There was a rainbow this morning in Bridge Street – a sign of hope on the last day of 2021.
In 2022, some of the long standing problems in Abingdon Town Centre should get resolved. They include the cause of this queue of traffic.
The arches under Abingdon Bridge need strengthening, and this meant reduced traffic access. The lights have caused tail backs up Bridge Street and Stert Street and possible air quality problems.
The leaseholder of the Upper Reaches leaseholder closed and boarded-up the hotel in 2015. Since then the site has become a blot on the river entry to Abingdon. The owner, Vale of White Horse District Council, will hopefully get the leaseholder to put forward acceptable plans for the sites future in 2022,
or take back the lease.
Most of the Charter Carpark has been closed since early March 2021. The closure did cause problems for people going to the charter vaccination centre in 2021.
There are other carpark available but the new civil parking enforcement, introduced from November 1st, has increased demand for public carparks.
Good summary Backstreeter- thanks as always for your interesting blog and have a lovely new year
Happy New Year, Backstreeter – and to all you read and contribute to this blog.
The Lodge HIll interchange … when?
Traffic needing to travel to Didcot and points Southwards having to osmose throgh a gridlocked town twice every workday.
Latest statement from the County Council (early December) says “We anticipate submitting a planning application for this scheme in 2022. Prior to submission, we will hold a public exhibition to showcase the improved designs of the scheme and where we have taken public feedback from the previous consultation on board. ” This is less specific than their previous statement which said “the planning application is on track for submission within the next few months this winter (2021/2022), with a view to starting onsite works next summer/autumn.”
So it looks as if the timetable is slipping – again.
I was told that spaces would be kept in the multistory for users of the Malthouse Surgery. East St Helens car park was full and I had an appointment. I went to the multi story and the whole of the basement car park was full. There were only two people in the Malthouse so people must be parking in the multistory when they do not use the surgery. I phoned the Vale to ask when the works in the multi story would be completed but no one knew. I never see anyone working in the multi story.
Think it about time the vale came clean about the Upper Reaches site? According to the land registry they sold the hotel site about 16 years ago to Contemporary Hotels for £1.4 million! The only part of that site they still own is the car park! I wish they would stop hiding behind a lease that doesn’t exist!
Well that’s interesting because I have a copy of the land Registry info (downloaded April 2021) which shows that it was the lease not the freehold that was sold to Contemporary Hotels on 31 March 2004. The £1.4m figure is the same though.
You are right however that the Vale should be more public about what action is being taken to resolve the situation which is a disgrace to the town.
Respectfully suggest you’re looking at the wrong title? The L R entry list contemporary hotels as owner of the title, it even goes on to name the lender !
Janet: I may be wrong, but I thought that spaces in the Charter car park were only going to be actually reserved for people attending the Covid vaccination clinics, not for general surgery appointments. Of course, if the car park was fully open there probably wouldn’t be a problem…..
Sunningwell
The OCC Highways Dept has confirmed to SPC that it will be installing steps during 2022 to assist walkers in traversing the quarry bank. Pending this, the “Quarry footpath” # 372/8/10, which has been open for use since 2019, has been subject to a six month temporary closure order with effect from 7th December 2021.
That’s good news after seven years of promises. Going to be a great year 2022
Sitting in the garden of the Nags Head during the summer I noticed regular groups of teenagers visiting the Upper Reaches and then leaving after a short time. I guess it was being used as a drug dealing venue.