Part of the retaining wall, and the bridge, at the Upper Reaches site in Abingdon are in need of repair to prevent further damage.
The freehold of the site is owned by Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC), inherited from Abingdon Borough Corporation after local government reorganization in 1974. In 1969, Abingdon Borough Council granted a 125-year lease, which still has 69 years to run. The current leaseholder, Contemporary Hotels Ltd., closed the hotel in June 2015, ten years ago, and is responsible for repairs and maintenance.
The Upper Reaches is part of the Central Abingdon Regeneration Framework (CARF), which aims to see the site redeveloped. In the past the leaseholder, through the Oxford Mail, has suggested redeveloping the site as hotel and residential. 69 years on a lease may not be seen as very long for any redevelopment, although it is a very long time for the site to remain derelict.
The lease can only be terminated early by mutual agreement between VWHDC and the leaseholder, and any plans for redevelopment need to be agreed between the lease holder and VWHDC.
The annual parish meeting is tomorrow (26/03/2025 at 19:00 – 21:00) at the Roysse Room in the Guildhall. This meeting ends with a time to ask questions about the town. Although the Town Council no longer has responsibility for the Upper Reaches they may still be asked to raise concerns with VWHDC on behalf of residents about this and other matters such as lack of progress with the unstable building on West St Helen Street.
The failure of Contemporary Hotels Ltd to look after the site is a scandal. If they don’t want to fulfil their responsibilities, they should be regularly challenged at their AGMs. You would have thought that ten years of inactivity was far too long in anyone’s books – but not, apparently, in theirs. What a tragedy!
This looks like damage that can’t be left to get worse and the freeholder may now have a much stronger (safety) case to legally enforce the leaseholder to pay some very expensive repair bills, perhaps expensive enough for the freeholder to reconsider their position.
The Friends of Abingdon have been pressing the Vale on this for some time. Last summer they instructed the leaseholder to make the necessary repairs and we were told in the autumn that all the necessary permissions are in place and contractors have been appointed. By then of course the river level was too high (!) but we have been assured that work will start soon…..
Last summer, Contemporay Hotels sold the White Hart Hotel in Lincoln.
Both pictured items have been like that for a while since last year at least. The brickwork at the foot of the carpark access bridge supports have been decaying for quite some time longer.
The whole place is a disgusting eyesore that needs to somehow be brought back to life as at present as you enter the town from that direction or pass on the river it is the worst advert Abingdon could have discouraging rather than encouraging passing trade.