It will take more than cosmetic surgery to make Abingdon an attractive place for shoppers, traders and tourists.

But the £450,000 scheme to refurbish the town’s High Street, which starts on Monday, is a start.

In some quarters, Abingdon is seen as a less attractive option for shoppers than some neighbouring towns.

But this project is a good place to start.

Oxfordshire has not been as badly affected by the recession as many other parts of the country, but confidence on the high street is still at a low ebb.

Let’s hope this scheme goes some way to change that.