Update - October 2014

Thank you to all who helped with the first edition of the revived newsletter, including all the deliverers.  Although the first edition was short, we hope that you enjoyed getting this again. Lots of people have told us that they are very pleased to find that the newsletter is to continue. We are hoping to get another, longer, edition out before Christmas, with a competition for the children and a quiz for us older ones!

Sheila and Maureen went to the County Council meeting about the crossing proposals for Ock Street and Marcham Road. Their report is below this article (or click HERE) and we are sure that their disappointment and frustration about the outcome is shared by many on our estates. Work hasbeen started in earnest on the field and sometime soon trees will be felled. While we would welcome people who want to live in our area, there is still considerable anxiety about the problems that their increased traffic will bring.

Next year we will have the added problem of the closure of Steventon Bridge – reports on how long it will be closed vary but 8 months seems about the most optimistic time scale. And work will be started soon on the Milton interchange…… Send the blog your thoughts about all this road work surrounding us.

We are beginning to get pieces for both the newsletter and the blog. Do send us ideas for articles – or write something yourself! And it would be great to have something from the children - drawings and stories and anything else that you want to share with others. See ‘Contacts’ for email, mobile telephone number and addresses.

Remember that you can also advertise your business. A full advert can go on the blog with a short summary in the paper newsletters. £10.00 for residents for the year.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Advertisement - Abingdon Drama Club presents 'The Wrong Goodbye' by Stephen Rees.

Moving the crossing on Marcham Road

Comments to the decision of the Transport Committee - Oxford County Council 9th October 2014

We are very angry, disillusioned, disappointed and sad to have to report that the Oxfordshire County Council decided to accept the proposal from the developers to move the pedestrian crossing on the Marcham Road and to install a new one in Ock Street.

Despite many Councillors and Abingdon Residents speaking against the proposal and making very good points:

• about safety of children crossing
• the Councils 'duty of care' to residents
• air pollution
• congestion
• traffic management and the wider Abingdon traffic crisis
• the fact that it has already been turned down at 3 different Committee levels and the local MP is against the proposal

..... the Transport Committee decided to make their decision on the actual crossing itself without taking any of the fore-mentioned points into account.

In his summing up the Chairman said that he had listened carefully to all the comments, that the crossing does meet National safety guidelines and that he had observed the Drayton Road crossing for twenty minutes one Saturday morning (sic!).  He had to ask himself "do the proposals make the crossing safer and mitigate the traffic on the Drayton Road".  He thought it would, and would therefore support the recommendation.

There was general outrage and much discussion afterwards.  Residents and Councillors are not giving up and are looking into getting legal advice on further steps.  We will keep you posted.

report by Maureen and Sheila