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IN its response to the latest public consultation on the Core Strategy that will determine housing and economic development in South Oxfordshire to the year 2017, Thame Town Council has challenged to legality of the process.
The Core Strategy, drawn up by South Oxfordshire District Council, has proved to be very contentious among residents and local councillors throughout the district, very few of whom want to see large housing developments in their areas.
In Thame, an earlier stage of the consultation included a public meeting in October last year, when two alternative sites in Thame, Site F and Site D, were discussed vigourously at some length. (Enter the words CORE STRATEGY in the SEARCH box, top right of any page, to read all back stories on this subject)
Some residents groups, particularly those close to site F (Oxford Road) accused both SODC and Thame Town Council of not promoting the Consultation in time for them to make a case for their preference.
SODC’s Cabinet eventually voted for the 500 homes allocated for Thame to be developed on Site F, at a five hour-long meeting which included hours of representation from the public, local councillors and developers.
THE TOWN COUNCIL’S RESPONSE
LINK HERE to read Thame Town Council’s official response to the consultation.
WHAT NEXT?
SODC has said that it will take the time to analyse the responses it receives to the consultation and make any minor amendments to the strategy. The council expects to be in a position to submit to the Secretary of State in late March 2011. The Secretary of State will appoint an independent planning inspector to scrutinise the strategy. The inspector will hold a series of hearings next summer to examine evidence from supporters, objectors and the council. The inspector will produce a report, which SODC expects to receive before the end of 2011. If the inspector decides the core strategy is sound then the council can go on to adopt it in early 2012.
A partnership of local science and technology employers and South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils has applied for
THE consultation on South Oxfordshire District Council and proposed budget cuts finishes today so visit the council’s website ASAP to have your say.
IMAGE: Courtesy of www.financialhelper.co.uk
THE Rising Sun pub and Thai restaurant in Thame, is open for business as usual tonight after a fire at the rear of the property threatened to spread from a food waste bin which also contained some oil.
The source of the fire is not known exactly but staff say they suspect that warm ashes stored close to the bins gradually heated cardboard sleeves around plastic waste oil bottles.
The damage extended to a destroyed bin and some damaged fence panels. The greasy pavement outside the property has been washed down with detergent by the fire service and later the Highways Authority will spread sand on the area before freezing temperatures hit later to night.
A young Thame man who was critically injured in a crash that killed his school friend, is to sue the guilty driver.
Joe Robinson, 19, of Oxford Road, Thame, was a back seat passenger and critically injured in the crash. He spent four weeks in a coma and spents months rehabilitating from injuries to his head and back.
Grace Hadman, 17, a pupil at St Edward?s School, in Oxford, died from her injuries after 18 year-old Gabriella Edmondson, of Penn, Buckinghamshire lost control of her car and crashed on the A34 near Wytham in April, 2009. She was jailed for 28 months in October, 2009 after admitting causing Miss Hadman?s death by careless driving while over the drink-driving alcohol limit.
Joe, who played rugby for Chinnor RFC and cricket for Thame Town, is now suing Edmondson for more than
THE National Housing Federation is appealing to councils in the South East to promise to protect the most vulnerable people in their communities. It is calling on them to agree to limit budget cuts to Supporting People services to the level recommended by the government.
The appeal comes after research showed that 73% of service providers throughout England have been warned by their local authority to expect significant funding cuts to services for some of the most vulnerable people in their community. More than 130 English housing associations, charities and community groups responded to a recent survey, saying that they think their local councils are planning cuts of much more than the suggested 12 percent outlined by ministers.
In the South East more than 2,700 Supporting People services currently help over 136,000 people. Among them are services for women fleeing domestic violence, help for people to overcome mental health problems, support to enable older people to live independently, and help for people with disabilities.
The National Housing Federation is warning that in some circumstances whole services face closure as cash strapped town halls look to make massive savings over the next four years by raiding one budget to fund another.
The Federation say: “In his recent Spending Review, the Chancellor announced that money allocated nationally to Supporting People ? which funds services for over a million vulnerable people ? would be broadly maintained, with a 12% real terms cut over four years. However, as the money is no longer ring fenced, councils can spend it on whatever they want to as it is rolled into their general grant from central government. There is no legal duty to support many of the groups traditionally funded by Supporting People ? despite their vulnerability.
“Even before the Comprehensive Spending Review was announced some South East local authorities, such as Isle of Wight Council and Hampshire County Council, were already slashing their Supporting People budgets.
“More recently, Ministers have warned councils about excessive cuts to Supporting People. Questioned at a DCLG select committee, Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: ?the idea that local authorities should use Supporting People as their front line for reductions is completely against everything that we would expect to see.”
“And a letter to local authorities on 22 December from the Department of Communities and Local Government stated: ?Ministers do not, however, expect authorities to respond to reductions in their budgets by passing on disproportionate cuts to other service providers.?
The key findings of the Federation’s survey of providers were, it states:
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to a robbery that happened on Saturday night (22/1). At about 9.30pm, two men walked into the Total Garage in Lower Icknield Way, Longwick and demanded that the cashiers get on the floor while they stole cigarettes and money from the till.
The offenders both had their faces covered with scarves and were wearing gloves.
Det Con Jemma Schofield, investigating the robbery, said: ?Fortunately the cashier wasn?t injured but we are still taking this distressing incident very seriously and will not tolerate this type of crime.
?We believe that both men could have been holding black handguns while they threatened the members of staff.
?I urge anyone who was in the area around the time and may have seen suspicious activity, before or after the robbery occurred, to get in touch.
?The management at the Total Garage are putting forward
FOLLOWING a report of a man acting suspiciously in the cattlemarket, Thame, earlier in the week, (See report below dated 22/01/11), Insp Martin Ford has issued the following statement of reassurance:
“Following report of an incident a police investigation is in progress. I would also like to re-assure the community that the local policing team are conducting focussed patrols in relation to concerns raised by the incident. Should the public have any concerns or any further information then please make contact with Sergeant Steve Hookham on 08458 505 505”
ON Wednesday January 12, at approximately 3:10pm an 11yr old male was walking from Lord Williams Lower School into Thame where he was to be collected by his mother. Whilst he was waiting at the cattle market in Thame he was approached by a male in a red Honda Civic.
The male reversed form a parking bay until level with the child, he then leant across the car, opened the passenger door and told the child to: “Get in.”.
The child did not know the male and walked away. The car followed him but when the child could see his mother he broke into a fast paced walk towards his mother. The male driving the Honda Civic then turned and drove out of the cattle market turning left onto North Street, Thame.
SOURCE:Message from Barley Hill School