There will be an Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council Meeting this evening. I am unable to attend, but here’s a breakdown of the key points from the meeting agenda and council papers. The papers can be viewed at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Agenda-Town-council-20.3.24-2.pdf
Abingdon VWHDC District Councillors’ Reports:
* The council objected to the Thames Water price hike.
The VWHDC council’s business included:
* Public toilet charging (20p contactless, free with RADAR key) to reduce vandalism.
* Local plan to 2041 consultation.
* Care home/nursery and housing development proposals near Aldi.
* Brown bin garden waste scheme (stickered bins only will be collected).
* Ward boundary changes (Abingdon likely to have 1 councillor fewer due to slower population growth).
Town Council Committee Discussions:
Community Committee:
* Reviewed grant applications.
* Discussed museum management.
* Agreed to set up a public art working group.
* Approved a new 10-year Michaelmas Fair contract with opening on Sunday afternoon after a 3pm fair service.
Environment Committee:
* Praised outdoor services team, especially for bad weather work (including Hillview path relaying).
* Discussed installing new signs on council land.
* Agreed to improve Chaunterell Way and Masefield Close play areas.
* Discussed installing a container at Chaunterell Way for EA temporary flood barriers (£5k allocation).
Infrastructure Committee:
* Approved a new public toilet scheme with participating businesses (sign already displayed in Coffee Aroma).
* Discussed the number 41 bus service (funded by the Town Council).
* Discussed updating the neighbourhood plan due to the Local Plan 2041 consultation.
* Finalised locations for speed indicator signs.
Finance Committee:
* Will develop a new strategic plan, starting with a strategy day for councillors.
* Will care for two road roundabouts for a year.
Other:
An updated flag policy for the County Hall Museum is available at https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Item-14-Flag-policy-Town-council-20.3.24.pdf.
The council will discuss NHS provision in Abingdon due to population growth and strain on GP practices, dentists, and urgent care. The council will then find the best way to urge the Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board to increase NHS provision, and publicise their concerns.
P.S. If anybody does go and can give me an update to this report, the meeting is at 7 pm in the Old Magistrates Court.
It is a shame that the Vale are charging for public loos but if it solves the problem then all for the good!
£100,000 per year for the Vale to work out who is eligible (paying) for a brown bin collection.
Amazon manage to deliver to the right house(s) every day on the street I live on without the need to place stickers doors (or bins).
Does it really cost that much to (automatically) create a route for a collection lorry to drive based on registered subscribers.
Are we all being taken for a ride (to the nearest landfill?) given the brown bin collection already costs £60 per subscriber/ bin per year?
There’s money in waste, but it doesn’t appear to be staying in the Vale…
Replying to myself (sorry) but at £60 per brown bin and £100k per year for a “sticker” scheme, 1667 Vale residents need to subscribe to brown bins to pay for the stickers alone. This does not include labour, fuel, vehicle maintenance, treatment, administration, direct debit (the only way to pay) fees imposed by the banks, etc. to actually collect our garden waste.
Offering to “solve the problem” for 100k sounds akin to an MP offering to provide Covid gowns, masks and PPE as a favour to us all, whilst our politicians wave it through on a nod…
I agree. For the odd person who might try to abuse the system by not paying, these sums of money are ridiculous. Sledgehammer and nut come to mind. And I hope those stickers are very sticky.
We all know that the G P Surgeries are full to capacity and yet planning permission was given for thousands of new houses.
Blame your beloved Tories then who ordered the council to approve the housing developments.