Residents of Abingdon-on-Thames are ashamed of the state in which the Upper Reaches site has been left for 6½ years. Not only do we have to suffer this eyesore and the antisocial behaviour which it attracts, but visitors to our town - and potential businesses - must think that no-one cares for it, that we have no civic pride.

This site was once a popular and stylish riverside venue, enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Many of us remember it as "the" place to go for special events, weddings, dinners etc; others simply enjoyed a quiet drink or meal by the river.

In June 2015 this all came to an end when the leaseholder, Contemporary Hotels Ltd, closed it without warning. (Contemporary Hotels is a subsidiary of the Caparo Steel Company, run by the Hon. Ambar Paul and his family.)

Since then, the site - part of which is a historic, listed mill - has become increasingly derelict and a magnet for vandals who make life a misery for local residents and endanger their homes and the nearby medieval Abbey Buildings.

The District Council, which owns the freehold, says that the lease has over 70 years to run and they have no powers to force the leaseholder to take any action or to relinquish the lease.

Abingdon deserves better than this. We call upon the Vale of White Horse District Council and Contemporary Hotels Ltd to resolve the current impasse and bring the site back into use as what it should be, one of the jewels in the town's crown.