Category: Thame news

TREASURE Thame and keep it safe until 2027 – A chance to see your Councillors with your questions and comments.

Residents of Thame are working closely with the Town Council to produce a blueprint for Thame for the next 15 years. You have until October 3, to make your views known on the draft proposals.

Be sure to visit the Neighbourhood Plan stall at Thame market. It will be there on Tuesday, September 18, and on 25, from 9am until 2pm.

You can also visit the Thame Town Council website: www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk to view all the documents and find out more about how you can have your say.

A leading market towns support group has today welcomed the Government’s Rural Statement 2012, calling it “a fantastic summary of the many policy and funding initiatives that small towns and their surrounding rural communities can benefit from.”

Along with other members of the independent **Rural Coalition, Action for Market Towns (AMT) welcomed the fact that the new Defra Secretary of State, Owen Paterson MP, has immediately backed the Rural Statement’s launch, “signifying,” said AMT in a statement today, “the importance of this document to his department.”

AMT’s chief executive, Chris Wade, commented: “Town councils and community groups across England should be hurriedly reading through the Rural Statement and asking if they are ready to benefit from all the Government schemes listed. In our work with rural communities, we find that they have been leading the way with community led or neighbourhood planning as a great place to kick-start long-term improvements and link in to many other opportunities.

“Market towns and rural areas are home to one-fifth of the English population (nearly 10 million people) and with more than 505,000 businesses, or 28% of England?s total. They are also great places to do business.”

Earlier this year, AMT welcomed the creation of five Rural Growth Networks ? in Swindon and Wiltshire, Durham and Northumberland, Devon and Somerset, Cumbria, Coventry and Warwickshire ? to help businesses in rural areas to reach their potential by breaking down barriers to economic growth such as a shortage of work premises, slow internet connection and fragmented business networks.

“Lessons from pilots should influence policy across departments”

Commenting on the potential to boost the rural economy around small towns and the link to neighbourhood planning, Chris Wade added: “We hope that lessons from the Rural Growth Network pilots are quickly translated to influence policy across Whitehall. Neighbourhood planning, done well, can help keep money in the local economy and provide retail services and local jobs.

“Support for affordable housing will equally help to sustain rural economies. Ongoing support outlined in the Rural Statement for encouraging social enterprise through the

THAME’s MP, John Howell, has welcomed the news that an independent Planning Inspector has approved a plan which will provide the blueprint for the district’s growth over the next 15 years. 

South Oxfordshire District Council’s ‘Core Strategy’ sets out how many new homes should be built and where, and where employment sites will be created in Thame, Henley and Wallingford, by 2027. It has been developed over a four-year period with extensive community involvement and technical assessments of the proposed sites – but not without controversies on the way.

Thame Town Council, at one point in the consultation process, questioned the legality of the Core Strategy. READ MORE

South Oxfordshire District Council itself was involved in a spat with the inspector over the fact that he would not allow it to include ‘windfall’ sites in its allocation of new housing. READ MORE

Recently the core strategy underwent a public examination where the planning inspector heard evidence from local councils, residents and other interested groups and individuals.

John Howell said of the Inspector’s approval of the Core Strategy: ?This gives the boost to those wishing to complete their Neighbourhood Plans that many have been looking for. It represents another Council which has brought forward a successful Core Strategy to ensure that the sustainable development of the area can be planned rather than left to chance.

?I offer my congratulations to the Council for this result. It is a good result which reflects the hard work which has been put in to the Plan. I am sure Thame will now want to deliver a positive vote in the referendum on its Neighbourhood Plan. I am sure too that Henley will want to assess how the 400 houses can best be accommodated.?

BACKGROUND ARTICLES REGARDING THE CORE STRATEGY: LINK

BACKGROUND ARTICLES REGARDING THE THAME COMMUNITY PLAN

A THAME mum, battling the authorities to get suitable housing and benefits for her disabled husband, is not satisfied with her MP’s response to her pleas for help.

When Tamsyn Wood publicly criticised John Howell MP for being ‘uncaring’ about her desperate plight to get practical and financial help for her disabled husband and young family, he responded denying the charge and “putting the record straight.” (See a href=”https://www.thame.net/readmore.asp?Content_ID=7899&”target=”_blank”>LINK)

However, Mrs Wood continues to contradict her MP’s version of events and has today both personally and publicly countered his response.

In an email sent last night to John Howell, and copied to ThameNews.Net for publication, Mrs Wood said:

Dear Mr Howell,

I gratefully received your personal response, something I did not get the first time I wrote to you. It is a shame that it took BBC news coverage to prompt this.

You spoke in your response to Thame News.net of ?setting the record straight?. As this was your goal, I am pleased also to have that opportunity.

Back in April when I did indeed contact you, my email explained in-depth the situation my family found itself in. I also, yes, asked for financial and possible housing routes for help on this front also.

I still do not have the latter of these issues resolved, and have only had one of the cut off benefits re-instated after quite some work on my part, whilst juggling visiting my husband in hospital and four children?s needs.

In my email to you I also expressly said that, and I quote from my original email:

?I have been in touch with a representative from the South Oxfordshire District council housing association who is trying to find suitable accommodation for our family?s needs (ceiling hoist, wheelchair access, four bedrooms, disabled bathroom, ramps) and as private rental (housing benefit) has a maximum limit of

THAME’S MP, John Howell, has officially opened South Oxfordshire?s first Extra Care development for older people at Corbetts Way in Thame.

Soha Housing Ltd has developed the scheme on the former ground of Thame United Football Club to provide 40 flats for rent and shared ownership purchase.

Steve Lynch, Director of Property and Development at Soha said: “Extra Care promotes independent living for older people with care needs. Each self-contained apartment is designed to meet the needs of older people and to allow them to remain independent for as long as possible. Care is available on-site for 24 hours a day by our care providers Housing21 and this ensures residents? care needs can be met in an appropriate and flexible way.

“Residents say that they like the programme of activities around the communal facilities and gardens here and they especially like that they can take part as much or as little as they like. Soha strongly believes that Extra Care Housing offers a far better option for older people than other more institutionalised forms of care provision. Soha is looking forward to developing its next Extra Care scheme in Goring.?

John Howell said, “Thame Extra Care scheme is excellent because it provides its own community without any sense of it being isolated from the wider neighbourhood and all the town has to offer.”

Resident Clive Sherwin (pictured with his dog Benny) said, ?This scheme has given my life back. I have a beautiful apartment that is so well designed it has given me independence – even though I am in a wheelchair.?

For further information, please contact Liz Roberts, Resident Involvement and Marketing Department, Soha Housing Ltd. Tel: 01235 515 900 or email: lizroberts@soha.co.uk.

THAME’s MP, John Howell, has denied ‘not caring’ about the plight of a Thame family who say they have been denied benefits for the severely disabled husband who must go for a job interview first.

The Wood family’s plight was all over the internet and local news channels yesterday after Alex Wood’s wife, Tamsyn, issued a desperate statement about her family’s situation since her husband’s horrific brain injury in a rugby match last October. In her plea for help, Mrs Wood said: “After a few weeks now of insane trials, fighting against the benefits system, fighting for funding for Alex and my head spinning with where to go next….I am turning my fear for not being able to provide for my kids into rage and action….in the frontline now as I need help to get Alex the right rehabilitation, not at the mercy of the NHS and the fear that the indefinite funds will one day run out, and he will not have the chance he needs.

“I have to fight for him, I have to fight for my kids, any other mother out there in my situation would do the same.

“The local MP, John Howell, in Thame was not interested,” she said. “One of his secretaries emailed me weeks after I sent a desperate plea, saying they did not deal with cases like mine, to go to the council. This does effect him actually, he is a government MP, under the noses of the government I am (as the child tax credits have been put on hold till I provide a particular piece of evidence) a mother of four under eights with no access to funds to feed my children.”

MP’S RESPONSE

In a statement to ThameNews.Net today, John Howell said: ” I have looked at the blogspot and have every sympathy with the situation that the Wood family find themselves in. However it is entirely a misrepresentation to say that I am not interested in the case. Let me put the record straight.

“When constituents contact my office we take time to look at each individual case and try to determine the best route for them to get the help they need. This is exactly what we did in this case. Mrs Wood did indeed contact my office in April. She asked two specific questions; firstly, if we know of any financial support that could be offered and, secondly, if we could advise of possible housing routes. We, therefore, pointed Mrs Wood to those who would be in a position to help and advise her. At no time did anyone say we were not interested in helping Mrs Wood rather we tried to get her the most direct help available.

“Having pointed Mrs Wood in the right direction we have heard no more and we could only assume that the leads given had helped her. If Mrs Wood had come back to my office to say that these leads were not helpful we would certainly have tried to see if there was any more we could do. Indeed in complex cases we work hard to seek to ensure that all available support is given.

“I will not be responding in detail to any of the emails sent on behalf of the Woods family as we treat all cases with the confidentiality they deserve.”

At the end of last night’s news bulletin on BBC Oxford, where Mrs Wood revealed that she had only

ADULTS in Oxfordshire now have the chance to brush up their CVs with free county council-run courses in English and maths.

These English and maths courses are free and available to any Oxfordshire resident above the age of 19 and cover all abilities from beginners to GCSE level.

GCSE English and maths courses start the week beginning 10 Sept so there is still time to grab a place. The rest of the English and maths programme as a whole starts week beginning 1 October. Anyone wanting to find out more should ring the Oxfordshire Skills and Learning Service on 0845 351 0646 (between 09.30-17.00)
T
he classes will be held across the county at venues in Oxford, Didcot, Abingdon, Banbury, Carterton and Bicester.

County Councillor Melinda Tilley, Cabinet member for Education, said: ?This is a great opportunity to brush up on your skills or perhaps to get a qualification you may not have achieved earlier on in life.

?Taking one of these courses could help improve your job prospects or help in the job you are in at the moment. Regardless of your circumstances it is worth finding out more ? it won?t cost you anything but could prove to be a very valuable call.?

SOURCE: Press release – Image Courtesy of Highbury college

SUPPORTERS and sponsors of the Thame Food Festival gathered at Thame Museum last night, for the opening of a special photography exhibition in celebration of the festival, now in its fifth year.

The exhibition features the work of Debbie Jones of Imaging Essence, whose work regularly illustrates the food festival’s programmes and the website

One of the festival organisers and promotors, Julian Dorling, was there and told ThameNews.Net all about it:

“What a night it was! TFF patron, Lotte Duncan made a hilarious welcome speech, most of which couldn?t be reprinted here! ‘Thame Food Festival is where everyone wants to be,’ she said. ‘Top Chefs are so difficult to pin down and it?s so great to see people like Beverley Glock, Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi and Steve Love from headline sponsors McCormick UK here.’

“Festival stallholders brought some fantastic samples of their ?work? including sausages from Orchard View Farm, Avlaki Organic Olive Oils and yummy dips from CiCi-CoCo. Frazer Sutherland from ‘The Thatch’ and the ‘James Figg’ supplied food and drink, and copious amounts of hospitality. Lotte was a bit disappointed with her latest effort on the Thame Tart front and encouraged people to ‘see if they could do better with their own version.’”

A special prize is to be awarded for the best Thame Tart (Ed. the edible sort!) on the day of the festival and the recipe is in the Festival programme, available in outlets in Thame and at the Town Hall.

The exhibition, which runs until October 3 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday 10-4pm, and Sunday 12-4pm) is FREE and includes images of celebrity Chefs, including Raymond Blanc who will be appearing in the Cookery Theatre at Thame Food Festival on September 29, and wonderful shots of past festival highlights. Many of the images will be included in a special festival calendar.

Thame Food Festival promises to be a wonderful free, family day out in the centre of the town from 9am onwards, to celebrate all that is best in great, inspiring and mouth-watering food and drink.

PHOTO: A fine example of the Thame Tart, a sophisticated version of the jam tart, invented by John Fothergill, proprietor of the The Spread Eagle in the 1930s.