Quite a lot has happened in two weeks since the last look at progress at the Abbey Shopping Centre.

The day after that last update I got this shot of the contractors leveling the upper concrete floor (Thanks for this shot).

Today they were placing what looked like large insulating sheets on the roof (they confused me for a bit as I commented on twitter there had been a delivery of mattresses).

Today it rained most of the time so it was NOT good to work outside, and probably not that good either for the French Market – with us from Thursday to Saturday.

Flat roofs are out, and gable ends are in, above the existing units of the Abbey Shopping Centre.

The large tree near Superdrug has had a lot of micro surgery round its roots to put in new services. The leaves will soon be falling, from autumn and not from being killed.

Meanwhile new block paving has started to be laid adjacent to Costa. Amazingly the shops still continue to trade with all of this building work going on. Another update soon I’m sure.
Category Archives: building work
It seems we have moles now!!!

Thanks to a resident from Virginia Way for an email saying “It seems we have moles now!!!”

Workmen with an excavator have been creating a network of ditches in the field alongside Virginia Way.

This is the same field proposed for development of 170 houses.
Thames View Care Home development – from the Waitrose Carpark

From the Abbey Gardens the new Care Homes being built at Thames View are screened by the tall trees, but from the Waitrose Carpark the new buildings are clearly visible. They will be traditionally styled two and three storey apartments.

It was hoped a few years ago when the Thames View site was first redeveloped that its would continue to keep some employment near the town centre, alongside residential developments. But the site no longer seemed attractive to businesses.
A Care Home, with possibly 90 employees, was seen by district council planners as a better compromise than just housing.
Progress at the Abbey Shopping Centre mid August

As somebody once told me, progress will start to be seen at the Abbey Shopping Centre in August.

Most of the framework for the new fashion shops was put up today.

Remaining shops, including Thomas Cook, the travel experts, are open as usual – protected by scaffolding and hoardings.