OXFORD’S famous Salter’s Steamers have returned to Abingdon and opened their first permanent base in the town since 1989.

The company bought Abingdon Bridge Marine on Nag’s Head Island from Len and Brenda Baker, who have retired after running it for over 20 years.

Salters is running passenger services from the centre for the first time and is now planning to scrap the workshop, which it does not need, and open a new riverside cafe there.

Managing director Paul Salter, 26, said: “We have always had a presence in Abingdon – the Oxford to Abingdon route is one of our most popular services. Now we have a secure base here, hopefully for a long time to come.”

His father, and company chairman John Salter, said: “We have always had moorings in Abingdon but we haven’t had a premises in quite a while. This is our return to Abingdon in full swing.”

Salter’s started running trips from the new base in May and Mr Salter said business was going “better than he expected”.

The firm has applied for planning permission to move the chandlery into the workshop, and create a cafe where the chandlery is now.

The cafe would have outside seating and serve lunches such as sandwiches, early evening meals and soft drinks, Mr Salter said, but would not be a licensed premises.

Abingdon Mayor Helen Pighills welcomed the plan. She said: “Hopefully it will entice people travelling from Oxford to get off the pleasure boat, have a bit of lunch then come into Abingdon.”

The news comes after an ambitious plan to build a new outdoor amphitheatre on the island and a new footbridge from the mainland were scrapped.

Salter’s had a permanent base by the Nag’s Head pub in Abingdon for years until 1989, when it “bought itself out” of the agreement, John Salter said.

Since then, the company has run regular boats between Oxford and Abingdon but not had a permanent base with facilities there.

Mr Salter said: “We are going to run the business exactly the same as it has been run, except we will be running passenger boats out of there.”

People in Abingdon can find the full Salter’s Steamers planning application online at whitehorsedc.gov.uk using reference number P15/V1255/FUL and comment until June 24.

The Vale of White Horse District Council has said it will make a final decision by July 22.