Category: Thame news

THAME butchers, Newitt and sons, are among the local food businesses to receive a special award to mark two years of the food hygiene scheme, Scores on the Doors.

Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils are giving thirteen awards to food businesses with ?elite? levels of hygiene, to display from June 17.

Thirteen food premises in South Oxfordshire and nine in the Vale, have been awarded Scores on the Doors? highest rating of five stars following two inspections in a row. This prestigious accolade has also been awarded locally to Hempton Field Nursing Home, in Chinnor.

Scores on the Doors is a national scheme that rates food hygiene standards in premises that sell food including restaurants, cafes, delis, butchers shops, takeaways and mobile food vans.

By raising public awareness of food hygiene and through the councils support, many businesses across South and Vale have made vast improvements.

South Oxfordshire has seen a large increase of premises boasting three stars or higher, which is a good to excellent rating. The number of five star premises has risen from 11 at the launch to 82. Overall, the number
of three, four and five star premises has risen to 443 from 290 at the start.

Vale of White Horse has had a similar success with premises seeing their star rating improve to either a three, four or five star (272 to 402). The number of five star premises has risen from seven at the
launch to 71.

Cllr Dorothy Brown, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member responsible for food safety, said:
?I?m so impressed that food businesses are achieving such consistently high scores for food safety. It?s testament to the hard work we put in to helping businesses reach the highest standards of
hygiene.?

South?s elite premises
Bright Horizons Nursery, Elizabeth House, Cholsey
Burger King, Welcome Break Services nr Wheatley
Carl Woods Butchers, Sonning Common
Cholsey County Primary, Cholsey
Ripon College, Cuddesdon
Hempton Field Nursing Home, Chinnor
M Newitt & Sons Butchers, Thame
Police Rehabilitation Centre, Goring Heath
Rush Court Nursing Home, Shillingford Hill
Staff Canteen, Waitrose Wallingford
Waitrose Ltd, Wallingford
Watlington and District Care Home, Watlington
Westgate House, Wallingford

Vale?s elite premises
Little Stars Nursery, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell
On The Run (Esso), Faringdon
Ridgeway House, Harwell
The Coseners House, Abbey Close, Abingdon
The School of St Helen & St Katherine, Farringdon Road, Abingdon
The Manor Preparatory School, Shippon, Abingdon.
Wantage Nursing Home
Williams F1 Staff Restaurant
Williams Grand Prix Conference Centre

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet will discuss changes to its planning strategy for new houses in Thame and the rest of the district when it meets next Tuesday, June 28.

Cabinet will discuss and make recommendations to Council on proposed changes to the Local Development Framework Core Strategy and associated documents that will go before the Planning Inspection before determining future housing and economic development in the district to 2027.

Cabinet is being asked to recommend that Council approve the Changes to the Submission LDF Core Strategy, the Sustainability Appraisal, and the Appropriate Assessment, and that these documents be published for the statutory six week publication period
under Regulation 27 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008.

Full Council will meet on June 30 to decide on the Cabinet’s recommendations.

The Planning Inspector, appointed by the Secretary of State to examine the core strategy, has concluded that some parts of the Submission Core Strategy are not
sound, and in particular that the council?s housing strategy is inconsistent with national planning policy. He has invited the council to make the changes necessary to address this issue, before the relevant parts of the core strategy can then proceed to the examination hearings stage of the process.

The concern to be addressed is the reliance the strategy places upon a supply of homes from unallocated sites in years 11-15 of the strategy, to help meet the
council?s housing ambitions to 2027. The change the council must make is to put forward specific allocations from which this supply can be met.

The meet starts at 6pm, and will be held at the council’s offices at Crowmarsh Gifford.

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a woman was robbed near her car in Thame on Friday (17/6).

At 12.20pm, the 49-year-old woman was standing by her Volvo, which was parked in Elms Road near an alleyway which runs past the recreation ground. She was rearranging her laptop in the passenger seat when she was pushed aside and the offender took her laptop in its case and ran off.

The offender, believed to be a man, is described as being 5ft 10in with a medium build and he was wearing faded blue jeans and a grey hooded top with the hood up.

Det Con Wojciech Spyt said: ?This robbery happened in the middle of the day and while there was nobody around in Elms Road, someone may have seen the offender running past the recreation ground or past the school in Park Street, carrying a laptop case.?

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det Con Spyt via the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

OPPOSITION to plans for a supermarket on the cattle market site in North Street, Thame, appears to be growing, with over 500 people now signed up to the Facebook cause: Stop Sainsbury?s building a superstore at Thame?s Cattle Market.

Several more local people have signed petitions at various shops in Thame whilst others have signed an online petition. The petition also calls for any redevelopment of the Cattle Market site to include facilities for the local community, with assembly and leisure uses.

In a statement, the Cattlemarket Action Group (CAG) says: “Because the land is already owned by South Oxfordshire District Council there is a golden
opportunity for a mixed used development of this kind to be built on the site when the cattle market moves out to the edge of town.

“The Cattle market Action Group (CMAG) is encouraging Thame Town Council to include this in the town plan, which will be developed over the next few months
in preparation for the Localism Bill. CMAG continue to communicate with all parties over the plans for this important town centre site.”

www.thamecmag.co.uk

PHOTO; courtesy of Thame Farmers Mart

THE pupils and teachers at John Hampden Primary school in Thame are still glowing today after the Cup for the best Carnival entry was presented to them by Reality TV star, Peter Andre on Saturday.

This is the third year in a row that John Hampden School has won the Cup, setting the standard for others to follow.

Despite rain showers, hundreds of people lined the streets to see the carnival procession pass though the town centre, lead by a Samba band, creating a truly Mardi Gras atmosphere.

As well as live bands, funfair amusements, a martial arts display, a gymnastics display, face painting, bars and stilt walkers, the Tug-of-War proved to be a great crowd puller, with Racquets fitness centre losing to a team of school girls in the final!

Photo: Peter Andre in wig; Headteacher of John Hampden School, Alan Haigh, pupil with cup and the Mayor of Thame, David Bretherton.

PHOTO: Courtesey of Lauren Price; Receiving the cup on behalf of the pupils of John Hampden School with the Head, Alan Haigh, are Niamh Twyford and Joshua Walker.

FOLLOWING the huge success of last year?s Thame Food Festival which saw record attendance in beautiful September sunshine, plans for this year’s, the fourth food festival are gathering pace.

Thame Food Festival is a wonderful showcase for the passion of local artisan food and drink producers and retailers in the area. It is a celebration of everything that is right with food and is a great, bustling, fun filled, free, family day out in the centre of our historic South Oxfordshire market town.

?We are so excited about this year?s Thame Food Festival,? said South Oxfordshire Market Town Co-ordinator Alison Isherwood, who has worked tirelessly to organize this year?s Festival with a close band of helpers. ?Stallholder response has been phenomenal, with virtually everybody from last year re-booking and many new exhibitors including The Chiltern Brewery, Paul Bellchambers ?The Late Chef?, Caramba! Olive Oil and Chiltern Natural Foods. The stallholder?s area has been greatly extended this year to accommodate the increase of contributors wanting to take part.

“We are delighted to announce the involvement of top chef Raymond Blanc and his team from Le Manoir aux Quat?Saisons, including Mark Peregrine who will be preparing a three course meal for two in 40 minutes and hopefully be involved in a competitive cook-off. Details to follow at a later date.

Le Manoir aux Quat?Saisons will be offering the prize of a voucher at The Raymond Blanc Cookery School worth

THE Head teacher of Lord Williams’s Comprehensive School in Thame, currently on a split site across the town, has outlined his vision for a single site development.

In a statement today, David Wybron said: “When Site F was chosen as the designated site for the allocation of houses in the Core Strategy last November, the school welcomed the possibilities highlighted in the consultation, to take advantage of land released on Site F for the potential relocation of our Lower School, therefore enabling the school to be on one site.

“In the previous year we had been working with county officers on a site development plan so that
we would be ready to take advantage of ?Building Schools for The Future? money when it arrived in
Oxfordshire. Our task then, prompted by the government, was to think and to plan creatively for what we wanted for our school in the future. Governors and senior leaders visited other big schools and we looked at how they worked. We were, and are convinced, that a single site school is the best option for teaching and learning in Thame. Oxfordshire County Council is also backing the proposal. Advantages include:

* more learning and pastoral time in the day, including the possibility of daily contact with a tutor

* teachers not having to commute in our 20 minute breaks between lessons
* opportunities for older and younger students to work together

?When ?Building Schools for the Future? money was
withdrawn it seemed that we would need to wait a long time for anything to happen. We now have more reason to be optimistic but there are still significant issues to resolve. In order for the project to go ahead, our Towersey Road site would need to be sold. The capital receipt from the sale would be needed to build the Lower School at Oxford Road. The site has community facilities.?

Ann Mayou, Chair of Governors commented: ?The allocation of houses in the Core Strategy Plan in
November and the selection of Site F would provide an opportunity for the school to develop as a single
site, with all the overwhelming educational advantages that being on one site brings.?

The statement concluded: “Recent announcements from the Inspector looking at the Core Strategy and amended housing figures suggest that more housing may be needed in Thame. As planning and discussion of strategy becomes ever more complicated it is now appropriate for the wishes of the school community to be clearly voiced in terms of a vision of learning for Lord Williams?s and the community it serves.”

THE old Thame library building in Southern Road, re-opened today having been transformed into a stimulating and inviting Children’s Centre to support local families.

Almost unrecognisable from the old dilapidated wood and glass building, The Red Kite Childrens’ Centre has been re-clad in timber panelling, a buggy store added to the side and various soft-play, sand and water, quiet corners and an outdoor play space provided.

Like other Children’s Centres run by the charity PEEP (Peers Early Education Partnership, Thame’s is intended to take up from where the old Sure Start scheme left off, offering support and advise to parents and guardians of babies and young children.

The Red Kite Children’s Centre provides a place for young children to begin to play with other children, to try new things with their carers and to make a mess on someone else’s floor! Parents can learn how children grow and learn, get support and advice, access training and work opportunities, meet other parents and carers and get individual counselling if they need it.

Structured sessions take place for various age groups throughout the week but there are several opportunities to just drop in.

The centre was officially opened today by Pepper Pig with the help of Thame’s County Cllr, Nick Carter.

More information is available from info@peep.org.uk or phone 01844 212177.

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information in connection with a sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl in Thame yesterday (14/6).

The girl was walking down Greyhound Lane, which leads from Waitrose supermarket, when she was approached from behind by an unknown man.

The man grabbed her inappropriately before walking away.

He is described as white, aged in his mid-thirties, between 5ft 11ins and 6ft, with a skinny build and short black hair that was spiked-up with gel. He was wearing black wraparound sunglasses and a blue, checked short-sleeve shirt.

Sgt Pete Scott said: ?This was obviously a very upsetting incident for the young girl involved and we are keen to trace this man.

?I would urge anyone with information about this incident, or who was in the area and saw this man, to come forward and help us with our investigation.

?Do you recognise the description of this man? If so, then we want to hear from you.?

Anyone with information should contact Sgt Pete Scott via the 24-hour Thames Valley Police Enquiry Line on 0845 8 505 505. Alternatively, you can contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111.

TWO men have been arrested in Thame, after a drugs warrant was executed at an address in Thame on Thursday night 9/6).

At about 7.30pm the Thame Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act at a property in Pearce Way.

Inside the property officers found approximately 270 grams of a substance believed to be herbal cannabis, as well as paraphernalia associated with the growing and production of drugs. An amount of cash was also seized.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a class B drug with intent to supply and a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply a class B drug. Both remain in custody at this time.

Sgt Stephen Hookham, of the local neighbourhood policing team, said: ?We initially received information from the community, which prompted an investigation and enabled us to obtain a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

?This is a testament to the importance of members of the public helping us in the fight against crime. It is crucial that the local community continues to supply us with information, which in this case has led to drugs being prevented from reaching the streets of Thame.?

If anyone has further information, please call PC Jon Shaw, from Thames neighbourhood team, via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505. If you don?t want to speak to police or leave your name, call the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.