The Roysse Room has been repainted and revarnished, and was open for the Abingdon-on-Thames Annual Parish Meeting – a chance for England’s newly renamed Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council to present what has happened in the past year and their vision …
The new leader of the council, Sandy Lovatt, told us a bit about his philosophy, and explained how the local economy is built on three independent supports: the social, the cultural, and the economic – represented by the three legs of a stool.
We then had a presentation by NewRiver Retail Ltd who run the Abbey Shopping Centre on behalf of Scottish Widows.
NewRiver Retail look after 14 shopping centres for Scottish Widows, two of which are under their direct control: Abingdon and Crewe.
They had a progress report on the phase 1 redevelopment of the Abbey Shopping Centre in Abingdon… contractors have taken up residence in unit 10 and will start work in April 2012 – a slight delay for legal reasons.
The work should be completed by November – prior to Christmas. Along with other architectural improvements, five smaller units are being knocked down to make two larger shops providing the sort of floor space to attract national fashion retailers.
After the presentation, questions came about phase 2 – the redevelopment of the Charter. This would involve relocating the library (cultural) and health centre (social possibly) to make way for a new big anchor store (economic). The anchor store would bring in the money to make phase 2 happen. But people in the audience were asking the serious question as to whether this is the best thing for the future of Abingdon (socially and culturally and economically).
Just to say that in my opinion I think people would probably prefer a department store (John Lewis, Debenhams, M&S) as an anchor but NewRiver Retail said the economic reality is that it would be a supermarket.
I think that the ‘yet another supermarket’ news is sad. As an enthusiastic supporter of the small local shops in the town, I think that a supermarket spells doom for many of them……and possibly for the social and cultural aspects of a small town centre. After all, town centres where people WALK AROUND from shop to shop, provide a social setting for all sorts of activities and opportunities for people to meet, have a chat and a coffee etc. The ‘plastic-conveyor-belt trolley dash does not. Sad news indeed.
If the idea of another supermarket in central Abingdon is true, I for one cannot understand the need. We have a number of them already, the traffic flow coming in and out of town will be awful (to add to the ABITS disaster), and the smaller traders will suffer.
I don’t understand when NewRiver Retails say, ‘the economic reality is that it would be a supermarket’. Why does it have to be that way?. If major stores are attracted to forthcoming Phase 2 of Didcot and the Westgate development in Oxford, then why does the solution in Abingdon have to be a supermarket.
The department store idea was addressed by the New River guy in his presentation. He said the cold fact is that a department store wouldn’t pay to be in Abingdon, whereas a supermarket will. He gave the example of Newbury, where the town have had to pay Debenhams £4m to locate there.
I think the real choice here is do we want to leave the charter pretty much as it is (and face the likelihood that we still get a third big supermarket anyway but out of town) or do we allow new river to redevelop the charter area which will need to include a supermarket to make the investment viable for them.
I heartily agree (and always have) with Cassandra and Richmond. Was there any local support for the ‘supermarket’ plan? Won’t it just bring people in to shop there and then drive off again?
John S
It’s not a case of the town wanting a supermarket/superstore, it’s a case of what will get the regeneration going. The Town Council cannot force a certain type of store in there, they can only accept who will offer to go there.
For me one of the sad bits in the Parish meeting last night was the news that, for the second year running, Abingdon will not be entering the “Britain in Bloom” competition.
Now let me say outright that I am no gardener, and I do not much enjoy flower displays. But I know a lot of people who do, including some who travel around the country visiting towns that do well in Britain in Bloom (and, coincidentally, investing in the local economy as they do so).
Given all the hype about rebranding Abingdon to attract more people to the town, I think this was a no-brainer, and would potentially raise the profile of the town far more than a name change.
I know this is a busy year, but EVERY year is busy for some reason or another. I know that gardening enthusiasts in the town will be disappointed, and potentially we will lose a number of visitors to the town because of this decision.
if you ran John Lewis., would you build a new store in the Abingdon precinct?
the days when people shopped within half a mile of their home are long gone – people will never stop buying stuff, they simply change how they do – there’s no right or wrong way, i’ve yet to hear any valid argument as to why a street in the middle of town is somehow better than another arrangement.
A supermarket, as other posters have said, will add absolutely zero footfall and trade to the rest of the town centre. It will just add extra traffic in an already congested area. What NewRiver really mean is “a supermarket will generate us a nice fat rental without us having to build anything more than a big tin shed with a loading dock out the back”… simples. BTW where the heck do they get the 4m to “attract” Debenhams to Newbury b/s from ???? ….they were already in Newbury in the Kennet centre which also had a big Sainsburys in it BEFORE they decided being in the centre of the town in a shopping mall was NOT the place to be…. is there a lesson there ?
It looks like Bury St and the Charter are going to be essential shops ie chemists, opticians, supermarkets, newsagents, and library and medical centre. So accept this, put an elegant gateway to all this in the market place (something like the facade of the old corn exchange and concetrate on developing the ‘on Thames’ vision or wish, and work on making the old town down to the river more attractive to visitors. Perhaps with a footbridge over the Thames near the end of Caldecot road, a tourist use for the Nags Head pub, thus making little ‘Abingdon on Thames’.
It looks like major stores will not come to Abingdon with Oxford only a 15 min bus ride away. They didn’t want to come to Fairacres, or stay there.
As someone who comes from a big city, I think that in many ways Abingdon suffers from being too close to Oxford. there is no need for duplicating a department store when most people are happy to drive or park and ride or use the bus to get to one in Oxford. It feels like half of Abingdon goes either north or south every day for work so people are accustomed to these short-ish journeys and will do certain shopping elsewhere.
The changes in Witney have happened because it is a good way away from Oxford and serves a wider community further to its west. We have Oxford to the north and Didcot to the south so we don’t need to have so many things in our own town that are already elsewhere.
Having also heard a presentation by NewRiver last year it was obvious that they live and breathe retail and they know what they are talking about. The reason why a supermarket would choose to come to the town is that what people do buy locally regardless of what is on offer in neighbouring towns, is food.
Townsfolk who think that just saying no, and no, and no to supermarkets will mean that the ‘desired’ retailer appears by magic misunderstand how the world works.
Neither Abingdon nor NewRiver can force a particular company to take up residence: it is not our decision to make. A company will look at all kinds of data before deciding whether it is worth being here or not.
Whatever happens, everyone will need to stop whingeing and vote with their feet by staying here and shopping here to keep the town alive.
A small personal note: I want to buy socks and undies for my girls in town like I used to without having to drive to Tesco. Even QS is letting me down on that front now which is a bit irksome. A bigger clothes retailer would solve that problem!
Well said Rachel – I had to drive to Bicester to get a new suit the other week so am looking forward to some new retailers arriving later in the year. Lots of us don’t want to drive to other towns to shop – just need more choice in Abingdon.
True but I don’t think that a massive new Sainsbury’s is going to offer more choice? I read the consultation report thoroughly and, although I cannot bring the exact wording to mind, I seem to remember that it said that ‘the convenience goods on offer in the town centre was limited in terms of quantity and quality,. How much food can we eat?
The challenge is that when supermarkets look at tge capacity of a town they look at how big the town is and how many other large stores are already there. The calculation for Aningdonis that we’re big enough with our 35000 people to allow three large supermarkets to make money.
Given it is attractive for a supermarket to locate here we have three choices:
– let them set up out of town
– bring them into the centre
– try and resist their arrival full stop
I think tee first option would be awful for the town so it’s really one of tee last two I think. We can all describe the situations we’d like to see but John Lewis aren’t coming nor any other department store so let’s debate tge real choices not the one we’d like to have.
First and foremost…the redecorated Roysse Room looks great!
But moving on…looking at the first photo – is that really just a handful of people at this meeting? Maybe the room is packed…does anyone know? I can’t tell from the angle. I could kick myself for missing this meeting…and I’ll take it on the chin that that was my fault…but I have to ask, how well was this advertised? Where was it advertised, and for how long before the event?
As an aside, is there any way that these meetings could be “advertised” on this wonderful blog? Is there a ‘mailing list’ we can join from all the councils so we can be informed these things are happening (or, better still, are GOING to happen)?
I am so angry that the council unveiled it’s “vision”! How can they have a vision??? Erm, excuse me…what vision? WHOSE vision? Our vision – the residents…or your vision? Why of why, or when oh when will someone please ask the bloomin residents what they want!? What WE envision for OUR town? The councils vision, at BEST will be flawed…and at worst will be trying to take the town in a direction totally different to what 44000 residents may actually want! They’ll never know! I tell you, a stool with FOUR legs would be a darn sight more stable…you’re missing your COMMUNITY there Sandy!
As has been mentioned by others; NewRiverRetail want nothing more than to make as much money as possible. Full stop. What that may, or may not do for Abingdon appears to be of no consequence. How dare someone tell us that this is what they are going to do…without first seeking what public opinion may be (and fair enough…perhaps it IS a supermarket)….thanks for pointing out the economic realities NRR, I do apologise for being stupid!
Here’s a crazy idea…how’s about someone sets about tying to harness this wonderful opportunity of redevelopment and spend, 50…or 45…or £40million on something the town DOES want, rather than £53m on something we don’t! I would rather the right development happened, for less, than the wrong development…for more. Is Tesco (or whoever) going to “get the gig” on the proviso they pay for a second river crossing (the one that the failed AbITS was supposed to)? I doubt it, but at least it may sweeten the bitter pill being stuffed down our gullets.
Incidentally…why has someone been allowed to let that part of the failed AbITS plan to be reneged upon!!? Oh yes, that’s right…we’re stupid, we won’t notice.
I am astonished that with the fantastic opportunity before us, the most money that this town is likely to have spent on it in a generation…that there is no, NO unified thinking behind what the town needs, what it wants and where it’s headed. Everyone’s beavering away independently on virtuous projects…but to what end!? I don’t think these are all steps in the right direction. With no goal, or plan…they’re just…steps. And now it’s too bloomin late! Could you imagine how the Redevelopment, Old Gaol, free parking, Jubilee, Abbey Meadow, County Hall…what an opportunity to have some kind of 2012 AbingdON! Campaign…tied in with the rename etc etc…goodness…it doesn’t take Mary Portas or expensive consultants to come up with ideas! Blimey.
It’s crazy. The development is supposed to be a wonderful and exciting opportunity…but already, you can just tell exactly where it’s headed. Next there’ll be public meetings where people can’t speak…and there’ll be decisions made behind closed doors…and maybe they’ll even blackout the windows – and I wonder where all that’s happened before…!
Perhaps you should stand for election Doozer?
…and to add to a couple of Doozers specific queries.
I’d estimate somewhere between 50 and 75 preppie were there last night.
It was advertised on the council website, several notice boards around town, appeared in small articles in both (I think – but may only have been one) local newspapers and in the town crier which was delivered to every house in the parish. I think that’s a pretty reasonable effort really.
People not preppie – bl***y autocorrect – sorry
I thought that you might have mentioned that the room was full. However, although I knew that the meeting was taking place, I checked the town council website expecting to see it heralded on the home page and I could see no mention. Perhaps it is worth mentioning that this meeting is less formal, and perhaps more ‘informative’ than the town council AGM which, incidentally, is on 9 May. There, now you all know.
Iain – looks like our messages crossed. More like 50 I would say.
…Iain…no one agrees with me.
Regarding your comment #13; I fear you are not thinking “out of the box” enough andso I will have to disagree with you.
It comes back to The AA (The Abingdon Aspiration)…if that were sorted, then there are plenty of ideas why ‘Out of Town’ is best – if at all, of course…
well that is a brilliant turn out Iain! As I said, it was my fault i missed it!
*Note to self – keep an eye out for meeting notices, whilst walking round muttering to myself about how to improve Abingdon!
Doozer – I agree with a lot of what you say, but re your “aside” can I remind you that lots of people have been trying really hard to improve the publicity about what is going on in Abingdon. Apart from the Town Council’s own advertising there is the largely volunteer-run Abingdon Diary – now on the Choose Abingdon website – also the Events page on the Town Council site and the Abingdon Facebook page; also for those who are on Twitter, lots of events are promoted there. And yes, I know not everyone gets all their information online, but there are several noticeboards around the town, the new screen in Peter Wiblin’s newsagent and notices in the library, Mostly Books etc etc; and the next “Whats on” leaflet will come through every door in Abingdon around 1 April with Round & About.
PS Have just checked and Wednesday’s meeting had a quarter-page box in Town Crier – which also goes to every house in town!
Hi Hester, many thanks…It is entirely my fault I missed this meeting! I have noticed all the hard work and do appreciate the increase in publicity of events … I often mull over the quandry you once posed me “how would YOU improve communications”…and I still have no tangible solutions! Thank goodness that other people are coming up with better ways of publicising than me!
I read all of the above with interest – particularly the economic forecast that a town of 35000 can support 3 large supermarkets. It got me thinking. I have moved from a city where the population is currently 250000. It only has 3 supermarkets, none of which is as big as the Tesco here. So we shall see. I shall continue to support the small retailers in the town for as long as they survive.
Incidentally, in the centre of the city to which I refer, there are no supermarkets (except one Smallish Tesco Express). But people flock in to shop – it does have an M and S however.!!
I don’t know about you but I and many others I speak to are crying out for more decent clothes shops in Abingdon (particularly gents), to get a good selection we have no option but to go to Oxford / Reading etc. I would far rather cycle into Abingdon saving time and petrol.
I don’t understand why Next (for example) will set up in Didcot but not a decent plot in Abingdon?
we’ve had months of “consultation” about this; overwhelmingly and correctly in my view it’s madness to have a Didcot or Wantage-style Sainsbury’s, but has anything changed?
Congrats. to the blog anyway; at least there’s some sort of Abingdon debate, unlike the Herald!