The town council received a presentation on public art, with £141,000 available for Abingdon projects. The largest allocations are £40,000 for the Morlands Estate and £60,000 for the Dunmore Road development. Some money could also be used on art for a roundabout and refurbishing the Stratton Way underpass mural. It sounded as though the town council will set up a working group to work with the Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) arts officer.

The One Planet Abingdon group received a £5,000 grant for their work and are planning a Market Place festival on June 15th.

The Mayor announced a free discussion and film night on domestic abuse on March 8th, supporting the Reducing the Risk charity. The film will be “Gaslight” (1944). The Mayor also had a quiz on 19th January, which was fully booked.

In the written County Council Report, County Councillor Nathan Ley highlighted budget difficulties particularly with rising social care costs, staff shortages, and reliance on expensive agency staff. A 4.99% County Council tax rise is proposed, with 2% ringfenced for social care.

Residents can now dispose of some DIY waste for free at Recycling Centres by booking in advance.

A new trial of an innovative pothole repair method reduces carbon by 50%.

Construction of new south-facing slip roads for the A34 at Lodge Hill is expected to begin this summer.

A fully funded zebra crossing will be installed on Northcourt Road with a mid-February closure for construction.

One councillor also said that Councillor Nathan Ley has called a meeting about the flooding that affected parts of North Abingdon. I have not heard of a meeting for South Abingdon yet.

The VWHDC report was not available. But Councillor Neil Fawcett mentioned an additional budget for the Charter redevelopment. Engagement is planned with the town council.

The rest of the meeting was for Town Council business.

Community grants will be increased by 10% to £33,000, and £2,500 will be allocated for a feasibility study on a children’s centre in north Abingdon.

A new ten-year deal for the fair is being discussed with the operator (Bob Wilson). The fair operator suggested that the fair service be held at 4pm, after which the fair would be allowed to open on Sunday evening until 8pm.

Concerns were raised about high ticket prices for Music in the Park, which may have impacted attendance.

Work has been done on improving the path at the Hillview recreation area.

New town council signs with modern wording will be installed on council grounds.

A policy on single-use plastics in the Market Place and at events is being considered.

VWHDC Officers were positive in their feedback about the work done on the Abingdon neighbourhood plan, but said further work is needed on planning guidance.

Additional quotes are needed for expensive roundabout maintenance work. There is £20k in the new budget for such work.

£20K is also budgeted for the new speed indicators. Speed indicator signs will be  deployed and can be moved about within different locations. (If I heard right there will be 7 indicators and 14 locations.)

The infrastructure committee acknowledged children’s concerns about traffic and road safety around Caldecott School, as detailed in letters from school children. This will be forwarded to the traffic advisory committee.

Radar keys for the “space for change” toilet at the Guildhall will be available for purchase, and a trial scheme with using businesses toilets is being considered wherein businesses could get £1000 for taking part.

The budget for the Abbey Hall refurbishment will be £75,000.

Community Infrastructure Levy funds (developer funds) will be used for more projects next year.

The budget for 2024/5 was discussed. (I had to leave at this point for another meeting.) The town council papers said a 4.7% increase in the town council part of the council tax is proposed, setting the precept at £1,936,996 for 2024-25.