Blog Action Day – Inequality

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Blog Action Day - Inequality
Pictured at the height of summer, Mark’s wildflower meadow, at the bottom of St Ethelwold’s garden, was named after a young man who starved to death after his benefits were cut.

Atos, the company in charge of assessing whether a lot of vulnerable people like Mark should return to work or loose their benefits, lost their government contract by mutual consent. Atos could not make a profit from the contract, and the government received too many complaints about the way cases were handled.
Blog Action Day - Inequality
Autumn is now here and just a few flowers remain among the fallen leaves in Mark’s Garden.

The contract will go to a new company in the Spring. A private company needs to make a profit. The government has a political agenda and targets. So it will always be difficult to assess individuals like Mark, who have complex needs, within such a set up where time is money.

This is a contribution to the Blog Action Day on the Theme of Inequality.

More Land for Houses Round Abingdon

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This evening at Wantage there is Vale of White Horse District Council (VWHDC) Meeting where the updated draft local plan (2013 – 2031) will be discussed.

This evening’s Council Meeting will be the first chance for most Abingdon District Councillors to challenge the change from 610 to 1000 houses for North Abingdon.
More Houses for Abingdon
In the original draft plan put out for public consultation in February 2013 there were no major housing developments planned for Abingdon.

After that the UK Government told Oxfordshire to take many more houses.

And so in February 2014 a new plan was published with 610 new houses in North Abingdon, removing that land from the Green Belt. They are the westerly 3 red areas on the google map above.
More Houses for Abingdon
They included the circus field,
More Houses for Abingdon
and fields either side of Tilsley Park – very close to the A34 in places.
More Houses for Abingdon
Now in October 2014 the new draft plan has proposed removing more land from the green belt for housing and is offering a Lodge Hill A34 Diamond Interchange to help take the additional traffic. That does depend on the UK Government allowing such an interchange.

The Draft Plan says “One site, North Abingdon, has been extended east of the A4183 into land not initially recommended for Green Belt release in the Green Belt review. An expanded site at North Abingdon would better support provision of a new primary school and help fund the A34 south facing slips at Lodge Hill, as well as helping to meet needs arising in the largest settlement where there are limited alternative opportunities for sustainable growth.

The plan has already been recommended by the VWHDC Cabinet, who met on 3rd October, and if agreed by this evening’s meeting will go out for 6 weeks public consultation and then to the Secretary of State for independent examination.

Ock Street Pizza Madness

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Ock Street Pizza Madness
I loved pizzas long before I’d ever tried one thanks to the Mad Magazine’s depiction of what was just an American phenomena.
Ock Street Pizza Madness
But pizza madness has come to Abingdon with two major chains facing each other across Ock Street.
Ock Street Pizza Madness
Both currently have an offer of £7.99 for any size pizza if collected (* condition applies, this is October 2014).
Ock Street Pizza Madness
Whereas Dominos would get people to dress up as dominos and wave at you from traffic roundabouts, Pizza Hut uses a mobile billboard to tell you about their offer.