Shutters Still Down

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Shutters Still Down
Frend & Co the Jeweller have a notice in the window saying that they are continuing to do work while they look for new premises.

The shutters have been down for nearly a month now, and the landlord has had the premises for sale – with vacant possession – for quite a bit longer. The Carter Jonas website says “The property is situated in the heart of Abingdon Town Centre near the junction of West St Helen Street and High St, adjacent to the Town’s new main Post Office premises and recently redeveloped Co-operative supermarket.

Abingdon is an attractive Thames side market town, which benefits from good road communications via the A34 …”

Frends were one of the first shops to open in the precinct in 1966. The business moved to West St Helen Street in 2007, to where where Glendales used to be.

For now it is sad to see the loss of one of the well established town centre businesses – although they could well be back.

Town Council Planning Meeting – Postponed from Yesterday because of WWI Commemoration

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There was a lot on the agenda for yesterday’s Town Council planning committee meeting, and Councillors were also involved in the WWI commemoration, and so it was decided to postpone the meeting until this evening.
Town Council Planning Meeting
65 Oxford Road was on the agenda twice.

There was letter ‘for information’ from The Vale of White Horse Planning Department addressed to the architect of the developers saying that cutting down the trees without permission could have resulted in a range of penalties. But that the planning department would take no further action this time as there are more serious cases needing their departments limited resources.

Orchard Development Ltd have submitted new plans for two new dwelling on the same plot as an alternative to the other plans. A developer can submit any number of plans for the same plot if they want.
Town Council Planning Meeting
There were also re-submitted plans for 55-59 Stert Street and Abbey Court. The previous plans had been withdrawn because of opposition, and the revised plans are intended to be more in keeping with the area. The proposed frontage no longer looks like ‘the red light district in Amsterdam’ as one Councillor put it. But the Town Council planning committee still recommended refusal on the grounds that the new buildings are overbearing and out of keeping with the area.
Town Council Planning Meeting
There was also the re-submission of altered plans for 159 Houses off the Drayton Road. Again the Town Council committee recommended refusal because of traffic, road safety, and other concerns. Public comments can be made on the Drayton Road plans until 13th August. See P14/V1196/FUL.

The Town Council is a consultee on planning, and actual decisions will be made by the Vale of White Horse District Council at a future planning meeting.

I did advertise this meeting beforehand and members of the public did turn up wanting a say. I should have said this was a Council Meeting and that the public normally need to request to speak beforehand. Fortunately there were not too many of us and it worked out alright thanks to the Chairman.

Centenary of the Start of World War One – The Great War

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Start of World War One
Earlier this evening there was a book signing of the new book ‘Abingdon in the Great War’ at the opening of the ‘Abingdon at War’ exhibition at Abingdon Museum.

Throughout the evening people at St Helen’s Church have been reading the names of the 1336 men from Abingdon who served
Start of World War One
and the 205 who died in the Great War. We were reminded that Abingdon back then had a population of just 6,800.

That was followed by a Candlelit Vigil round the War Memorial where all victims, of all wars, past and present, were remembered.

This was part of the national ‘Lights Out’ commemoration where people were invited to turn off their lights for an hour until 23:00, the time war was declared in 1914, and light a candle. (Thanks to Elizabeth for sending the final picture.)