(Picture shows General William Booth visiting Abingdon)
There weren’t many of us at the Town Council meeting last night – just nine councillors, two officers, me in the audience, and Revd Georgina Bondzi-Simpson, who opened the meeting with a prayer.

Revd Georgina shared a short story about General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. When he was too unwell to attend their annual meeting, he sent a one-word telegram to sum up his message: ‘Others.’ She reminded us that this is what council work is all about – serving others.

The meeting itself was relaxed. Each committee chair gave a brief update on their work, and the Mayor shared her recent engagements. One that stood out was a Dementia Awareness event, where she was reminded of simple ways to help – like reintroducing yourself each time you meet someone with memory loss, rather than assuming they remember you.

County Council Update
A consultation is being planned for new parking zones near the town centre, including the Fitzharry’s Estate and the Ock Street / Conduit Road area.

Plans to improve the Bridge Street/High Street junction are moving forward and will go to public consultation (maybe next year). One councillor commented that, after the disruption caused by the sinkhole and recent temporary lights, it’s important any future works happen during off-peak times.

The roadworks at the top of Oxford Road and the fines issued (as mentioned previously) were also noted.

District Council Update
The Vale of White Horse District Council report highlighted frustrations around the North Abingdon developments. Ongoing issues haven’t been helped by staffing shortages and the focus on the new Local Plan, which has meant regular liaison meetings with developers haven’t been taking place.

(Picture shows the old Market Place notice board that got moved to a side area when the Market Place was repaved in 2006)
Environment Committee
A new double-sided noticeboard for the Market Place is going ahead. There’s a £7,000 budget, as installation may involve digging near utilities. Care is being taken not to block shop fronts.

Around 2,500 trees have been planted in Abingdon since 2022.

Bus shelters were discussed. Those on Preston Road are in poor condition but little used, so the focus will be on replacing shelters on High Street and adding a new one on Stratton Way. The County Council has already installed a new shelter on Langley Road.

The town now has a trained staff member responsible for maintaining bus shelters. One councillor said the mess under some shelters gives a bad impression of the town; another noted that clearing the ground isn’t always the town council’s responsibility.

Community Committee
Music in the Park ticket sales are ahead of last year at this stage (550 vs. 200).

Grants were awarded to Heritage Open Day and Oxford Wood Recycling. Unfortunately, One Planet Abingdon missed out this time.

A grant request from the Rugby Club for new women’s and girls’ changing facilities was passed to the Finance Committee, as it could qualify for developer funding (CIL).

The recent Clubs and Societies Day was a success, and the new staff structure is helping events run more smoothly.

Finance Committee
The rugby club grant was agreed in principle but needs final sign-off at the next meeting.

The current auditor will continue for another five years, following a review.

A working group is being formed to look at potential local government reorganisation. To avoid conflicts of interest, councillors who also serve at District or County level won’t be included.

A new Emergency Plan – covering pandemics, flooding, severe weather and more – was approved. While emergency planning is mainly a County and District responsibility, the town council will support them as needed.

Planning Committee
On the North Abingdon development, there were questions about how many homes can be occupied before traffic improvements (like those on the A34) are completed. It appears there hasn’t been close coordination between developers and the district council:
* Kingsgate is almost finished, with the last few homes and paths being completed.
* Abbey Fields (David Wilson Homes) is sold out and finished, with Barratt now building the final dozen homes.
* Radley Reach is progressing, with an estimated 50–60 homes built so far.

The primary school planned for the North Abingdon development may not be built until it’s deemed necessary. Since there are still places available in current schools, one councillor suggested it might not be built until 2028 or 2029.

On the proposed reservoir, councillors attended compaction trials and questioned Thames Water representatives, but felt they didn’t receive proper answers.

I had to leave the meeting at that point. The last item was due to be a discussion on the weir walkway, with the council planning to write to the Environment Agency to ask for a clear timeline when it can be made safe and reopen. I expect that was agreed – with strong wording.