as Daniel!) did ask questions but a few people can only do so much! As I have frequently said on this blog, the only way to give councillors a feel for how strongly the public feel about an issue is or individuals (not just the same few – numbers of votes count!) to tell them, either face to face or by direct email or letter – not via a blog, and especially not anonymously. Meetings like this are one opportunity to do that and there will be more as they come knocking on our
doors in the next few weeks!
PS I completely agree with Daniel about localism and challenged Sandy on this at the meeting. After two years of trying, the Friends of Abingdon have secured a meeting with him next week about Neighbourhood Planning which Abingdon has steadfastedly resisted so far but IS an opportunity for real localism. Also there was encouraging news from Botley yesterday – perhaps Abingdon can learn from that.
I note the latest anonymous name change.
The normal list of moans, ill-informed and I think I’ve answered all of them before on this blog to questions raised by you.
Unlike you I am accountable to the electorate who can decide in May whether they want me or they think someone else will do a better job.
Not at all I’ll informed Ian and to be honest I don’t know how you have the nerve to consistently rubbish anyone who dares question you, are you above criticism ? And yes Mays vote will be interesting.
I also agree with Daniel about localism. The act was supposed to give more power to local communities. It was supposed to enable them to have more say in things like the planning process, infrastructure needs caused by new developments. But with the Act also came new powers for developers, negating much of the spirit of the act.
However these powers are intended for the community to make use of. It’s no good blaming your town council, It’s not just up to them, it’s also up to the community to explore what you can do and exploit that. Come up with workable plans and then approach your councils for support.
Friends of the open air pool is a very good example. A pressure group that not only succeeded in getting the Town Council to support the pool financiially but put a lot of work in themselves.
…a couple of points to tidy up…yes, my apologies Hester, you did indeed challenge Sandy on his report – which was in part responsible for consolidating my thinking, and it was reassuring to see people that were there making such an effort to keep a check on what was being said.
Also…I have no real beef with people telling us the positives, and the meeting was nor necessarily a trumpet blowing exercise or mutual preening (although, I WAS only there about an hour)…
I think my jumbled up point is that my vote won’t be for do one who tells me what UA great – I already know what is great about Abingdon. I will likely vote for the person who who speaks to me most passionately about the issues and problems that the town faces, and details what they are going to do to change them. Then, if they don’t perform….I can vote for someone else next time.
Hey Ian. I gather you bottled out of attending the parish meeting, dear oh dear. !
Some of us have jobs steve
That’s a very convenient and poor excuse for not facing u to your responsibilities Ian, by standing for council, the representative of those who elected you, the least you can do is to offer your self for scrutiny, nothing to hide is nothing fear, obviously that’s not the case here !
Steve – I take my responsibilities very seriously and put a hell of a lot of time in to being a councillor.
I miss very few meetings and if you examine my record I suspect I am one of the highest attending councillors.
I have been to all the previous AGMs, however my main client needed me in London on wednesday for an important meeting and I did not get back until late that night.
I sent a report to the meeting given i couldn’t be there in person. I am not afraid of scrutiny and repeatedly answer your ‘questions’ and slurs. I have nothing to hide or fear least of all from you.
You are happy to sling around innuendo and incinuations from behind your ineffective cloak of anonymity. You should be more honest about who you are and your agenda.
Iain, surely it is everyone’s right to post anonymously if they do so wish? That person or persons may have various reasons for NOT wanting their name associated with what they are commenting on, (whistleblowers, for instance?) As this blog allows anonymous commentors, surely it is not your role (or even right), to try and “out” them?! You are trying to be clever, in a “I know who you are” way, but it comes across as petty and irrelevant. The commentors are right, you take umbridge at the slightest criticism and come out with all guns blazing! It does you no favours at all. You would be better off listening (PROPERLY LISTENING) to your critics and taking on board what they say and trying to rectify these issues, rather than attack your critics?
Changing topic …. I see there was a suggestion of siting the Information Office in the basement of the museum. This is NOT a good idea. An Information Office needs to be readily accessible to all residents and visitors, including elderly, disabled, parents with pushchairs etc. Also, locating it at ground level – in premises with large windows that allow for eye-catching displays and important information – would be helpful to both locals and visitors.
Fiona…I am sure that both locals would agree!
I notice most of ‘silenttone’s’ comments are about things that were inacted before the present group of councillor’s took office…
With the exception of a handful of LibDems that have been there since the dawn of time…
Methinks someone needs to research what actually happens at the Town Council rather than reeling off titbits of factless information that sound like Daily Mail soundbites…
Not correct Hester,
1,the Mary Portas application for funding was during the present council.
2, the £100k spent/wasted on the Guildhall scheme is also of the present council.
3. Dr Jim Halidays letter was specifically addressed to the present council.
4, It was the Guildhall committee of the present council.
(chaired by Cllr Littlejohn) who failed in their attempt to secure Lottery Funding for their project.
5, The BID proposal was driven by (and postponed by) the present town council.
Methinks someone needs to research what actually happens at the TC Hester !!
Silentone – unlike some others I don’t post on here under any aliases – I assume your previous post was in response to Helen who used her full name so deserves the courtesy of getting it right in your response.