Category: Thame news

A man whose body was recovered from a popular Oxford swimming place, has been named. He was Daniel Lewis, aged 29, from Wheatley.

He apparently went swimming in Bullstake Stream, near West Oxford Community Centre in Botley Road, on Wednesday, 02/06/10, at a stretch of the stream known as Tumbling Bay which feeds into the River Isis.

Police and firefighters were called at about 16.15 pm when companions noticed that he did not surface. His body was recovered about two hours later.

The police are treating the death as unexplained. Mr Lewis’s next of kin have been informed.

PHOTO: Popular Oxford swimming place, Tumbling Bay, Courtesy of www.panoramino.com

SINCE the launch last June, 2009, of the national hygiene standards ratings scheme, Scores on the Doors, South Oxfordshire has seen a large increase of premises boasting three stars or higher and big reductions in places with two stars and under.

The number of five star premises has risen from 11 at the launch to 48. Overall, the number of 3,4 and 5 star premises have risen to 362 from 290 at the start.

The nationwide scheme rates the food hygiene standards in premises that sell food including restaurants, cafes, deli?s, butchers shops, takeaways and mobile food vans.

HOW DOES THAME RATE?

Premises with five stars in Thame include Lord Williams’s Upper and Lower Schools, M Newitt and Sons, High Street, Thame and Meadowcroft Care Home.

Diners can now check out the food safety ratings for 582 premises in South Oxfordshire and 455 in the Vale.

To check out all the premises rated in your area or by specific business name, visit: http://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk

Cllr Dorothy Brown, South Oxfordshire District Council Cabinet Member responsible for health, said: “It?s fantastic news that one year on, so many of the food premises in our district have achieved high ratings, and those with lower ratings have been working hard to improve. We?ll continue to offer our help and advice on how they can best do this. This is such an excellent resource for residents to make an informed choice about where they eat and buy food from.?

THAME Town Council has expressed its sadness at the death of the long-standing Chairman of the Stones Close Allotments committee, and former Thame store manager.

In a statement today the town council said:

“Thame Town Council is very sad to learn about the death of Ken Jones, following a battle with cancer.
Before Ken retired, he was the Manager of the town?s Co-op store, and his management and diplomatic skills proved to be huge assets at Stones Close Allotments, where his commitment spanned decades.

“As Chairman, he allocated plots sensitively and efficiently and in a way that illustrated his cooperative values and community spirit. Most days of the week Ken, together with his wife Gladys, could be found at the site. To spot his distinctive green and white van was to know that a cheerful, smiling face and friendly, practical advice were at hand. In his van were all the tools he could possibly need for the chores involved in looking after a large community garden, and he was very generous about letting folk borrow his machinery.

“Last year the Town Council worked with Ken and his Management Committee to recreate allotments that had ?gone back?. The site now boasts 146 plots, making it the biggest allotment site in Oxfordshire – a huge achievement and one that would not have happened without Ken.

“To be shown around the allotments by him was to witness first hand his pride and enthusiasm. As he watched them grow, Ken Jones truly was the father of Stones Close Allotments.”

THIS is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police with a warning about forged

THE latest Thame neighbourhood update from Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) Diane Jackson and PCSO Lucy Thorne, this month includes good news about the incidence of anti social behaviour.

Here’s their full report:

On Friday May 7, 2010, there was a distraction burglary in Great Milton, where a man posed as a police officer to steal from an elderly woman. The burglary occurred around 11.25am. If anybody was in the area and noticed anyone suspicious in the area, please call Thames Valley Police on 0845 80 505 505 with information.

Crime mapping shows that the average number of anti-social behaviour incidents (ASB) have decreased from 27.3 to 19.4. We have continued to provide high-visibility patrols in areas where ASB has been a problem, and engage with members of the public of all ages on a daily basis. We challenge any ASB that we are faced with appropriately, and have a good rapport with the young people in the area which we hope has helped to deter/reduce the ASB.

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) info:
Throughout May, we have received reports of ASB relating to dog walking in the grass/park areas and on the Phoenix Trail, which we are paying attention to at the moment. We have also had reports of littering in Southern Road Rec. Can we please remind you all that bins are there for a reason, please use them for your litter once you have used the public areas. We are able to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice of

A MAN from the Thame area has died after his motorcycle collided with a horse box on Bank holiday Monday.

The Police are appealing for witnesses following the fatal collision on the B4035 near Swalcliffe on the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire border yesterday, Monday (31/5) afternoon.

The collision, which involved a blue Suzuki motorcycle and a blue Mitsubishi Shogun towing a horse box with a horse, occurred at about 12.30pm.

The motorcycle was travelling towards Banbury and the Mitsubishi in the direction of Brailles.

The rider of the motor cycle, a man in his fifties from the Thame area, suffered serious injuries and subsequently died at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. He has not so far, been named. The occupants of the car were uninjured, as was the horse.

Sgt Pete Jell, the officer investigating the crash, said: ?The cause of the collision is being investigated and I am keen to hear from anyone who witnessed it or saw any of the vehicles prior to the collision.?

Anyone with information can contact Thames Valley Police on 0845 8 505 505. If you do not want to speak to the police, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111. They don’t need to know your name, just what you know.

You can also give information to the police in person by visiting any police station. Find the opening times of your local police station via our website or by phoning 0845 8 505 505.

FOLLOWING a series of burglaries recently on the Lea Park estate in Thame, Four men were arrested by Northamptonshire Police in an operation in connection with a series of offences on their police area.

The men have since been charged with some of the Thame offences and took further offences into consideration.

THAME’S MP met with leaders of local Thame residents? groups on Saturday, 29/05/10, to discuss the decision of the district council to postpone its Core Strategy ? the document which sets out details of housing development in the district ? until the new Government introduces fundamental reforms to the planning system later in the year.

In a statement today, John Howell MP, whose planning policy paper, Open Source Planning, underpins the principles of the proposed reforms, outlined the change which would occur whereby centrally imposed targets would be replaced by a bottom-up approach involving local councils and local communities in deciding the numbers of new homes best suited to their locations.

John said: “Thame now has a unique opportunity. It needs to draw a line under the past and begin serious work on its own vision for the town for the years ahead. While there is a lot of information available, it needs to recognise that this work needs to be done to a high professional standard. It is essential that the town pulls all this together and that it sits down with the district council in a collaborative way now that the council is freed from having to impose the Government?s housing numbers. What we don?t want is to be facing similar confrontation down the line when the new planning system is in place.”

The group, represented by Lea Park, Chiltern Vale and other housing estates within Thame, discussed the need to push for the production of an Area Action Plan for the town which would look at Thame?s needs as a whole rather than just housing. This could accommodate long-standing issues such as parking and the need for improved physical and social infrastructure.

The group will now take its case to the town council for a professional steering group to take the town?s own plan forward to include the town council, local residents and other groups such as 21st Century Thame.

John Howell concluded: “In the recent SayNoto850 campaign, residents had been fighting the South East Plan, for another 850 houses to be built in Thame in the next 15 years. Now they can concentrate on working with the local district and town council to develop the services, housing and businesses to support a thriving market town.”

Oxfordshire residents, including many in Thame, are set to be without some TV channels until September following a fire at the Beckley transmitter last week.

The damaged antenna, specially designed and constructed in Australia is, it was revealed today, to be beyond repair and will need to be replaced.

Up to 410,00 people lost their TV signal for around eight hours last Thursday, May 13, after the fire broke out and engineers switched transmission to a reserve antenna.

IMAGE Courtesy of http://thetyee.cachefly.net

THAME Residents Asssociations are asking why SODC is pushing so hard to complete its future housing strategy, and has questioned a lack of promised communication.

A Spokesperson for the SayNoto850 Homes campaign, said today: “Although SODC promised to keep the Thame Residents Associations informed of any developments following the petition SayNoto850 New Houses, the Associations were only alerted of the next stage of the process through a news item on ThameNews.Net
last week.

“SODC appears to be pressing ahead with this Core Strategy despite the recent change of Government and their likely rethink of planning structures.

“Everyone on the policy consultation database apparently should receive information about the consultation.”

John Howell, Thame’s MP, has agreed to meet with the joint Thame Residents Associations this Saturday, May 30, and the Associations will be asking whether the new Government intends to continue with this South East plan and if not whether this haste is due to pressure from various developers wanting to push through the process before the planning structure is changed.

This Core Strategy is to cover the period between 2012 and 2026 and has arisen from the previous Labour Government?s South East Plan which they published on May 6, 2009. It is a Regional Spatial Strategy which was intended to establish the Government?s planning and transport policy for the south east of England until the year 2026.

SODC STATEMENT

In a statement today, headed: “Council’s vision for South Oxfordshire is nearing its final stages,” SODC said:

“At its meeting on Thursday 3 June, South Oxfordshire District Council?s Cabinet will consider the local development framework core strategy, one of the council?s most important planning documents for the next 15 years. This key plan aims help deliver much needed housing, high quality jobs and thriving town centres across the district. Cabinet will decide whether to recommend submitting the plan to the Secretary of State for approval.

“In the core strategy, following three years work and district-wide public consultation exercises, the council has identified the preferred locations for development and where significant change should not take place.

“The council’s primary aim is to protect the environment, meet the needs and aspirations of its residents, support business development (particularly in and around Science Vale UK) and by designating Didcot as a Growth Point, place the bulk of the housing development there.

“The plan sets out some limited development in Henley, Thame and Wallingford to help revitalise and reinforce their roles as market towns. In the larger villages, some development would be allowed to help limit decline and make them strong enough to sustain day-to-day services.”

Angie Paterson, South Oxfordshire District Council?s Cabinet member for planning, added:

?Without it (the core strategy), we?d be left without any up to date planning policy as our local plan expires in 2011. This could potentially lead to planning by appeal – where major development proposals are promoted in inappropriate locations. I don?t think this is something anyone would want.

?The core strategy has been prepared under the regulations set out by the previous government. Given that the reform of the planning system has been included in the coming session of parliament we may wish to review parts of the strategy in accordance with this but obviously it is early days.?

TIMETABLE

The timetable for the Core Strategy is as follows:-

Proposed Submission Core Strategy is due to be considered by the Scrutiny Committee on June 1, followed by the SODC Cabinet on June 3, and Full Council on June 17. If the Proposed Submission Core Strategy is approved by SODC on June 17, then there will be a formal six week Pre-Submission consultation between June 25 and August 6, 2010.

PHOTO: The red area on the map shows SODC’s preferred site for a housing development. For all news items referring to this topic, put “core strategy” in the Search box, top right of page.