AN historic building in the middle of Abingdon which has lain empty for years is set to become a boutique hotel. Old Abbey House has been empty since 2014, and its future has been hotly debated by Vale of White Horse District Council over the last few years. Now, the council has revealed it will sell the building for £927,000 to a Witney-based development company called Ede Holdings. The company hopes now to turn the 18th century building into a 20-bedroom hotel. A press statement from the council said these plans will ‘create jobs for local residents and help to reinforce the historic town’s status as a tourist destination’.