Water Leak : Quiet Street

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It has been quiet today in the Back Street (West St Helen Street), with none of the usual buzz of traffic. A Road Closed sign by the iron bridge has diverted most vehicles elsewhere.

The water leak started on Thursday, worsening through Friday and Saturday. Today, a Thames Water van and a lorry-mounted drill arrived to dig a hole.

I took this picture when work paused temporarily when a tool — possibly an angle grinder — broke and needed replacing. The hole bubbled with water, and there was a stream – a metre wide – running down the road. The team resumed work shortly afterwards. They turned off the water at a stopcock, pumped out the water, and clamped the pipe.

Water Table Signs Explained

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The Stop the Reservoir signs, seen in the villages surrounding the proposed SESRO reservoir site,

are now appearing in Abingdon town centre.

They raise concerns about the reservoir’s impact, particularly the potential rise in the water table – up to one metre.

Explaining the Water table rise of one metre, the Gard site says, ‘On February 13th 2024 Thames Water gave a presentation on Flooding and SESRO  to Oxfordshire County Council, District Councils and other stakeholders . Its engineer from Mott MacDonald clearly stated that the Reservoir if constructed would cause a 1.0 metre rise in Groundwater level, requiring considerable ‘mitigation’. For the villages of East Hanney and Steventon this would greatly worsen existing flood conditions.’

The UK government has approved the construction of a £1.2 billion reservoir near Abingdon as part of a national water management plan. Local councils and community groups oppose the project, citing environmental concerns and lack of public consultation, and have initiated legal action.

Abingdon Homebase last few days

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The Abingdon Homebase store is set to close within the next few days. There is up to 90% off and at least 50% off what remains. Big areas are now empty.

Homebase went into administration last year. CDS Superstores, which owns The Range and Wilko, bought the brand and 71 stores for £25.6 million, but Abingdon was not included in the deal.

It is unclear what will happen to the store after closure. When the Fairacres Phase 2 development was completed in 2021, the Homebase store combined three of the proposed units into one.

Window Watch: What’s on Display at Unit 24?

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Today (Thursday 6th February 2025), on passing Unit 24, Bury Street, I took a moment to check out the window displays. There are two big displays:

* A reminder that the consultation for the Abingdon-on-Thames Neighbourhood Plan closes on February 10th.

* Generations of John Mason School students will remember Welsh Farm in West Wales — home to bog-hopping, waterfall adventures, and gold panning. But with its natural water source drying up, the farm needed £15,000 for a borehole. Thanks to generous donors, they’ve raised £16,270 so far.

Beyond these, the other windows are full of A4 posters with local events and initiatives, including:

Get Active:
* Abibinit Litter Picks
* Walking Football (age 55+)
* Thursday Gentle Walks from Preston Road Community Centre (10:30 am)
* Ride Revolution – restoring bikes for disadvantaged children
* groups such as Chair Yoga and Strong and Stable at Unit 42

Community & Wellbeing:
* Men’s Support Group at Keystone Mental Health (Bury Street)
* Abingdon Compassionate Café
* Mind: One Step at a Time – coping strategies workshop


Community & Culture:
* Stonehill Community Garden Open Day
* The Abingdon Girl Guide groups
* West End Allotments – full and half plots available
* Abingdon Fitzharris WI (2nd Tuesday, Northcourt Centre, 1:30 pm)
* One Planet Abingdon – sustainability initiatives
* Dawn the Talking Newspaper
* The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes – an ancient fraternity


Upcoming Events:
Long Furlong Funday – 18th Feb
Councillor Nathan’s Talk: Health, Climate & Oxfordshire’s Future – 19th Feb
Abingdon Artists Spring Exhibition – 10th-15th March
ATOM Science Festival – 15th-26th March
Abingdon Beer Festival – 25th-27th April