Author Archives: Back Streeter

Abingdon Nightlife to reopen in about 3 months time

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Night Life
Abingdon Town Centre remains mostly quiet in the evenings. Pubs and restaurants are closed for consumption on the premises
Night Life
Food and non-alcoholic drinks can be bought on a takeaway basis (between 5am and 11pm). Food and drink (including alcohol if the license allows) can also be delivered.

The government have announced a slow roadmap to reopening. They say this is possible because of the success of the vaccination programme; and how the public have obeyed the law and stayed at home to help suppress COVID-19.

The roadmap includes a number of steps. As part of Step 2 hospitality venues will be allowed to serve people outdoors from 12th April. Then as part of Step 3 indoor hospitality will be allowed no earlier than 17th May. Step 3 includes cinemas.
Night Life
There are bright lights at St Helen’s Wharf. This evening they included the flashing lights of a police car. I hear that the police went from door to door investigating a disturbance.

Neighborhood Plan – focus groups start today – places still available

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Neighborhood Plan
The Town Council is creating a Neighbourhood Plan and needs local people to help make it the best it can be.

The plan will take a long-term view of what in our town needs protecting and what could be changed. It will be written by the local community of Abingdon, the people who know and love the area, and its creation is being led by a steering group accountable to the Town Council. Upon completion it will be subject to an independent examination and then a local referendum. Should this referendum be successful, the plan has legal force. The local planning authority (Vale of White Horse District Council) must then take the Abingdon Neighbourhood Plan’s policies into account when considering planning issues across the town.
Neighborhood Plan
Over the next two weeks, starting today, there will be ten themed virtual focus groups to gather views and ideas. Places are limited to 15 people per group. You can sign up for more than one but they would like to hear from as many people as possible. There will be further opportunities for people to get involved as the process continues.
Neighborhood Plan
Groups include:
Abingdon Families – Tue 23 Feb 2021
Access & Movement – Wed 24 Feb 2021
Leisure & Sports – Thu 25 Feb 2021
Culture – Thu 25 Feb 2021
Healthy Town & Outdoor Recreation – Fr 26 Feb 2021
The Environment – Mon 1 Mar 2021
Heritage & The built environment – Tue 2 Mar 2021
Business, Economy & The Town Centre – Wed 3 Mar 2021
Youth 7-11 Years Old – Mon 8 Mar 2021
Youth 12-16 Years Old – Tue 9 Mar 2021

See https://www.abingdon.gov.uk/abingdon-news/abingdon-thames-town-council/neighbourhood-plan-focus-groups to read about each focus group and sign up on line.

Rotary are in it for the long haul – ridding the world of polio

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End Polio Now
Since 1985, Rotary’s key humanitarian priority has been to rid the world of polio. This used to be a disease that paralysed people in the UK. The last outbreak of polio in the UK was in the late 1970s. There are now a few hard to vaccinate regions in the world. Rotary continue to campaign, help finance health worker training and vaccination programmes to stop the disease returning until the world is certified polio-free.

This year in Abingdon the grass verge next to McDonalds has a display of purple crocus.
End Polio Now
They were planted by The Rotary Club of Abingdon Vesper and Abingdon McDonalds. There is an interesting page about Abingdon Vesper’s involvement in the campaign at Abingdon Rotary Polio

Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon – update

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Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
Development of the Lidl Store on the Fairacres Estate has been cracking on and four large Lidl signs have been mounted.
Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
They include one on each side of the store itself and one overlooking the Marcham Road, at the far end.
Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
By searching, using a well known search engine, I found Lidl advertising for Customer Assistants and Shift Managers in Abingdon. ‘As a Customer Assistant at Lidl, no shift is the same and you get out what you put in. Starting at 5am some days to set up the store bakery for the day or finishing at 11pm on others to close the store and ensure the store is ready for another day of customers, you’ll keep moving and keep business booming. Every day is different, so you won’t just be working deliveries or working on the till; you’ll be doing all of it and more. You could even train to be a freshness specialist, non-food specialist or a bakery specialist…’

They have an online aptitude test before an application passes to the interview stage. My impression of Lidl and Aldi is the terrific speed items are scanned at the till.
Lidl and Aldi in Abingdon - update
Meanwhile the time is over for responding to the Planning Application for an Aldi Store at the top end of the Circus Field, opposite the new development off Wootton Road.

Both neighbouring parish councils have concerns about the traffic modelling and siting of the proposed entrance.  Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council have objected to the plan. St Helen Without Parish Council have put in a holding objection. See https://data.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P21/V0024/FUL#exactline.

Expect a decision round about 16th April.