Thames Valley Town Gets Multi-Million Pound Facelift

28 March 2011, 06:00

Shoppers in Abingdon have been told their outdated town centre's being modernised.

The major revamp will see the main shopping centre in Abingdon transformed from a shabby 40 year-old precinct, into modern facilities to compliment and not contrast with the town's ancient architecture elsewhere in Abingdon.
 
Improvments for the Charter area could include:

* A new large supermarket
* A new 400 space car park
* A replacement library, day centre and medical centre.

Proposals for the Abbey Shopping Centre include:

* More shops, and a wider choice of the type of stores
* Repaving and replacing street furniture, lighting and signage in the shopping centre.

Abbey Shopping Centre, formerly known as the Bury Street Precinct, was built in the late 1960s to provide Abingdon residents with a car-free shopping area.  At the time it was considered a state of the art construction; however, after more than 40 years it has seen better days and does not sit well with modern thinking about town centre design or complement the important historic areas of the town.

The Vale of White Horse District Council hope the refurbishment work will go a long way to addressing these issues breathing new life into Abingdon town centre and bring about a much needed boost to the local economy, including dozens of potential employment opportunities.
 
Development Councillor Richard Gibson told heart "This marks a huge step forward for Abingdon.  This deal means that over the next few years there will be more and better shops, combined with a brand new library and day centre.  This will attract more people to the town, providing more jobs and greater prosperity.  Details of the scheme will be addressed during the planning process.”