Category: Thame news

THAME’S new library, to be built on the site of the old Pied Pedaller toy shop, currently being demolished, will be the first in Oxfordshire to offer self-service.

Kelvin Eveleigh, Customer Service Manager for the Oxfordshire library service, in describing the benefits of the new library, said that a supermarket-type terminal will allow readers to scan their own loans returned books and drop them into a box.

“We are hoping for big things from Thame’s new library,” he said. “There will be increased opening hours, public access computers, a wider range of books, including a better stocked children’s range and a dedicated teenage area.

“We envisage that the half mezzanine floor will be used for community use by local clubs and societies, and there are plans for the Thame Childrens Centre to be run from the new library. In fact, we will be offering everything you currently expect from a library but with bells on!” He added.

Picture: Self-service library terminals in Swansea, similar to those that will be available in Thame’s new library.

THE long awaited, brand new library for Thame came a step closer today, when demolition of the old toy shop in North Street began this morning (02/03/09).

The site of the old Pied Pedaller toy shop, which finally closed it doors last April, was chosen by Oxfordshire County Council who are responsible for libraries in the county.

Building work is expected to begin in April and the target date for the opening of the state-of-the art replacement library is early summer 2010.

The design of the new library has been controversial with the town council rejecting the plans twice over design concerns.

THE Police are appealing for witnesses after a man exposed himself to separate women in Chinnor on Wednesday (25/2).

At around 9.45am the man exposed himself to a woman in Riders Way. Fifteen minutes later, the same man exposed himself to another woman in Estover Way.

The man is white, thin and around 6ft to 6ft 4ins. He has short, fair or light-brown hair and is aged between 20 and 30 years old.

Sgt Chris Hazell, investigating the incidents, said: “These are two disturbing incidents. I ask anyone who might have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area to contact the police.”

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact PC Mick Goodenough at Thame police station via 0845 8 505 505, or if you don?t want to talk to the police or give your name, call Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

THAME has been warned that a Local Development Framework for future housing, due to be published soon, is likely to affect the town.

South Oxfordshire District Council’s Chief Executive, David Buckle, told town councillors recently that the Framework, due out in April, will list preferred sites in the district for housing development, and “is likely to create much debate.”

Public meetings throughout the district and other consultations have been held for both developers and the public to help identify where new housing could go. SODC has also identified thirteen larger and more sustainable villages, which it considers could accommodate more housing.

Whilst it is expected that the majority of the 47,200 new homes needed to be built in Oxfordshire between 2006 to 2026 (according to the Draft South East Development Plan – Oxfordshire County Council’s figures) in Didcot, Wantage and other towns, Thame is unlikely to be immune. Though how, and if, these plans will be affected by the current drop in house sales, is not known.

10,000 new homes are expected be built in South Oxfordshire itself by 2026. This includes a possible 1,000 for the Thame area.

A THAME woman who had sex with a 14-year-old boy who contacted her over the internet to help with his learning difficulties, will not go to jail.

Catherine Armstrong, 33, had admitted three charges of sexual activity with a child and was today given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Oxford Crown Court.

In sentencing Armstrong, Judge Julian Hall told her
that he did not think she posed a danger in the future and that female prisons did not have the facilities to help sex offenders.

“You have been given the chance to rebuild your life,” he added.

A PLAN to ensure the future economic health of Thame should include better facilities for young people, a community centre and facilities to attract visitors to the town.
These are just some of the findings presented to the town council on Tuesday (24/02/09) by economic development officers from South Oxfordshire District Council.

The Market Town Action Plan For Thame, designed to help “create vibrant market conditions” in the town is all part of a strategy to help the three struggling market towns in South Oxfordshire. It has been arrived at following a series of local events and feedback from workshops involving all interested groups or ‘stakeholders’ across the district.

It was made clear that the priorities for the next three years, starting in April 2009, were for the district council to work with partnerships and higher bodies through training and other events, and using consultants, to gather data about who visits Thame, why they come, what makes Thame distinctive from other towns, what are its good qualities and its weaknesses and to look at economic indicators of the town’s economic health.

A Town Centre Co-ordinator is to be employed for the three market towns, Thame, Henley and Wallingford to look at things like a possible Mid-Somer Murders trail to attract visitors to Thame and Wallingford, and look at other ways of marketing the towns.

The cost of the initial actions are:

Tourism survey –

FOLLOWING the announcement of a below inflation rise in South Oxfordshire’s Community Charge this year, the authority’s Chief Executive says that his council’s income faces huge pressures.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of Thame Town Council (24.2), David Buckle explained that the causes of a downturn in South Oxfordshire District Council’s income included a drop in land charges caused by the fall in house sales, a reduction in income from car parking and less planning applications being submitted.

Another area of extra expense for the authority explained Mr Buckle, was the Concessionary Fare scheme that came in this year, which requires the authority to pay 55% of each fare.

Mr Buckle was answering a question about the cost of the recent merge of SODC’s financial services with those of the Vale of White Horse District Council. He said that the merger would save SODC

CONCERNS over a log jam in the Thame Football Partnership’s plans for a replacement facility for football in Thame, were aired this week.

The district council’s Chief Executive has made it quite clear that SODC will not be able to help the partnership with funding in lieu of granting planning permission for a housing development on Thame United’s old Windmill Road site.

But, unless the Football Partnership gets the

Pictured: Tom Fox, Manager of Thame Citizens Advice Bureau

IN the midst of the economic down-turn effecting most towns, the Manager of Thame’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has been explaining how a marked increase in redundancy and income problems is hitting the local community and putting a strain on his volunteer advisors.

Tom Fox, speaking to Thamenews.net, explained: “In January 2008 we had one client seeking advice on dismissal or redundancy. In January this year the number was 31. Immediately after the new year, it was quiet but then began a steady stream of people who had lost their jobs or were expecting to loose their jobs.
“The increase had been noticeable from the end of 2008. During the quarter from October to December, 2008, redundancy/dismissal enquiries increased to 49 from 28 in the same period in 2007.”

The chart pictured shows the increase in client numbers year on year (CAB’s year starts in April).

Tom continued: “The issue is not only unemployment; it is a cocktail of job and income problems, personal debt that has been accumulating over the past few years and people starting to face up to their situation.

“This is putting a significant strain on our advisers who are all unpaid volunteers. It takes about a year to train a new adviser so it is not possible to just turn a tap on and off. Everyone is working harder and trying to work smarter.

“We have a group of about 30 unsung recession heroes trying to give the town a soft landing.”

THE possibility of a supermarket on the site of the current Cattlemarket in Thame, has officially been ruled out.
Talking at a meeting of Thame Town Council last night (24.02), David Buckle, Chief Executive of South Oxfordshire District Council and Vale of White Horse District Council, said that what was being looked at was a mix of housing, retail and community use. But he warned that nothing is likely to happen until the current cattlemarket finds funding to move to an edge of town site on the Thame show ground, funding which SODC has no remit to provide.

Mr Buckle made it clear that currently the district council earns around