Anyone whose green wheelie bin day should have been emptied on Friday 25th will have to wait until Tuesday 29th because Friday 25th is Christmas Day. I found that out on the White Horse DC website.
The web site also has a news release from 22nd December, titled Cabinet decision on Old Abbey House accepted by watchdog. The decision on the future of Old Abbey House was made on 4th December and will not be announced until the new year. The Council’s Scrutiny Committee found on 15th December the process to be fair, and no information was unduly kept from the public and they asked for complete transparency in communicating the decision where possible.
The council also have New Covid-19 grants available now for pubs.
We are asked to Protect friends and family this Christmas and help stop the spread of Covid-19 and so there will be no great Christmas getaway this year.
A lot of people have already finished work for Christmas, but key workers in the health service and care homes work throughout.
The mid winter so far has been bleak because of the national news but not frosty. There were snowdrops outside Old Abbey House today.
There was a lot of rain today, and somebody said to me that it was lovely weather for ducks. Curious as to whether it really was so lovely I went to ask a couple. I did not get a reply – not a single quack. I have no Christmas quackers to report this year.
I have seen reports of Spring flowers here as well. Unually warm för a long time now.
In relation to Old Abbey House, it is sad to see that the Vale Councillors have concluded that “no information was unduly kept from the public”. Despite repeated requests from the Civic Society, the only information given to the public during the last 18 months was a press release in July saying that they planned to “test the property market to see if there are likely to be any potential buyers and, in parallel, is in discussion with local group Friends of Abingdon Civic Society to see if there are any suitable community uses that could give the building a new lease of life”; less than 3 weeks later, during which no discussions took place, the Council told the Civic Society that they could no longer talk to them. No further information has been made public and a Freedom of Information request from the Civic Society elicited little of any substance.
It will be interested to see what the commitment to “ complete transparency” in future communications looks like.
Just to clarify, The Veils scrutiny committee is funded / working for …who?
The Vale Scrutiny Committee is made up of VWHDC Councillors, and chaired by the Conservative Leader of the Opposition. It is funded by, and working for, the district council.
So, does that reassuringly mean that team at The Veil responsible for ensuring that The Veil is held to account and proper scrutiny is in fact also The Veil itself?
Does this mean The Veil pays the same people twice as well?
Anyway. I feel in safe hands.
I saw a daffodil in bloom yesterday
The Vale has abondoned South Abingdon. The post office closed after around 40 years and we no longer have a fish and chip shop. We now have to travel to the Co-op post office to post a letter. The Vale has done nothing for South Abingdon.
Not sure if you’ve seen those red things around Janet…well you can post a letter in those!
@ Janet: they built 169 new houses…. 😉
Wishing Alistair and all other regulars a wonderful Christmas. This blog is invaluable and we learn so much from it. May your Christmas be good, and your 2021 better
Thank you so much for all the wonderful pictures and information throughout the year. Please keep up the good work. We do appreciate it.