The building previously known as New Abbey Court is being converted from offices into a total of 32 flats. The original planning application for this building submitted in 2013 was more radical and involved a rebuild, and was objected to by a number of local people including the Friends of Abingdon Civic Society.
The new plans do not change the look of the buildings apart from creating an additional entrance from Old Station Yard. The scaffold has been put up to allow the external building to be given a facelift.
There will only be parking for three cars and so most of the new tenants will either not have cars or need somewhere to park in the town centre. The approved plans for 32 flats can be seen at P17/V2427/PDO. Some of the flats do look quite small – they start from 31 square metres. Further plans for the minor external changes were submitted earlier this month.
New Abbey Court contained a number of offices round a gated courtyard, and was built in the mid 1980s, after 55-59 Stert Street were demolished. I believe The Abbey Press was at number 57 for some time; Burgess (Abingdon) Ltd were at number 55 until 1961. Then number 55 was converted to a shop called Deaney’s – possibly furniture. The Registrar and Public Assistance offices were at number 59 for some time.
There is also work in Winsmore lane to convert the old electricity board building into a residence
It’s obvious that of the … dunno …. 50+ new tenants living in these flats only three of them will want to own a car, so parking should not be a problem.
Was that (New Abbey Court) Carter’s toys shop or Pickets Electrical?
The people who already live in Abingdon dread new housing without parking spaces as people then park outside other residents houses taking up their parking spaces in already congested streets.
50 apartments that means between 60 and 100 extra cars to park. Good reason to make St Helen’s a 2 or 3 storey car park. Or make the Waitrose car park multi storey.
I wasn’t allowed to extend my little house without providing provision for an ‘extra car’.
It is reassuring to know that “the little man” has obstacles and constraints put in their way to try and improve their lot – even if mediocre. Yet Mr Developer can, pretty much, do what they want.
To be fair Janet, unless its a permit controlled residents area, then the space outside other residents houses is hardly’ their’ parking.. Its available to all… public road and all that ‘ya know’…
Having said that, quite how these plans get thro without a proper plan to accommodate the extra parking need is a mystery to me. Suggesting there wont be at least 50 more cars looking for somewhere to park is just fantasy.
But then, I never understood how Nimmo Smith’s dream of moving a crossing 50 yards would alleviate the jam problems on the Drayton Road, and look how wrong we all were there….
It will be the public car parks that feel the pressure. As parking is free from 6pm to 8am in West St Helens car park, for example, it is a very popular for residents in central Abingdon, without a garage or parking space to leave their cars overnight there after coming home from work. The problem is that there are therefore fewer and fewer parking places available for Abingdon residents to park for the evening while coming to a concert, a film or a restaurant meal . There is a real problem quietly brewing . . . . . .
Here we have a short run of responses on this subject that show an infinitely greater understanding of this parking issue that the combined ‘intellects’ of all the local planning personnel and politicians who considered this planning application.
I think this came under the ‘permitted development ‘ system which allowed the conversion of offices into flats without the full rigour of the normal planning process.
The existing building was unlovely however parking & traffic remain the no 1 problem
What is wrong with town planners? Can’t they see the problems this will cause? Keep the town centre for retail and commercial only and residential outside. Mixing houses amongst shops and businesses doesn’t work.
3 parking spaces –
Su – there was actually a full planning application but it was still approved!
I doubt whether there will be many retailers left in the centre of Abingdon soon, the footfall is so poor shops have closed and the council appear to have very little to say on the matter, insþead of innovations to improve things.