Aldi Plan on Wootton Road Approved

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The VWHDC (Vale of White Horse District Council) planning committee unanimously approved the application for an Aldi store on the Wootton Road.

Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council supported the application as did local councillors speaking at the meeting. 290 people wrote in supporting the application. 13 were against.

The main advantage to locals is a large store nearer north Abingdon and Whitecross and Wootton, which should cut down on the need to travel, and could cut down on traffic round Abingdon.

The main concerns were cycling and access. The current cycle path is used by school children coming from Wootton, and area, and will not be expanded to the recommended width for such a development. The cycle path will also be impeded by the new store junctions. The right turn out of the store could also cause queues.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby said this development does mean a change of policy for VWHDC who in recent years have ensured new supermarkets were built in town centres, not out of town, for reasons of town centre vitality. The empty Peacock store in Abingdon town centre could be expanded to 929 sq.m (currently 738 sq.m). The new Aldi is 1,315 sq.m.

First Christmas Lights turned on

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The Christmas Lights have been turned on in Bury Street.

There is no Christmas Extravaganza this year. The Abingdon-on-Thames Chamber of Commerce organised the event in previous years. Their website says they are no longer organising local excellence markets / extravaganza. It took all their time and did not leave much time to carry out business related activities.

There will be a Christmas Craft Market on Saturday 4th December. Local excellence markets (including this) are now organised by the Abingdon Events Partnership.

Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair

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The Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair is here for a three day run, Friday to Sunday. There are about 50 stalls, all of them arts and crafts, and it is  run by the Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust.

All profits are used for the upkeep of the Abbey Buildings.

Some stalls were pure Abingdon – like this one with prints and paintings and tea towels.

A great setting. The event is popular with stall holders as it is pure art and craft and not the retail or tat stalls you get at other events.

For a few years up to 2016 this event was run by a commercial company, now defunct. The one thing I do miss from those days is the larger food marquee where you could try samples, and then buy sausages, cheese, pies, and alcohols. Before that company, the event was built up and run by Mrs Pauline Burren, on behalf of the Friends of Abingdon, from the 1980s.

In the grounds and undercroft were craft demonstrations including a potter and blacksmith. We also saw a sock being made inside a vintage Griswold circular sock machine – a museum piece that made socks much faster than knitting needles.