An active travel scheme for Abingdon East St Helen Street was proposed last year in a bid to use some of Oxfordshire County Council‘s £1.5million funding pot for transport initiatives.

Oxfordshire County Councillor Nathan Ley for Abingdon North has said locals showed ‘strong overall support for the proposals when asked for their views.

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Plans include introducing a two-way cycle contraflow along East St Helen Street, giving pedestrians priority by putting in continuous footways at side roads, and installing ‘new and improved’ crossing at the High Street, Bridge Street and Stert Street junction.

The aim is to ‘make it safer and easier to walk, wheel, and cycle through the town centre’ and to add a missing link in the National Cycle Network Route 5 which connects the town to Oxford and Didcot.

Proposed safety improvements for cyclists in Abingdon (Image: Oxfordshire County Council)

A consultation was held between September 30 and October 28 last year, which councillor Ley saw strong engagement with the proposals and 345 survey responses submitted.

Of these, 81 per cent expressed support for the main town centre crossing improvements, 77 per cent supported new crossings on East and West St Helen Street, and 76 per cent were in support of improvements at the Lombard Street junction.

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For the cycle lanes contraflow on West and East St Helen Streets, 70 and 69 per cent supported the proposals, respectively.

Cllr Ley said: “Importantly, most respondents said they would be more likely to walk, wheel or cycle if the scheme goes ahead

Dr Nathan Ley, Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Abingdon North

“There was also strong recognition that these changes would make it easier for older residents, people with disabilities, and parents with pushchairs to get around town.”

The councillor said the consultation was held to gather feedback to improve the proposal, and welcomed the “broad support for making Abingdon town centre safer, more accessible and better for active travel”.

Although plans are progressing, he added that the timeline has ‘slipped’, with the final design stage currently ongoing and expected to continue through 2026.

The Market Place in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

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Construction is likely to take place from autumn this year until spring next year, and the county council said the ‘close out period’ would be from spring 2027 until spring 2028.

Oxfordshire County Council has been allocated £1,473,679 from the government’s Active Travel Fund, intended to support specific projects to improve walking and cycling infrastructure int he county.

The Abingdon scheme, which is including in the Abingdon Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, was one of the projects that received funding for ‘full project delivery’ from design to consultation and delivery.

Supertri Blenheim Palace will take place in the grounds of the estate on June 6 and 7, offering the world’s only swim-bike-run festival set against the backdrop of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

More than 7,000 participants are expected to take part across a weekend of racing in the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

Gemma, a mother of eight-year-old twins, will compete in her first triathlon despite a lifelong phobia of water.

Gemma, 41, from Swindon, said: “I want to prove to my twins that you really can do anything you set your mind to.

“What better way to show them strength than by pushing myself outside my comfort zone?”

Her journey to this point has included losing 10 stone and a long IVF journey with her wife before having their twins.

She has signed up through Supertri’s First-Timer Programme, which supports newcomers with 12 weeks of free personalised triathlon training, live online sessions, and First-Timer expert support on race day.

Michael D’hulst, CEO of Supertri, said: “Supertri Blenheim Palace is one of the highlights of the UK triathlon calendar.

“With 50 days to go, we’re excited to welcome athletes of all levels to experience racing in such an incredible setting.

“Entries are selling fast, don’t miss your spot on race day, register now.”

British bakery firm supplier Bakels was pictured in 2004 celebrating its 100th anniversary of operations in Bicester.

The company has now been going strong for more than 120 years, since 1904, and continues to work out of Granville Way in the town.

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It manufactures, distributes and technically supports ‘innovative’ bakery ingredients and solutions to the commercial bakery market.

In 2004, the UK regional managing director Paul Morrow and group chairman Armin Ulrich cut a centenary celebration cake to mark the occasion.

Find this and other archive pictures in this Oxford Mail gallery of bakery businesses in Oxfordshire over the years.