Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council met this evening, in the Roysse Room. The usual venue, the Magistrates’ Court, is currently being used by the cinema.

In the absence of the Mayor, the meeting was chaired by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Rawda Jehanli. The usual formalities of bringing in the mace, councillors wearing robes, and prayers were omitted. Councillors were seated around a square of tables.

Previous Meeting Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved. One matter arising was the Neighbourhood Plan, which was approved at the previous meeting and is now open for public consultation. Councillors were encouraged to urge residents in their wards to provide feedback on the plan as it will be an important planning document for the town.

Mayor’s Engagements:

One highlight was that the Mayor, Cllr Gabby Barody, and the Deputy Mayor visited Stowford House Care Home and Old Station House Care Home on Christmas Day. The Mayor also attended the Community Christmas lunch at Peachcroft Christian Centre, an event that provides a festive meal for local people who might otherwise spend Christmas alone. The Town Council had contributed a grant towards this event.

Oxfordshire County Council Report:

Cllr Fawcett, also a County Councillor, provided an update on recent developments at Oxfordshire County Council. The government has published a white paper on local government reorganisation, outlining a transition from three-tier to two-tier councils. Consequently, both the Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council would not continue to exist in their current forms.

Oxfordshire County Council had expressed its preference for inclusion in the first group of councils to undergo this transition while still proceeding with County Council elections in May.

The government also intends to expand the regional mayor’s system across the UK.

Regarding flood response, the County Council is working to improve the current fragmented system. A summit meeting with the Environment Agency, County Council, District Council, and other agencies was held in December to clarify roles and responsibilities and enhance information dissemination about existing flood measures. A flood meeting near the Ladygrove Estate will be held tomorrow, attended by MP Layla Moran and other stakeholders.

District Councillors’ Report:

Cllr Forder expressed concerns regarding the government’s proposals for local government reorganisation, particularly the potential impact on rural areas. His preference would be to merge with similar areas and not an urban centre like Oxford.

He mentioned the Abbey Buildings Project, for which the National Lottery will soon make a decision. If approved, he emphasized the need for securing a budget allocation to support the project from the district council, as funding from local councils can leverage significant national investment towards the project.

Community Committee Report:

Cllr Fawcett highlighted the bigger grants awarded by the Town Council to key community partners:

Abingdon Carousel (£37,500)
Be Free Young Carers (£10,000)
Abingdon Damascus Youth Project (£12,500)
One Planet Abingdon Climate Emergency Centre (£14,000)
Oxfordshire South and Vale Citizens Advice (£23,000)
The Abingdon Bridge (£22,500)

Cllr Fawcett said that Abingdon Carousel would not exist today if the Town Council had not provided start-up funding following the County Council’s decision to close children and family centres. While the Town Council remains the largest grant provider, the proportion of funding from the Town Council has decreased.

Infrastructure Committee Report:

Cllr Sanderson thanked those who participated in the bus stop survey. The committee is exploring ways to improve the maintenance of bus stops, such as pressure washing and repainting.

The committee has adopted a public art strategy and wants input from all councillors about their preferred types of public art projects.

Finance, Governance and Asset Management Committee Report:

The Leader of the Finance, Governance and Asset Management Committee, Cllr Halliday, presented the budget for the 2025/26 financial year. He acknowledged the challenges, with external costs such as increased National Insurance contributions (+£23.8k), gas and electricity costs (+£43k), and insurance premiums (+£10.8k) impacting the budget.

£50k will be allocated towards the Abbey Buildings programme this year (£20k from CIL, developer funding, and £30k from reserves), with plans to allocate £50k annually for the next three years, totalling £200k. Such funding could leverage £5 million in additional funding if it goes ahead.

The precept, the amount added to council tax, will increase by 4.94%.

This budget does not include the costs associated with the Abbey Hall. Funding from the Vale of White Horse District Council, received during the transfer of the hall, can still be used but is nowhere near enough. Cllr Halliday noted that the building has a probable lifespan of 50 years and is currently 50 years old.

The budget was approved with one abstention.

Planning Committee Report:

Cllr Giddins presented the planning report, and began by saying, ‘Consultations! Consultations!  Consultations!.’ A lot of the planning committee’s work has been responding to the numerous consultations, including those related to the proposed development of the Culham No 1 Site, the Dalton Barracks development, and the reservoir. The council has responded to all consultations and monitored and responded to local planning applications. They also have a watching brief on the North Abingdon development where the work on the Oxford Road roundabout is incomplete, and the new play park at Kings Gate is not open, and the cycle path over the River Stert is incomplete. (He did not mention that the primary school in the plans for the North Abingdon development has not even started.) On the other hand, the A34 work on the Lodge Hill interchange is underway, although not visible yet.

Town Archivist’s Annual Report:

The council discussed the report by Town Archivist Jackie Smith. The Abingdon Herald has ceased publication of its ‘Heralding the Past’ column, and two of Jackie Smith’s articles have not yet been published. Councillors suggested that these articles be published on the Town Council website and potentially in the Town Crier. They also recommended obtaining permission to utilise all of Jackie Smith’s articles for future reference.

The members of the public (only me this time) had to leave the meeting as the council wanted to discuss a property matter – probably the Abbey Hall . The previous Town Council meeting was cancelled because they did not have the necessary information.