Details of the four short-listed schemes

Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Cranbourne

Summary of development

61 residential units across Old Gaol and Twickenham House site
Five to six restaurants and shops
67 on site parking spaces including underground parking
Part of old police station identified for the Abingdon Bridge youth support project
Access to the riverside garden through the ground floor of the Old Gaol, side access , East St Helen Street and courtyard
Affordable housing – 14 at Harcourt Way and 10 at the former Ambulance Station

Raven Group

Summary of Development

Hotel accommodation including serviced apartments (up to 98 rooms)
Restaurants and museum bar on Old Gaol ground floor
Wine bar/brasserie and health club in old police station
27 underground parking spaces
No community use stated – however interest groups potentially could manage the museum element
Access to the garden through the museum bar in the Old Gaol.

Kingerlee Homes

Summary of Development:

Osbourne Group

Summary of Development

14 residential units
Hotel with around 49 rooms
Two restaurants
20 underground parking spaces
Space identified in old police station for a Tourist Information Centre and offices for Community in the Old Gaol group (COG)
Main public access through hotel reception on Old Gaol ground floor and riverside footpath from Bridge Street
No affordable housing

The criteria set out in the development brief were:

A - Make a positive contribution to the visual amenity of the area
B - Make a major contribution to the vibrancy of the town centre both for local people and for visitors
C - Encourage controlled (commercial) access by the general public through the courtyard and ground floor of the Old Gaol to the riverside garden
D - Make the best use of its waterside location and the historic buildings on the site
E - Demonstrate good value for money in terms of the capital receipt receivable, general use of a prime riverside location and, should housing be provided on the Old Gaol site, affordable housing provision in accordance with the requirements of the Local Plan.

The development brief can be viewed or downloaded from the Old Gaol page.

Cranbourne Homes met the criteria in full:

It scheme will make a positive contribution to the visual amenity, both of the Old Gaol site and the adjacent Twickenham House site – Criterion A
Its scheme will make a major contribution to the vibrancy of the town centre, both by bringing 61 new residential units and a range of cafes, restaurants and shops to the sites - Criterion B
It maximises the opportunity for public access to the sites and, in particular, allows access to the riverside garden both through the commercial facilities and around the outside of the buildings. It also uniquely allows public pedestrian access from East St Helen’s Street through the grounds of Twickenham House to the Old Gaol – Criteria C and D
It provides specific community space within the Old Police Station which it suggests would be suitable for the Abingdon Bridge Project – Criteria B, D and E
It makes good use of the waterside location both for the development and for the general public – Criteria B and D
It brings 24 affordable housing units to Abingdon by using the Council’s Harcourt Way site (for 14 units) and a site in its private ownership (the former Ambulance site for 10 units which would otherwise be available on the open market) – Criterion E
Offers a capital receipt to the Council - Criterion E.

In addition:

It provides 67 on-site car parking spaces and safer vehicle access;
It appears to be capable of achieving the necessary planning consents having the general support of English Heritage, the Environment Agency and Oxfordshire County Council as Highways Authority.

Raven Group, the reserve choice, met most of the criteria:

Its scheme for a hotel will make a positive contribution to the visual amenity of the Old Gaol site without significant detriment to the adjacent Twickenham House site – Criterion A
It will make a major contribution to the vibrancy of the town centre by bringing visitors into the town centre and offering restaurants, cafes, bars and a health centre that will also be open to the public – Criterion B
It meets the requirements for controlled public access to the riverside garden – Criterion C
It makes good use of the waterside location both for the development and for the general public through controlled access – Criterion D
Although its scheme does not require the provision of any affordable housing, the Raven Group would, if requested, build out Harcourt Way at cost - Criterion E
It brings a capital receipt to the Council if the Harcourt Way scheme is left out or a payment by the Council if Harcourt Way is included – Criterion E.

In addition:

It appears to be capable of achieving the necessary planning consents although more work will be needed on some aspects of the scheme.

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