Category: Missed a ThameNews story?

RECTORY Homes has failed to persuade Thame Town Council to recommend that the local planning authority approves its planning application for an Extra Care housing development on the site known as The Elms, in Upper High Street, Thame.

This particular plan was the second, new proposal submitted since Rectory Homes did have a plan for a housing development on the site, approved back in July 2015.

This latest application is for a development comprising apartments, houses and a communal residents’ centre with basement parking and storage areas, a new public open space, provision of new vehicle access from Elms Road and a new pedestrian / cycle link onto the Upper High Street with associated infrastructure works and landscaping. It would consist of five main blocks of one and two-bedroom self-contained units, of between 10 and 22 units per block. A further two small blocks would contain two self-contained, two-bedroom apartments and four, three-bedroom “houses”.

The applicant had claimed that the Thame Neighbourhood Plan was out of date and that such schemes were supported by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Rectory Homes also held that, because the bulk, scale and massing of the development having been already approved as part of the original application, anything that fits inside a similar shell should be approved.

If approved, this new scheme would create 23 jobs, create less traffic movements in adjoining streets and a small increase in the public space provided, Rectory Home’s spokesperson told the council.

“I do not believe that the evidence is there for such an institution,” said the Neighbourhoood Plan Continuity Officer, Graeme Markland.

The town council agreed with a report before them from its Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Officer, that the proposal went against the Thame Neighbourhood Plan in five specifics (Access the full report HERE) and voted to recommend refusal of the application.

ALL the nominations for candidates to represent the Henley Constituency, of which Thame is included, have today been published. They are as follows:

THE recently formed, Thame For Europe Group, made their presence felt yesterday, Tuesday, in Thame, when they encouraged passers-by to join them in conversation about Europe and gave out flags, stickers – and chocolates.

Group spokesperson, Phillipa Tawn, told Thame.net: “We had an amazing day yesterday in Thame. We gave out 400 little flags as well as dozens of chocolates and stickers. We were overwhelmed by the positive response and had so many interesting conversations with passers-by; a couple of angry people but they were definitely the exceptions.”

Yesterday,the European flag was flown from Thame’s flag pole, outside the town hall to mark May 9, Europe Day, which aims to celebrate peace and unity in Europe. SEE LINK

IT’S not every day that a world renowned Mathematician visits your school. Yesterday, Marcus du Sautoy, OBE, Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford came to Lord Williams’s School in Thame, to open the new Clark Building.

A school spokesperson said: “Marcus spent the day meeting staff and students and gave a wonderful talk to Year 11 students on the wonders of Mathematics and the potential joys and mysteries of studying the subject. A special certificate was presented to Jamie Lyon who won a competition to design a mural for the floor in the entrance hall to the new building. Marcus has very interesting views on the links between Mathematics and the Creative Arts collaborating with many different artists and organisations.

“In 2014 he worked with the Swedish Radio Orchestra exploring the connections between Mathematics and Music. He has also presented three series of the School of Hard Sums on the Dave TV station with comedian Dara O’ Briain. He was the mathematical adviser for the National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.

“The new building is named in recognition of the dedicated service of one of our present governors, Anne Clark, who has supported the school as a parent and governor for over 40 years.”

David Wybron, the Headteacher of Lord Williams’s school, commented: “This building will surely inspire present and future generations of staff and students. There is a very tangible feeling of space and light in the building and it feels like an exciting place for learning to take place.”

The building was the result of a successful bid to the Education Funding Agency.

THAME Town Council tonight elected a new town Mayor – for the second time of trying.

At a previous meeting of the town council, after two ballots and two dead heats, the council failed to come to a decision but this evening, Cllr Tom Wyse, a real home-grown, Thame man, was elected. Cllr Wyse beat rival nominee, Cllr David Dodds who earlier in the meeting was given a standing ovasion for achieving 50 years as a town councillor.

In his acceptance speech, Cllr Wyse said: “Thank you all for your support. I will make every effort to carry out the Mayor’s duty to the best of my ability. It is a great honour for me to be sitting at this table which was made at the Rycotewood College here in Thame.

“I nevery imagined when I was a 13 year-old boy at Rycotewood that I would be sitting here in the Mayor’s chair. Once again, thank you for your support. My aim is to try to bring some new ideas to the town.”

The retiring Mayor, Linda Emery, was elected Deputy Mayor. She told councillors that being Mayor had been ‘a life changing experience’ for her in serving the community and that she had learned so much about the people and organisations that contribute ‘to our wonderful town’ and had realised the responsibility of the role of Mayor to ‘really feel the pulse of the community’.

Cllr Emery presented her two chosen charities, The Red Kite Family Centre, and Thame Youth Projects, with a cheque each for over £7,000, money she had raised through various events, during her year as Mayor.

THAME Town Council is negotiating with a telecoms company who want to erect a mast close to the Southern Road football changing rooms.

The mast would be 17.5 metre high, and if the plan goes ahead after a public consultation and planning application, the town council could be paid in the region of £70,000 to spend on public services. A public consultation on the proposal begins today.

Visit the LINK HERE for more information including how to have your say.

TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 9, is Europe Day/EU Flag Day and the recently formed, Thame For Europe  group, will be manning a stall in Greyhound Walk from 11am -5pm.

TFE spokesperson, Phillipa Tawn, told Thame.Net: “The purpose of Europe Day is to celebrate peace and cooperation with our European neighbours. We will not be discussing the election. We will be giving out free EU flags and stickers; inviting people to write down what they feel is most important about the EU and to attach the note to our olive tree. We will also be offering a small prize for anyone who can identify more than 10 of the EU flags. We also hope that many people will sign up to join our group.”

Europe Day, held on May 9 every year, celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historical ‘Schuman declaration‘. At a speech in Paris in 1950, when Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable.

His vision was to create a European institution that would pool and manage coal and steel production. A treaty creating such a body was signed just under a year later. Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the European Union.