Category: Missed a ThameNews story?

A Thame taxi driver has been fined £500 and six penalty points after using an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle for private hire.

Tye Edwards, 40, of Cromwell Avenue, pleaded guilty to operating a private hire vehicle without a valid licence and using a vehicle without insurance at Oxford Magistrates Court.

The court heard how in September 2016, Edwards, trading as KML Cars, was transporting passengers along the M25, when he was stopped by police. The officers discovered that Edwards was not displaying a Private Hire vehcile plate. A licence plate that had expired ten months earlier, was found hidden under a jacket inside the vehicle.

Further enquiries revealed that Edwards’ vehicle had also failed a roadworthiness test in March 2016, which meant that he was operating unlawfully and that his insurance was therefore invalid. Edwards was on his way to Heathrow Airport with his passengers who had been booked through their travel agent, both parties believing that the vehicle was legitimate.

Margaret Reed, Head of Legal and Democratic Services at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Taxi drivers are responsible for ensuring their vehicles are on the road legally.

“This was a serious case where someone was charging people to ride in an unlicensed, uninsured and unroadworthy vehicle. This was potentially very dangerous for the passengers and other road users.

“We would also urge anyone using a private hire or hackney carriage vehicle to check that it has a valid licence plate before they get into the vehicle.”

THAME Town Council is to pass on to the local planning authority a long list of complaints about waste bins that are constantly left outside two restaurants in the town.

At a meeting of its Policy and Resources Committee this evening, on the agenda was the town council’s regular report of Compliments and Complaints, which included thirteen complaints about Jack and Alice’s waste bins and six about Prezzo’s bins.

Cllr Helena Fickling reminded fellow councillors that they had made a specific point about the bins not being left out on the pavement, when the original Planning applications for Jack and Alice and Prezzo had come before them.

The Manager of Prezzo told Thame.Net this evening that her company had reduced the number of bins recently, specifically those for recyclable material, and that they had no option other than to keep their waste bins out on the pavements because, to store them at the side of the building behind a side gate, would put them in contravention of Fire Regulations as the restaurant’s designated Fire Exit was out through that way.

She said that she would take the matter up with her superiors.

Thame councillors agreed that the Clerk should write formerly to South Oxfordshire District Council about the complaints as it would seem that both restaurants were going against conditions of their Planning permissions.

You can read the full report about Compliments and Complaints received by Thame Town Council HERE

NB There was just one bin outside Jack and Alice this evening, because the road is currently being dug up in the Buttermarket, and the pavement blocked in front of the premises.

(1) FOLLOWING complaints from residents and town councillors to Thame’s Neighbourhood Policing team about inconsiderate parking in residential areas of the town, the team has now taken action and hand-delivered letters to some local residents urging them to think before parking.

The letters have been delivered to residents in and around Queens Road and Horton Avenue in Thame, requesting that, when parking vehicles, drivers consider other road users, pedestrians and emergency response vehicles. They also ask drivers to be mindful to keep junctions clear, not obstructing private driveways and leaving sufficient room for manoeuvring of vehicles.

(2) FOLLOWING a burglary in Roundhead Drive, Thame, recently, an offender was arrested out of the area, interviewed and has been charged with burglary of a dwelling, taking a vehicle without consent and no insurance. The offender was released on bail with conditions after appearing at Oxford Magistrates Court on March 30, for a first hearing.

During the burglary, entry was gained by forcing the back door and several items stolen, including the victim’s car.

(3) HAVE your say with a local PCSO from the Thame & Wheatley NHPT:

• 24 April 2017, 11am – 12 noon – PCSO James HOPKIN at Costa, High Street, Thame.
• 27 April 2017, 11am – 12 noon – PCSO Diane JACKSON at Thame Library.

(4) CHINNOR Crime Prevention Event April 9, 5pm – 7.30pm – The Neighbourhood team will be in Chinnor between 5pm-7.30pm distributing crime prevention advice and signing people up to the Thames Valley Alerts. More information will be sent out via TVP’s twitter page and through the local parish council nearer the time.

(5) COMMUNITY Café! – Wednesday, April 26, 6pm – 8pm – Thame & Wheatley NHPT are inviting all members of the community to this new engagement event. The “Community Café” is a fresh approach to community engagement and new way for the police and community to work together. It is an opportunity to meet the local neighbourhood policing team for Thame and Wheatley.

A police spokesperson explained: “We want to work with the local community to explore how we can together make our town and surrounding villages a safer place. The event will be an opportunity for you, the community to help us come up with ideas on how to tackle low level incidents and areas of concern for the local residents. The Community Café is open to everyone from all the surrounding villages.

“All members of the community are invited to join us, local businesses, residents, youths, organisations and volunteers. For more information, please contact the Thame neighbourhood team. Email: ThameNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Venue: Thame Town Hall; Date: Wednesday, April 26,2017 Time: 6pm – 8pm.

You can read the rest of the Neighbourhood Policing Newsletter, from which the above are extracted, HERE

Angle Property Ltd, who have recently acquired the DAF site, on the edge of Thame from Tesco, say that they intend to apply for planning permission to develop the site, known as Kingsmead Business Park, for a residential led, mixed use redevelopment.

Tesco recently sold the site to Angle Property, after the supermarket giant failed several attempts to obtain planning permission for a supermarket on the site.

The image on Wright Partners’ website, shows a proposed supermarket and a care home on the site.

THAME and Chinnor Labour Party’s candidates for the County Council elections on the May 4, are David Bailey and Simon Stone.  Both David and Simon live within the Thame and Chinnor area and they, along with other members of the Thame & Chinnor Labour group, have been out canvassing the local electorate, focusing on local issues that the county council has powers to influence.

David Bailey has been a Nurse in the NHS for 35 years and is currently based in the Emergency Department at the John Radcliffe Hospital. He is a single parent living in Thame. All three of his children have been educated at the local schools. David is an activist and a member of ‘Hands Off Our NHS and Oxford Convoy2Calais, taking aid to refugees and migrants in Calais. He states that he is standing for election ‘to protect health and social care provision in Oxfordshire, take a stand against racism, and to be a voice for those most in need in our community’.

Simon has lived in South Oxfordshire since 2008. He has two grown-up daughters and has worked in the railway industry for 22 years, starting as a stores clerk and leaving as an Executive Manager. Simon now has his own Human Resources Consultancy. He believes that local councillors should support their local communities by listening to their views and, if elected, he will hold regular surgeries for this purpose.

Simon commented: “At the very basic level people need work, housing, health and education. None of these things are luxuries or “nice to have”. They are the very basic requirements of a civilised society yet they are under threat by ideologically driven cuts that are hurting those who are least able to withstand them.”

To follow the Thame and Chinnor Labour Party’s campaign activities, you can follow them on: www.facebook.com/ThameLabour