The scaffolding men were back early this evening putting scaffold over the near side of the Abbey Shopping Centre. So it looks like there will be a tunnel both sides.
Round the back the buildings have always given me the impression of something at the seaside. That will soon change and I guess this view from the top of the Charter Carpark will look quite different with taller buildings with gables in the foreground.
At last ! The town has been waiting for this since 92 ! Work proper is now underway . The scaffolders ( they are doing a great job ) have been doing all their work after 5. 30 pm . So the public can still use the shops . All the shops in the Precinct are open as usual during the day and will remain open during the refurbishment process!
I think the precinct looks remarkably good considering all tge work going on (which I greatly welcome). I was also impressed that the contractors have an office in one of tge units so that traders and shoppers can contact them as and when any issues (inevitably there will be a few) arise.
A good start I think
Health and Safety Nightmare, how to allow public ‘right of way’, whilst protecting against dust and debris.
I will wait and see if ‘The Tunnel’ will be open all the time….
When I saw the word “tunnel” the word “collapse” sprang to mind – hey ho, one can hope
I was in the precinct on wednesday, shopping for a birthday present and realised that when the development is finished I will get soaking when out browsing in the pouring rain. Make the most of the tunnels(the old canopies), they’ll soon be gone.
Peter – I know a few good shops who will happily sell you an umbrella 😉
The sooner those dank dingy concrete canopies are gone the better.
people need to get over the canopy thing, most town centres don’t have covers any more, people will have to actually go in the shops!
Don’t get me wrong the canopies are unattractive. But how many of the shops want soaking wet shoppers dripping over their stock whilst they shelter from the rain. The Cowley centre is covered and cafes etc carry on. Large out of town malls seem to be popular too.
re canopies – you are quite right lots of other towns do seem to cope well without canopies. Let’s all do what everyone else does. Lets have the same shops. Let’s have everything look the same. Phew – Thank goodness the aspirations for our wonderful town, the ‘oldest’ and therefore potentially significantly ‘different’ town in England has no greater aspiration than the homogeneity, beige and blandness to everywhere else. At least if we’re the same as the next town people won’t have to travel to there to get what they can get here…and of course then people needen’t travel from those boring same old same old places to here either. Phew indeed! Looking at the artists impressions, with any luck we’ll be as drab and dull as Didcot, oh…and and now equally wet, by Christmas!
Out of interest, how old are those of you who aren’t happy with the prospect of homogeneity? Are you not aware that what is now considered to be valuable in terms of street scenes is homogenous too?
I have only been in Abingdon for ten years and it seems that many of you have been here much longer. Can I blame you for not stopping the destruction of the old town as it was or is that unfair?
The Georgians, Victorians and Edwardians paved over most of the country it seems. Their rows of terraced houses, development of the coastal towns, the building of the railway with its identikit railway stations, all now quaint and protected, were a massive change compared to what had gone before.
How many of you were here in the 60s and were you jumping up and down bemoaning the construction of the new precinct in the way that you are criticising the new development now?
Those thoughts aside I will say again that we really need to stop this moaning. I assume that most of us got wet between our front door and the car at some point this week due to the lack of a canopy between them so I’m sure we’ll manage shopping in town next year. 🙂
37; Exactly.
I’ll stop moaning when Abingdon is as good as it can be.
As we never know what’s going to happen, as decisions are made behind closed doors, moaning’s all I’ve got!
i agree with Rachel, no matter how many people moan at this point, its not going to change anything to do with this redevelopment. “they” didn’t listen to people when they were “consulting” it’s as simple as that. unless i am mistaken, most of the “final” decisions were made at an planning meeting, open to the public. ok, it was not well advertised, but then what is when a topic is discussed that may be contriversial ?
i don’t hear many of the shops (those that are left) in the precint moaning about things, but the one that is, he will moan about anything !
I must need to get out more because I’m quite excited about the new development. And please stop moaning about the canopies. Shoppers won’t miss them, there are no caopies in Stert Street, High Street, Bath Street etc. In fact, I imagine more people will spend their time in the actual shops.
Doozer
The thing with moaning is that it isn’t very productive and it doesn’t make anyone any happier!
Think lovely thoughts and splash in some puddles.
Maybe this fantastic blog should be the forum for debate prior to any planning decisions. It certainly encourages contributions from a wide audience. Democratic solutions for the 21st century.
Keep up the good work.
Sorry to be a damp squib on this lovely day (LOL) but in our current democratic set-up the only way to make a difference is via our elected representatives. Forums such as this are a great way to get people informed and involved but it is really important that we all let our councillors know DIRECTLY what we think or want – we can’t just hope they will read the blogs. So, find out who your councillor is (their names and contact details are all on the various council websites) and phone, write or e-mail them; also go along to council meetings – the mayor-making on 9 May would be a good start – and speak to them there. There are also groups such as the Friends of Abingdon and South Abingdon Residents Plan who try to influence planning decisions – check out their websites and think about joining them.
And as for the inference in earlier posts that all those “moaning” are oldies – yes we proba lot of us are, but that is because with a few notable exceptions such as Doozer, most people don’t have time to get involved in local affairs when they are working flat out and bringing up families. I have yet to meet an oldie who wouldn’t welcome the prospect of more younger people getting involved – but it does mean being willing to do a bit more than post remarks on blogs. (oops, time for my horlicks now….)
“The Cowley centre is covered and cafes etc carry on.”….I think you mean limp on…. truly that place is the grubbiest hole purporting to be a shopping precinct I been in since having to walk through the old Stratford shopping centre (the new one is the “jewelled gateway” to the Olympic park, the old one was mugger alley…)…. if you like shopping somewhere like that I suggest you pop your best shell suit on and get down there instead.
Hester – ouch!
By being an active member of the Abingdon on Thames Chamber of Commerce and by choosing to run a business from Abingdon rather than any other small town, I believe I am, in fact,doing much more than posting remarks on blogs.
This town has a lot going for it and is a great place to bring up children which is why I make positive comments on the blog. Let’s keep talking the town up instead of down and keep smiling.
Sorry Rachel – I certainly didn’t mean to get at you personally. I completely agree with most of what you say – in these posts and others – and my constant message over the past 5 years has been that in your last para. I should of course have included the Chamber in the list of channels people can use to get their voices heard – you are doing a great job.
Message to myself – “only post on blogs when you are in the right frame of mind to keep positive…!!
Re 18. OK I’m convinced. The new development, with or without canopies will be a big improvement. No more talking down. On the day the new development opens I will buy a new wardrobe of smart casual clothes from the new shops and put my shell suit in a handily placed re-cycling bin. Walking around town I will exchange ‘How do you do’, ‘good morning’ and ‘you’re welcome’s with my fellow shoppers. Upgrading my old car to compete with the fleets of Range Rovers and Luxury German cars cramming the car parks will take a little longer I’m afraid.
Starting to panel in the ‘Tunnels’ now with wooden boarding.
Leaving a narrow area in the middle for access.
I cannot wait to see how they will demolish the few units, (dismantle brick by brick??).
My dentist’s surgery is right against the wall where the demolition starts – no way am I letting him near me with a drill – or any other sharp implement – while that is going on! (and before anyone says anything I am not being serious – i do intend to continue supporting him and the other traders through thick and thin!