Latest news with #ValeOfWhiteHorse
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Calls for progress on Abingdon Upper Reaches Hotel hotel site
A disused hotel has become an "eyesore" over 10 years without progress on its redevelopment, campaigners have Upper Reaches Hotel, situated alongside the River Thames in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, closed in Friends of Abingdon group has urged Vale of White Horse District Council, which owns the freehold of the site to "take action to speed up a resolution".The council said it was "still awaiting" firm proposals from the tenant Contemporary Hotels. The hotel company has been approached for comment. The Friends of Abingdon group said progress at the site had been "glacial" since said repairs to the riverside wall and measures to prevent vandalism and anti-social behaviour had only been carried out after it had raised concerns with the council."The presence of such an eyesore at the entrance to the town makes it look unloved and gives a very bad signal not just to local people and visitors but also to businesses who might be considering setting up here," it said. Resident Gwyneth Lewis who lives close to the site said: "We had massive problems with anti-social behaviour - the whole building was ransacked over eight years."This is a beautiful riverside setting, this blot on the landscape is only getting worse and worse."We are not against development - we just want something to happen."The area occupied by the hotel buildings and its immediate surroundings is on a 125-year lease from 1969, currently held by Contemporary Hotels a statement the council said it was "engaged" with the company and had encouraged it to provide updates on its plans."As landowner, we have not yet been made aware of any specific development plans but we are informed that a design team is appointed to prepare plans for discussion with the Local Planning Authority in advance of submitting a planning application by the end of 2025."It said the hotelier had undertaken essential repair work to the river wall and bridge linking the site to Thames Street. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Decision to come on 'eyesore' Didcot battery facility
Plans to build a "huge eyesore" battery facility in the Oxfordshire countryside are set for a decision next 300MW battery energy storage system would be built on agricultural land off the B4016 at Appleford, about two miles from would not produce electricity itself, but store surplus electricity to be fed back into the grid during periods of high of White Horse District Council's planning committee will decide on the plans on Wednesday. The facility would connect to the Didcot substation south-west of the site via an underground on the planning portal, resident Vicky Johnson said: "At a time when food security is more important than ever, the development will result in a loss of fully productive agricultural land and would have a major impact on the landscape and rural character of the area."The area which is already under threat from nearby development and many environmental harms from the adjacent waste transfer facility, landfill, and gravel and cement works."The development will be a huge eyesore and a highly visible industrial presence in a rural village setting."Officers have recommended the scheme for approval and said it "would not have a detrimental effect on the environment".In a report, they said benefits of the development included the "production of renewable energy for use by the technology centre, along with proposed landscape mitigation, benefiting both the site and wider landscape".If approved, the site would be operational for between 40 and 50 years, before reverting back to being agricultural fields. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
31-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Improvement plan and £285k investment for Wantage theatre
A £285,000 revamp of an Oxfordshire town's arts centre has been approved, along with an improvement plan for the money from Vale of White Horse District Council will be spent on refurbishing the Beacon Arts Centre, in part of the action plan, food and drink offerings will be reviewed and "more co-ordinated" marketing will be carried out to boost ticket the council said fees and charges had already been increased at the venue - and would be reviewed again in the middle of the year to "assess if any further commercial opportunities exist". The money will also pay for improving the venue's reception area, refurbishing toilets and creating a more attractive entrance. Originally a Civic Hall built in 1973, The Beacon now has a theatre, dance studio and three function improvements are the second phase of an action plan - and the council said it had already done things like start National Theatre Live screenings and re-introduce a Helen Pighill said the authority had to balance The Beacon's "dual role" as an entertainment venue, aiming to be more commercial, and the "valuable public service" it offered for things like training and said: "The first phase action plan for the Beacon, adopted in February 2024, laid the groundwork for improvements and this next phase addresses outstanding actions, while introducing a comprehensive set of new initiatives."The council said it was also developing a "Culture, Heritage and Creative Industries Strategy" for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
