Category: Thame news

FOLLOWING concerns about the safety of the pedestrian entrance to Elms Park, Thame Town Council is to test various layouts using a temporary barrier, and will seek the advice of the road safety organisation, RoSPA.

At a meeting of the council’s Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee on Tuesday (04/06), Richard Jeffries, who lives opposite the park in Park Street, spoke about safety concerns on behalf of the Headteacher of John Hampden School, Alan Haigh, other neighbours and the school’s parent governors, and said that a previous RoSPA report had clearly highlighted ‘a medium risk to cyclists’. It goes on to suggest that installing a gate could reduce the risk. Full report HERE

Mr Jeffries wanted to know what had changed the council’s mind between 2008, when it approved a side, pedestrian gate (now missing) and now, when it deems one unnecessary. He asked: “Are you happy to shoulder the responsibility for any accident that may occur here?”

During the debate at Tuesday’s meeting, there was much discussion about whether a self-closing gate would be practical or could trap fingers, and about alternatives, including creating a chicane at right-angles to the path further inside the entrance.

The Clerk reported that there had been no reported incidents or safety issues raised since the entrance had been changed. Cllr Champken Woods however, said: “The problem will be when there is an accident. I do not want to be a part of that. There is a perceived risk to cyclists. We should act as quickly as possible. This is urgent.”

In her report to the council, the Clerk, Helen Stewart, said: “The plans that accompanied the planning application did show a matching iron gate in the public access entrance and the design and access statement when reviewed recently did refer to a self closing gate.

“The mystery as to both of these points is still unresolved; there are no Minutes agreeing the
commissioning of such a gate and there isn?t a matching one available from catalogues. The practicalities of the gate being self closing had also never been assessed from an access audit position either.”

Background

It seems that the town council’s Planning committee did consider the plan for a side gate LINK HERE in July 2008, expressing ‘No Strong Views’ before the application was sent on to SODC who approved it. No mention is made of leaving out the side gate from the plans.

In the end, at Tuesday’s meeting, the committee agreed to a proposal to place a temporary barrier at various places, get the comments of users, and assess where the best place for something permanent would be. It was also agreed to ask RoSPA for further advice.

IN celebration of the life of local gardener, Ray Stockewell, a family from 18 Willow Road, Thame, alongside the Mayor, Peter Lambert, opened their garden on Sunday (09/06) to the public.

The event, called ?Pots n Rocks,?is part of the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity?s (FNHC) annual Sunny Sunflower Month taking place throughout June – a spectacular open garden event, which will showcase over 300 plants available to buy on the day.

The fun kicked off at 10am through until 6pm with visitors asked to pay

FOLLOWING concerns raised by local people about a sloped path where cyclists and skateboarders travel at speed from a Thame play area into a road, Thame Town Council has agreed to install a permanent safety barrier.

The path in question leads from the Queen Elizabeth play are into Harrison Place, in Thame.

The perceived dangers posed by the path were raised at the recent annual town meeting and, following a site visit by Councillors and the subsequent installation of a temporary barrier, the matter was discussed at last week?s Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee. Two residents from the area expressed their fears for the safety of bikers and skaters ?flying? out into the road, and for cars parked near by.

In a report to Councillors, the town clerk, Helen Stewart, said: ?The path has a gradient that invites both cyclists and skate boarders to use it as a run way. The momentum gained going down the path is quite significant and since there is no barrier between the road and the path there is no mechanism to stop egress directly onto the road.?

Various ideas, including those for a cattle grid and humps, were rejected in favour of installing a staggered barrier plus a fence line along the line of the bollards that are currently in situ. A sign to indicate traffic was also proposed.

The total cost was estimated to be

A NOVELTY Dog Show, including classes for the ‘Prettiest Bitch’ and the ‘scruffiest pooch’, will be just one of the attractions at this year’s Thame Carnival on June 15.

The dog show will be sponsored by Petcare of Thame. The theme for the Carnival is Musicals, and all funds raised will go to the recently launched, Thame Youth Cafe, held every Wednesday at the Youth Centre building at Lord Williams’s Lower school. This recently released video about the Centre, was made by local young filmmaker, Joe Phippen.

Here’s a full list of the Classes for the Thame Carnival Novelty Dog Show:

Best Puppy Girl (under year)
Best Puppy Boy (under 1 year)
Prettiest Bitch
Most Handsome Dog
Scruffiest Pooch
Golden Oldie (over 7 years old)
The Dog the Judge would most like to take home
BEST IN SHOW

As well as the dog show there will be three other small events going on. These are:-

AGILITY TEST
Scurry Run
Temptation Alley
On My Command

Entry forms available from: Petcare – 15 Cornmarket – Thame – 01844 213710

Carnival Parade through the town centre from noon. Fete 1pm to 5pm at Southern Road Recreation Ground.

THE Helen & Douglas House charity shop in Thame is celebrating its fifth birthday during National Volunteer Week, 1-7 June. It is five years since Sister Frances Dominica opened the shop in Upper High Street and customers and volunteers will celebrate with a birthday cake, and the shop is decorated with colourful balloons which will be given out to children visiting the shop or to passing by.

During National Volunteer Week, Helen & Douglas House is asking people in the community to think about what they can do to support their local hospice charity for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions.

There are two volunteering opportunities; helping occasionally at local fundraising events, or becoming a volunteer at one of the charity’s shops in Oxfordshire. The image of volunteering has changed and Helen & Douglas House attracts people of all ages and abilities, male and female, and those that have a lot of time to give, or very little. The charity was awarded the Queens Award for Volunteering in 2011.

Debbie Sharp, Helen & Douglas House’s Thame Shop Manager, said “We are delighted to be celebrating our 5th birthday today and would like to thank all our customers who shop with us, donate goods and all our amazing volunteers. Without your support we would not be able to raise the money to provide vital support to families with children and young adults with life shortening illnesses living in Thame and the surrounding areas.”

The Helen & Douglas House charity shop in Thame has 22 volunteers, as well as half a dozen local Duke of Edinburgh Award student volunteers and other work experience placements. Debbie, who has worked at the Helen & Douglas House shop since it opened, said “As a local charity we are really part of the community in Thame. Look out for our stand at the upcoming Carnival too.”

If you are interested in volunteering for community fundraising activities contact Thame Community Fundraiser, Helen Archer on 07538 553252 or call 01865 794749 to find out more about retail volunteering, or pop into the shop. For more information about Helen & Douglas House go to www.helenanddouglas.og.uk

A THAME patients group is appealing to local people to think twice before driving their cars to visit the Health Centre in East Street, as parking there becomes more and more of a headache.

Mike Smith, a member of the Patients Committee at the Rycote doctors practice, told ThameNews.Net: “As you may be aware, there is a lot of building work going on at the Health Centre as forward thinking to accommodate 775 more houses expected to be built in the town over the next few years.

“That will mean 2,000 more people on top of 11,000 currently covered by the Rycote Practice and 4,000 by Trinity Health, which means a lot of cars!

“Parking has never been very good but is worse at the moment with contractors vehicles in, etc. Also, on a Tuesday it is used by all and sundry to visit the market with people not realizing it is a private car park.”

Here are some startling figures for the use of the Health Centre and its car park, and an explanation of how local people can help ease the parking situation on site:

Thame Health Centre provides healthcare to nearly 16,000 patients. 11,200 at the Rycote Practice and over 4,500 at Trinity Health.

On average there are 35 members of staff – doctors nurses and administrative staff ? who work at Rycote and Trinity practices on an average day. Approximately 300 patients will visit Thame Health Centre each day to see a doctor or nurse and the majority of people will drive to the surgery. The site is also used by the community hospital and the district nursing teams. “Add to this the number of people who drive to Boots to pick up their prescription and you can imagine how many people may need to park on site,” explained Mike.

“This number is compounded by people using this car park and walking into town to visit the shops or the market. This means that our patients, doctors and nurses can often find it difficult to get parked and it causes everyone a great deal of stress. Unfortunately we do not own the car park which makes taking steps to help control its use very difficult.

“In the short term, we are appealing for people to help us by;

* Not using this car park unless you are visiting the health centre or accessing community or hospital services on the site. There are other car parks in Thame for shoppers

*Not bringing your car if you are fit and healthy enough to walk to the surgery. This means that more patients who absolutely must drive are able to get parked

*Only parking in designated spaces ? people sometimes park on the verges making it difficult to access the car park safely and sometimes blocking people in

“We are also trying to ease the pressures by encouraging our staff to avoid bringing their car to work wherever this is possible and by parking off site when they can,” added Mike.

In the longer term, the Group is talking to the owners of the car park about increasing the number of spaces and are looking at the possibility of purchasing some of the car park so that they can protect some of the spaces for use by patients.

“In the meantime,” pleaded Mike, we would ask for your readers’ help to ensure that this problem does not drive us all mad!”

SOURCE: The Rycote Practice & Trinity Patient Group
Trinity Health & Trinity Patient Group
Working in Partnership

PHOTO: Temporary waiting room accommodation at the Rycote Practice as major alterations and expansion work is carried out at the Health Centre

BETWEEN midnight on (30/5) and midnight on (1/6) an orange, Takeauchi Digger was stolen from a yard in Thame Park Road, Thame.

It is unknown how the offender/s gained entry on to the site. No further information available at this time.

If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message please call the police on 101 and state you are responding to a Thames Valley Alert message.

Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

SOURCE; Thames Valley Police Community alert

THE latest Thame Sector Neighbourhood Team Newsletter has been published by Thames Valley Police which gives crime information for the month of May and details of Police operations and ‘Have Your Say’ meetings locally.

Crime information

PCSO Chris Hollis conducted a stop check in Southern Road Recreation Ground, Thame, which resulted in a search and arrest for Possession with Intent to Supply (drugs).

There were a number of break-ins to sheds in Chinnor during the month of May. Please be vigilant, and report any suspicious behaviour/vehicles. Crime Prevention advice and posters have been distributed to local shops and to the Parish Council offices.

Offenders brought to justice

A number of offenders were brought to justice for a variety of offences including: Shoplifting, Public Order, Drug Possession – Cannabis, Criminal Damage to Vehicles, Actual Bodily Harm, and Aggravated Vehicle Taking.

Traffic issues

Highways (Oxfordshire County Council) are looking at re-marking some of the lines in Thame, including some double yellow lines which have been removed due to patching work.

Speed check operations with the Speed Indication Device (SID) will continue throughout 2013 within the Thame Sector and letters will be sent to offenders, so watch your speed!

Have-your-say meetings

* Wednesday, June 5, 11am – midday at Towersey Memorial Hall, Chinnor Road, Towersey with PCSO Jacky Madden.
? Saturday, June 8, 2pm ? 4pm at the Co-Op Cafe, Thame with PCSO Chris Hollis.
? Tuesday, June 25 , 1pm ? 2pm, at Chinnor Village Centre, High Street, Chinnor with PCSO Jacky Madden.

These meetings are an ideal opportunity for local residents to speak to their neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs about any local issues, no appointment is necessary just turn up and speak to your local officers. Further meetings will be publicised
locally and on the force website at: www.thamesvalley.police.uk

Read the full report which includes useful website addresses at: www.thamesvalley.police.uk/pub-pg-nh-upds-N380?id=254897

SEVERAL members of the Red Kites Scooter Club of Thame, rode across to Lord Williams’s School on Monday, May 21, to meet with the Headteacher, David Wybron and the School Counsellor, Jane Harrison to hand over a cheque for

AFTER several years of fundraising, fantastic Community support and racking up a large number of volunteer hours, The Thame Youth Memorial Fund has proudly announced that it will be unveiling the Garden on Sunday, September 8, 2013.

A full programme of events will be published closer to the date, but in the meantime, the organisers are asking that local people continue to support its continuing fundraising efforts.

“We are only able to commit to starting the project due to Thame Town Council providing a short term loan – we continue to raise funds to ensure that 2013 is the final year of this stage of the project!” said a spokesperson for the charity.

NB You can read all back stories explaining the history of this project HERE

PHOTO: Flash back to volunteers selling raffle tickets outside Thame town hall, to raise funds for the Thame Youth Memorial