Business and Employment
From its beginning around the historic core of the town centre, Abingdon now comprises a series of distinct neighbourhoods that lie much further out from the centre. Most of these neighbourhoods comprise almost entirely of housing without many supporting facilities, services, or employment spaces. Small scale employment spaces are mainly found in the centre of Abingdon while larger industrial and warehouse space can be found in the western side of town at the Abingdon Business Park, adjacent to the A34.
The Abingdon Neighbourhood Plan is advocating a “20-minute neighbourhood” approach to planning and design. This approach seeks to mitigate the need to travel on a daily basis through the provision of all services, including employment, close to where people live. The concept revolves around the idea that all your daily needs can be met within a 20 minute walk from your front door.
Therefore, providing small-scale employment uses that are compatible side-by-side with residential uses, in these outlying suburbs takes the pressure off the need to travel longer distances to work all the time. The town centre and the business parks will no doubt retain their importance as centres of employment, but the introduction of additional employment opportunities elsewhere across the town will be supported. These can be in the form of:
Grocery shops and pharmacies
Shared working spaces
Workshop spaces
Small manufacturing facilities
Healthcare facilities
Bookable community rooms
Here are some examples of how these types of small-scale employment opportunities could be integrated into residential areas. These require careful design to ensure compatibility with the surrounding area.
The animations show how a certain low level intensification of almost exclusively residential areas can be used to support the 20-minute neighbourhood concept. Homes, employment, and everyday services are all carefully interspersed within a 20-minute walk from people’s front doors. This will help reduce vehicle travel and associated air pollution and encourage active travel modes across Abingdon.
An illustrative example of introduction of a workshop space, office space above garage and extension to an existing house to provide employment
An illustrative example of alterations to an existing house on a corner plot to provide additional employment space above the house with ground floor side access.
An illustrative example of extensions to the sides of existing houses on vacant land to provide employment space.
Tell us what you think
We will only use your answers to support this project.
Your details will not be kept for any other reason.
Please give us your comments by 5pm on Friday 23rd September.