Town Centre

Streets & Spaces Opportunities

The red area along Stert Street, Bridge Street and High Street show streets that need a pedestrian experience through public realm improvements such as widening pavements, more and better crossings, improvements to surface materials, or additional street furniture provision.

The green area along East St Helens Street shows an area which comprises an existing high quality and visually pleasing pedestrian experience with high quality buildings and frontages. The town needs to learn from this area. However, the street is diminished in places by several parked cars and narrow pavements which make travel difficult for those pushing buggies or in wheelchairs.

The yellow area running west to east along the northern bank of the River Thames adjacent to Nag’s Head Island has limited public access. Opening this up to greater pedestrian access would be beneficial to the whole town.

The three circles mark opportunities for new high quality public open space along the northern bank of the River Thames. These include East St Helen’s Wharf adjacent to the Old Anchor Public House where public access could be improved and traffic could be reduced through a one way access with cycling contraflow, at the public open space directly north of Nag’s Head Island at the Old Gaol House Apartments, and the Upper Reaches derelict hotel which could be transformed into a civic, cultural and heritage hub for the town with easy access to the river.

Pedestrian Improvements

This drawing illustrates key streets that have been identified for intervention to improve the pedestrian experience. Pedestrian activity will be encouraged through a network of connected streets and spaces and encouraging greater ‘dwell time’. Key interventions will include tree planting, considering reducing town centre speed limits to 20mph and installation of traffic calming measures to improve pedestrian experience.

Key interventions identified to pedestrian experience include:

1.       Creation of a pedestrian link between Stratton Way and Withington Court to improve connectivity from Stert Street up to the residential area to the north.

2.       Pedestrian improvements to Ock Street, Bath Street and enhanced connectivity between Bath Street and High Street, eastwards towards Bury Street and westwards towards Stratton Way. Specific improvements to the Bath Street/Stratton Way junction where lack of east-west crossing opportunities causes high pedestrian casualties.  Potential to create an open and pedestrianised area comprising new residential development, communal facilities, and green outdoor spaces with places to sit.

3.       Pedestrian improvements Stert Street including outdoor seating, displays and improvements to connectivity to the Vineyard through creation of a more seamless walkway.

4.       Improvements to crossing island on the northern end of Bridge Street at its intersection with Market Place, High Street and Stert Street to allow safer crossing, especially for those with pushchairs or in wheelchairs.

5.       Creation of a new pedestrian link between East Saint Helen Street and Bridge Street through Turnagain Lane.

6.       Improvements to the pedestrian experience at the northern section of Bridge Street, looking to the example of the recent active travel trial on Abingdon Bridge.

7.       Improved link at Abingdon Weir to enable increased access to pedestrian loop and improvements to riverside walk. Improvements to illumination along River Thames to improve safety and perceived safety to promote evening walking.

Redevelopment Opportunities

This drawing shows key redevelopment opportunities to make better use of vacant or under-utilised sites in the town centre. This will encourage regeneration and increase the town centre’s mix of uses.

A – Ock Street businesses

A combination of industrial businesses along this street which require lots of commercial vehicles could potentially be relocated to a trading estate or other appropriate location to provide opportunities for low-car development uses.

B – The Telephone Exchange

The Telephone Exchange which sits on Stratton Way is proposed for redevelopment with residential and community uses with pleasant green outside space and improved pedestrian connectivity.

C – Bury Street

This location identifies improvements to ground and upper floors to make better use of Bury Street buildings. Proposed ground floor improvements include encouraging a mix of uses with potential ideas including town PCSO HQ, artisan and service providers, craft skills and repair shops. Potential for local artist studios or artwork from college students. Suggestions for making better use of the upper storeys through extending ground floor uses upwards or converting to residential uses. Potential to make better use of service areas behind Bury Street shops.

D – The Charter Complex

The locally important Charter complex is suggested for redevelopment to open up the space, increase light and create a more welcoming and safer environment. Suggestions include new library and town centre gym, or community allotment/orchard or town garden. Proposed relocation of NHS services from Marcham Road Community Hospital to the site and potential care unit for Oxford University Hospitals Trust.

Improvements are proposed to the multi-storey carpark including improvements to lighting and CCTV, electric charging provision, handrails, toilet improvements, longer opening times and ‘number of spaces available’ indicators at the entry and in Stert St.

E – The Old Maltings

A vacant commercial building with potential for redevelopment including for potential residential means to encourage higher densities in the town centre, or potential to serve Abivale Vets practice adjacent to the site which could then allow for improved pedestrian links to the land north of Stratton Way up to Withingdon Court and northwards.

F – Old Abbey House

Old Abbey House is currently vacant lying directly south of the Council Offices and Citizens Advice Offices and adjacent to the Abbey Gardens, however work has begun on its planning permission for redevelopment as a boutique hotel. Reactivating this site could greatly improve pedestrian experience and the feel of the area.

G – Upper Reaches

Upper Reaches is currently occupied by a derelict hotel. This could be transformed into a civic, cultural and heritage hub for the town (including a sculpture park, nature reserve, eateries, education centre, public walkway) all adjacent to the river.

Cultural Corridor Concept

The concept aims to create an alternative pedestrian route between town and river via a series of pedestrian links and loops, connecting cultural attractions, existing and proposed.

The drawing shows a series of links from Stert Street to Bridge Street through to Abbey Close which then runs southwards through an enhanced link at Checker Walk down towards the River Thames. In combination with proposed redevelopment of the vacant sites at Abbey House and the Upper Reaches derelict hotels, this would form a new and richly rewarding pedestrian route.

The drawing also shows proposed improvements to the public realm at three key public spaces. These include improvements at the Old Station Yard, an underutilised space; at Market Place, and at Upper Reaches which overlooks the Thames. A new pedestrian bridge is also proposed across the Thames to the west of Nag’s Head Island and improved pedestrianisation is proposed at Bridge Street. Furthermore, improvements are required for cyclists across the river to strengthen the north-south links. This could be achieved through amendments to Abingdon Bridge though there may be width issues, or through a purpose built cycling bridge.

Routes to the River

This drawing shows three key routes that link the town centre to the River Thames.

Route A runs along East St Helen’s Street to the river by the Old Anchor. Proposed amendments include widening of the pavement outside the Old Anchor Public House to enable further outdoor seating. Potential for one-way street for motors with a cycling contraflow to East St Helens Street to improve the public realm and allow for pavement widening. Furthermore, a pedestrian crossing from the Market Place to the museum and restricted parking behind the museum would allow pushchairs and wheelchairs to easily cross at Market Place. Signage to the river would also be a simple addition to increase awareness of the route.

Route B shows the most direct route down Bridge Street to Abingdon bridge and beyond. Suggested improvements include public realm improvements at Bridge Street including improved parking, signage and enhancing access to The Old Gaol public garden. Improvements to the pedestrian crossing experience could also be facilitated further north at the junction of Stert Street, Bridge Street and High Street.

Route C shows the route down Abbey Close and through the park to Abbey Meadows. Here, key interventions proposed are to widen the weir crossing to facilitate pushchair/wheelchair access and creation of a new footbridge by the Railway Bridge to create a larger circular route from town out to Radley Lakes (lying outside the drawing to the east of the town centre). Potential also for linking up to wider network of track improvements to the north-east of the town centre to facilitate a traffic-free cycle route from Abingdon to Oxford. A proposed new bridge to the west of Bridge Street could further enhance pedestrian links on this part of the route and enable a pedestrian and cycle link to Culham in line with the Science Vale Cycle Network and beyond.