The ‘qs’ shop on Abingdon’s High street has had a closing down sale for the last couple of weeks.
‘qs’ were a chain of discount clothing stores, that were taken over and rebranded as ‘Store Twenty One’ in 2007.
Since then at least 75% of the stores now carry the ‘Store Twenty One’ name but not the Abingdon store which is still ‘qs’.
This Independent newspaper report says that Store Twenty One has not paid rent on some of its loss making stores and as a result “encounter a high degree of hostility from landlords”.
another shop bites the dust…….poor old Abingdon. just have a look at this facebook site and look through the photos just see how once Abingdon was a thriving town……..
https://www.facebook.com/OldAbingdon
Ghost town springs to mind – I moved here in the hope it would be like Witney, which seems to be a thriving town.
and when are they going to fill those new units? surely they would have got businesses signed up in advance before the refurb went ahead. Scottish Widows will be losing money on potential rent on those units.
Thats not the way the market works im afraid Rekw. If you think back to the orchard centre in didcot that too several years to fill.
This particular case looks to be about a store chain which is struggling rather than a specific issue with abingdon.
Sad to see another shop close, but am sorry to say but I doubt they’d even be able to give away their merchandise …….. not surprised they didn’t make a profit with the tat they sold. Who bought it anyway?
youre right it was tat
take your point Iain but how come Witney is doing well and has a smaller population?
Ive got disposable income and want to shop in Abingdon but there is nowhere to spend my money!
Witney has free parking, has recently spent on its precinct. I recently read big name stores moving in as well….
Dare I ask what rates they pay?
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Rekw2000-The empty units in the precinct. Apparently the agreement was that they would be finished so company could move in for Christmas Trading 2012. (Allegedly ‘River Island’ never confirmed). When it didn’t happen they remained ‘boarded up’ as they are now.
If they remain empty will they offer tennancy at a knock down price??.
That was Stage 1 of the refurb, still waiting for Stage 2 to show signs of starting.
Only one thing depresses me about Abingdon – that it is home to a clutch of moaning minnies who never miss an opportunity to knock the town. Get a life, guys! I go into Abingdon every day and find it full of friendly people and helpful shop assistants. The coffee shops and pubs are buzzing. The markets are lively, there is often music and free entertainment in the market place. We have an excellent library, museum, leisure centre and churches, active sports clubs, a magnificent river front, wonderful talks and walks and concerts. It’s a great place to live. To the sad whingers I say please stop smudging our brilliant Abingdon Blog with your negative tosh about ghost towns and the like. If you hate it so much, go and live somewhere else. But better still, stay here and smile. You’ll be amazed what a difference it makes.
Just remind me: Who is the MP for Witney?
I agree with Tony; Abingdon is a good place to live. It hasn’t got everything, but it offers a great deal more than I am able to take advantage of.
I really like the place, just wish there more shops that’s all. Its a great little town that deserves more.
one less shop one more reason for people to shop elsewhere that is the way it goes . This is not moaning this is a fact . I hope somebody fills this shop soon it is a very big shop and at around 70k per year for rates and rent and to sign up for a 15 year lease i can not see anyone going there fast 1 year at the moment is a risk .
Tesco are building the new market place down Marcham Road. There’s a Tesco, a Timpsons, a Virgin Travel, a mobile phone shop, an optician. …. I don’t think the Council have a clue about the Tesco strategy, which is to create ‘mini-malls’.
They’re even busing people in from Eynsham, Faringdon, Burford, etc. Tesco obviously have big ideas for the Marcham site. See this:
http://www.tesco.com/storeLocator/bus/2008.pdf
You mention this to Town Councillors and their eyes glaze as they aren’t aware of what the town’s major competition is doing. Tesco are stealing the town centre’s retail base from under the Council’s nose.
There’s an election going on today, but I don’t expect the new politicians will be any different from those who signed-off on Tesco getting the freehold, the demolition of the Market Place, the mess that’s been made of the Old Gaol (where’s the river access?) and the cock-up that’s the traffic system.
Heaven preserve us from politicians trying to look decisive. I just hope that ‘they’ don’t go ahead with spending a fortune on the Guildhall without a legitimate public mandate.
Newcomer – i dont know what you consider a legitimate public mandate to be – i thought when the public legitimately elected a council they gave it a mandate to act on their behalf in regard to the areas of responsibility of that council.
My suspicion is you may be confusing the way our democratic system actually works with the way you would like it to work.
Happy to discuss with you in the pub some time if you seriously want to discuss the guildhall project – my email address is on the council website
The concept of a mandate is comparatively recent in politics. And in local politics, it suggests that those in office have more power to do things than may in reality be the case.
This inevitably leads to disillusionment (even disgust) with those we have a elected. This is a dangerous outcome for the political health of the community.
I only vote for one candidate; my vote does not have any influence in other wards or constituencies. I do not vote for a Tory, Lib Dem, Labour or Green Council, but for a single candidate who, if elected, has to work with the others. A mandate in local government is fairly meaningless talk.
Even in national politics, it has little effect. Remember what Harold MacMillan said when asked why his policy was suddenly changed: “Events, dear boy. Events.”
National government is not very effective at managing international finance. What chance does the Council have?
Iain, When the current Council was elected spending £3.5m on the Guildhalll may have been a gleam in someone’s eye, but wasn’t something in the general consciousness. The Government has held down Council Tax for a while now as it considers that the public should be given a rest from increases in these straightened times (though its devalued the currency and bailed out the banks with largesse stolen from savers), yet it’s proposed that the Tax be increased to finance a grand plan for the Guildhall.
I know that politicians think they should be allowed to spend OUR money like a sailor on leave, but I don’t think that you have a mandate for this large increase in expenditure and taxation. You may think you have a mandate to do what you like, but you don’t …. what next, the power to raise a citizens army to make war on Didcot?
Witney had a huge amount spent on it in the years between David Cameron being elected leader of Conservative party and the last General Election…..(coincidence?)
It also has the benefit (in comparison with Abingdon) of being the biggest town in the area. As it is a bigger distance to Oxford from that area, and the A40 traffic, it becomes the central point for pulling in people from the Cotswolds, hence the better shopping and facilities.
Abingdon is only 5-10 mins from the nearest Park and Ride into Oxford, 15 mins from central Oxford car parks and 20 mins from Didcot (and Kassam stadium) facilities. This is a significant barrier to entry for many retailers and entertainment operators in respect of setting up in Abingdon – and then consider the historic issues / difficulties / costs….
Abingdon should have had a new strategy as soon as the Orchard centre in Didcot began construction, focussing on the local history and encouraging independent shops to set up; Pubs, food and a tying in of the Abbey (grounds) and river would also help to “sell” the town. A 4 way interchange at north Abingdon would ease traffic and make for better links for people getting into and out of the town.
Don’t imagine anything of the sort will ever happen though.
Hi Newcomer. I’d prefer to talk face to face on this one as its a complex ssue to argue in a discussion area (particularly with this small phone keyboard) but i’ll have a go:
You raise teo distinct issues:
1. The town council currently has the power to set the council tax relating to the services offereed. There is no real restriction around this currently. This is why you saw a 250% rise under the previous administration to fund additional services (and note zero percent which is a real terms 8% cut under the current administrstion).
The law may be aboit to change on this, which i think would be a good thing personally, which would mean the town council would need to hold a referendum to make more than a 2% increase, but this is not currently the situation.
2. The second point is around funding the guildhall. No decisions have been made by the council on whether or how to do this. We’ve set out plans which are more ambitious than our current reserves and we do not yet know what external funding we will be able to secure.
In order to try and be a bit more democratic we have held a public engagement process very early in the project to try and get a sense of how abingdonians feel about the project and how they would want to pay for it.
One option would, as you say, be to raise council tax to fund a loan. Another would be to cover tge costs of said loan theough reducing the operational subsidy (currently c£120k pa) on the guildhall. There is more risk to the latter option but personally i currently think it would be possible to eliminate this subsidy conpletely and potentially even generate a surplus. This would easily cover the cost of a loan.
The point is we have been totally transparent about these options and have solicited input from tge public. I would reiterate no decision has been taken and there is a genuine desire to hear what the public think (survey on http://www.guildhallproject.co.uk is still open).
Newcomer – i’ll note you down as someone who would prefer this project was not funded through an increase in council tax – is that a fair summary?
I hope this helps – i appreciate it is a complex issue. Please excuse any tetchiness in earlier post – i’ve spent a lot of time on this project and struggle when complex situations get reduced to short soundbites (note to self to grow a thicker skin)
Sorry about terrible typing (i can spell – honestly)
I think issues like the Guildhall project are best aired on a public forum like this wonderful facility provided by Backstreeter, which is, to my mind, a much better means of getting information over to the town’s population than anything provided by the Council.
I don’t believe matters like this should be confined to private conversations and if complex there’s an even greater argument for them to be discussed openly and at length. I’m sure that the electorate will be able to get a grip on the project if it’s explained properly.
I’m not against any of the proposals. nor do I have a problem with the various means of financing them. What I am wary of is the Council just assuming, on some unspecified date, that they’ve got carte blanche to go ahead with whatever they fancy.
In which case i hope the explaination here helps
I can’t understand those who are against any change yet but then propose different change. No town is perfect and you aren’t going to have to make do in most places so be a bit less grumpy and a bit more realistic.
Have you been into any of the pubs in town lately or driven pas the Boundary House on a sunny afternoon? When people aren’t at work they are here in Abingdon enjoying themselves shopping for food and drink.
The pull of Oxford is strong for shopping and entertainment alike but we wouldn’t be able to support all the pubs and restaurants we have here if people weren’t using them – which they obviously are!
Big shops can meet more people’s needs than lots of small shops – that’s just a fact. If you go to H&M in Witney you’ll find that they don’t sell boys clothes as they don’t have the floorspace. They sell women’s clothes some men’s and baby stuff and that’s it. That kind of half-provision isn’t what every customer wants so they will go to Reading and kill all birds with one stone.
Abingdon is starting to play to its strengths instead of trying to play a game it can’t win. That is a GOOD THING. Everyone moans about replica high streets then here you all are banging on about wanting big town shops here!
The new plans for linking the riverside with the town and improving signage and travel between then is a great idea and hopefully one the town will get behind. That combined with the new project proposed for the Guildhall completes the picture, showing that Abingdon is for enjoyment of our leisure time, not mindless shopping
I visited the Guildhall a couple of days ago, and asked at reception to see the plans and ddisplay bnoards for the projected changes to the building. I was told that the plans and boards were not in the Guildhall, and that the receptionist did not now where they cuold be seen. Not an a good start to a £3.25 million project.Surely a space could be found in the building to display this information . Please dont refer me to the postage stamp sized leaflet information.
Im very sorry about this D Smith – they should still be up in the Guildhall. Im down there later on today and will find put what has happened here.
Again my apologies for this
Hi D Smith – i can confirm that the display is now up in the lower lobby of the guildhall and available for public viewing. Apologies for confusion on your previous visit.
The website http://www.guildhallproject.co.uk is also still up and running if you are not able to get into town easily.
Iain, Thanks for that. Now at least people will be able to view the project details in a larger format and make up their mind for or against.
Smith D Against is an odd thing to say about this kind of proposal as nothing can be worse than leaving it as it is. In what kind of world is choosing not to have a cinema and ground level access a bad idea?
Oops, in my comment above I meant to say “In what kind of world is choosing not to have a cinema and ground level access a good idea?”
I must have been having a Miliband moment!
Abingdon is in a much stronger position than many similar sized towns and has been for many years.
I agree with the many positive comments about the ‘buzz’ in the town, the regular free entertainment , Saturday market place events etc.
For food and drink, during the day and in the evening, we are blessed with a tremendous and good quality range.
We have an excellent range of independent shops, though there is a serious issue with the general retail offer and with the traffic problems.
This is partly just down to the reality of the town. With limited access across the rivers, and no lrage empty sites to redevelop for retail as Didcot and Witney had, we haven’t been able to go in that direction.
As far as the Guildhall is concerned, I broadly support the project as currently set out, and I think Rachel – the other one’s point is clear: who would be against a cinema and level access?
The key issue will be the funding. There is obviously a lot more work to be done on this, but if it does end up meaning a significant rise in council tax I think the TC should make sure it has the support of council tax payers before going ahead.