A ‘Big Step Forward’ with ‘Ambitious’, ‘Innovative’, ‘Ground-Breaking’ Joint Local Plan

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A plan for the future of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, the first joint plan, is now ready for six weeks of public review. It plans for housing, jobs, and infrastructure needs up to 2041 and will supersede the existing separate plans that go to 2031.

The plan prioritises existing developments, protecting greenfield sites. The only proposed expansion is at Dalton Barracks near Abingdon owned by the Ministry of Defence.

Council leaders are very enthusiastic in their press release.

Councillor Bethia Thomas (Vale of White Horse): “It’s a big step forward for our communities that we’re at this stage earlier than anticipated…”

Councillor David Rouane (South Oxfordshire): “We’re one step closer to adopting this ground-breaking plan with policies such as increasing the proportion of affordable housing on large sites…”

Councillor Anne-Marie Simpson (South Oxfordshire): “This is an ambitious and innovative plan…”

Councillor Andy Foulsham (Vale of White Horse): “I’m proud of this plan and how it looks to tackle the climate emergency…”

Visit https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/vale-of-white-horse-district-council/planning-and-development/local-plan-and-planning-policies/local-plan-2041/ to review the Joint Local Plan and submit your comments before November 12th.

National Poetry Day at Abingdon Library

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Jess, the librarian at Abingdon Library, hosted a National Poetry Day event featuring readings from three published poets: Andrew Jamison, Fiona Perry, and Daniel Sluman.

Local group Ock Poets also contributed to the event, with Jacquie Shanahan and other members sharing their work. The event was a sell-out, culminating in a good audience discussion at the end. Chris, a librarian, who helped Jess run the evening, also bravely read a poem he had written.

A tree has been set up in the library, inviting visitors to write a short extract from a favourite poem.

Abingdon Events: Faith, Music, and a Giant Fun Fair

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Quakers around the world are celebrating the 400th anniversary of the birth of their faith’s founder, George Fox. In Abingdon, the local Quaker meeting is marking this milestone with a special meeting at St Ethelwold’s House. Visitors are invited to experience firsthand the quiet, contemplative nature of a Quaker meeting and enjoy a celebratory cake in honour of Fox’s birthday.

Enjoy two exciting classical music concerts this autumn at St Michael’s Church in Abingdon!

Concert 1 (Oct 6): Renowned pianist Huw Rhys James returns with a program featuring works by Haydn, Chopin, and Brahms.
Concert 2 (Oct 20): Local Pavlova Winds performs music by Holst and Hindemith.
Tickets are £12 for adults and £10 for concessions, with free entry for accompanied children under 16. Purchase tickets at the door or online:

Huw Rhys James piano recital: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/DTWR
Pavlova Winds concert: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/DTWT

Proceeds will support the church.

Abingdon’s historic Michaelmas Fair transforms the town centre and Ock Street from Sunday to Tuesday. It has already transformed the meadow by the Ock Bridge as some rides and caravans got here early.

Peter Foster leads a group of eight singers on a musical journey through the history of St. Helen’s Church. Moving through the five aisles, the singers will perform a diverse repertoire reflecting the different eras of the building, from Saxon to Victorian.

Proceeds from this event will be shared between St. Helen’s Church and Helen and Douglas House.

Abingdon Still Recovering from Floods

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One week after floods devastated an estate in South Abingdon, the path to Tesco remains underwater.

The water is still draining from fields and waterways.

Residents suffered significant damage, throwing out ruined furniture, carpets, and appliances. Recovery will take time. Some had just made the repairs from January’s event and there was more flood water this time. It reached many more homes.

Increased flood risk means the Environment Agency (EA) needs to update flood maps. Additionally, questions remain about why a container meant for flood response equipment was empty. Neither was a temporary flood barrier deployed this time or in January. In January, the EA said it couldn’t be deployed in time, and there was even less time last week.

Another important question to answer is whether the EA will reconsider the flood defence scheme rejected in 2018 due to lack of funding. The EA cited high costs and difficulty securing additional funding from partners for rejecting the flood storage area, the other side of the A34. Partners were local councils and businesses. That scheme was the outcome of a process that began with the 2007 flood and involved the development of various proposed solutions. But since it was rejected there have been no further investigation of long term solutions. Layla Moran, the local MP made a visit to the area, and said ‘It’s time to look again at the case for an Abingdon Flood Defence Scheme.’