THAMES Valley Police has charged a man in connection with a voyeurism offence at thame Liesure Centre.
Lafaiette Thomas Vieira, aged 32, of Chestnut Way, Longwick was charged with one count of voyeurism on Thursday, February 12, and has been bailed to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, February 27.
The charge is in connection with a man peering over a cubicle in the communal changing area of Thame Sports & Arts Centre, on Tuesday, December 16, at about 7.50pm. A woman was changing in the cubicle at the time of the offence.
LOCAL Liberal Democrats have selected mother of six and former District Councillor for Benson & Ewelme, Sue Cooper, as their candidate for the Henley Constituency, which includes Thame, at the General Election on May 7.
Sue Cooper, The Henley Constituency’s prospective candidate for the General Election in May
Sue has been a South Oxfordshire District Councillor for Benson & Ewelme for 20 years, including being Chairman of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economic Development. She has wide experience in the private, public and academic sectors, as well as involvement with many local voluntary organisations, of caring for her elderly mother, bringing up her six children and now having nine grandchildren.
In a press release today, South-East Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats said: “Environmental issues rank highly with Sue, who has a strong interest in renewable energy, waste minimisation, cycling for all, public transport, canal restoration and growing her own food!
Sue Cooper herself, said: “I am delighted to have been selected as the candidate for my home area, where I have lived for forty years. I believe that my background, skills and experience will enable me to represent all the people in the Henley Constituency while helping to build a stronger economy and a fairer society.”
Pieter-Paul Barker, from Thame, Chair of South-East Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats, said: “Sue Cooper is supremely well-qualified to be our next MP. Her wide experience across Oxfordshire over many years means that she understands the concerns and aspirations of people in all parts of the Constituency and all sections of our local society.”
THAME Valley Police has released CCTV images after two incidents of shoplifting in Thame.
The incidents took place at about 2pm on Friday, January 16, and at about 2pm on Saturday, January 24, in Boots, in the High Street. The offender stole cosmetic gift sets during both incidents.
Officers would like to speak to the man in the CCTV images about both incidents because he might have vital information that can help their investigation.
Anyone with information about these incidents should contact investigating officer PC Lucie Roberts, of Thame police station, via the 24-hour enquiry line 101.
If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ (opens new window) anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
THAME’S Oxfam Book Shop’s window has gone a little risque this week, in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Among the many books featured are the inevitable ’50 Sheds of Grey – A book for men’, and a book of ‘Sex Tips for Wives’, from 1896. Shop Manager, Dick Jennens, said: ” Yes, we are being a little risque; But can we tame the passions of Thame?”
Is this beautiful toad found at Cuttlebrook, about to turn into a handsome prince? Image courtesy of cuttlebrook.org.uk
COUNCIL members of Thame Town Council’s Community, Leisure and Recreation committee, made it known publically at their meeting on Tuesday (Feb 10), that they wished to acknowledge ‘the magnificent job’ that the Cuttlebrook volunteers have done, and are doing, to maintain the town’s nature reserve and particularly to improving public access. “It’s an assett to the town, “said Cllr Nigel Champken Woods, and “under appreciated” said Cllr Peter Lambert.
THAME Rotary club, in partnership with the town council, is to pilot a ‘surplus foreign currency collection point’ in the Information Centre, to raise funding for local charities. A container will be provided for anyone to put in their surplus foreign currency, in a similar way that they do for the Food Bank. It will then be converted into sterling and distributed to chosen local charities. If the fund raising scheme is successful in Thame, the pilot scheme may be rolled out to other Rotary Groups. The idea came from Rotarian, Linda Emery, who is also a town councillor.
THE ninth Thame, public access defibrillator was opened last Friday, February 7, at Sprinz and Nash Vets in Wellington Street. There is evidence to show that if someone is suffering from a cardiac arrest then the earlier the defibrillation, the greater chance of survival and the better quality of life post-survival. Funding for these defibrillators is being raised by the community group, Staying Alive.
THE 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain will be commemorated in The Memorial Gardens, Thame, this year in flowers. Red white and blue flowers will bloom in raised planters, forming the dates 1940 – 2015.
SINAIA, in Romania, which is one half of the Thame-Sinaia Friendship Association, recently asked Thame to submit something of interest from Thame that it could display during the ‘Sinaia Forever’ festival during September 25-27. In response, Thame Museum has commissioned a framed montage of photographs of Thame which will be taken over to Sinaia in September by a group of Thame friends of Sinaia and other residents who may wish to visit this beautiful, historic town in the mountains. Anyone who would like to find out more about Sinaia and the visit in September, can do so by going to the facebook page or by contacting Marius Ciortan via marius.ciortan@btinternet.com
AN idea to extend the changing rooms building at the Southern Road recreation ground, to include public toilets and a refreshments kiosk, has been agreed in principle by Thame Town Council. The proposal has come from Soha, housing association who want the local Air Cadets to use the new building so that Soha can provide more social housing in the existing Cadets’ accommodation.
THE town council is to look into making improvements and additions to Thame’s new Christmas lights, which shone for the first time in December 2014. This follows criticisms from the public and town councillors that the Market House looked ‘sad’ without the ‘dripping lights’, that the town hall looked ‘bare’ and there were problems with timers so that not all the lights were on at the same time after the ‘big switch on’ event.
Thame skate park has been declared unsafe by Thame Town Councillors tonight, and closed with immediate effect.
The decision to close the facility, just days before the half-term holidays, a peak period for skate park use, was made by Thame Town Council’s Community, Leisure and Recreation committee, after it agreed to fund the £3,000 necessary to make the skate park safe temporarily.
Work to completely renovate the skate park and replace much of the equipment, cannot begin until the outcome of a Sport England, Inspired Facilities Fund application decision is known in April, and the finalising of a Capital Grant Award agreement between Thame Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council.
Thame’s Mayor, Jeannette Matelot Green, who has the skate park as one of her chosen charities, posted on the Thame Skate park Facebook page tonight, that the council hoped to have the repairs done in time for half-term.
Some councillors expressed concern that the skate park funding campagne was struggling to engage the skaters’ parents and the wider community. Cllr Jeannette Matelot Green was optimistic however, that the Sport England grant would be given, as she had understood that the previous application had only been turned down because Sport England were not made aware of a contribution agreed by SODC. She said that the Skate Park working group were currently working to collect the contact details of skaters’ parents to involve them in a series of planned fund-raising event.
Cllr Linda Emery had earlier in the meeting reported that the skate park was to be one of the local charities chosen to be a beneficiary of this year’s Thame Carnival.
The progress of the Thame Skate Park group can be followed via its Facebook page LINK – VIDEO LINK – You can read about the back story to Thame Skate Park HERE
THAME TOWN COUNCILLORS will decide this evening how to proceed with the refurbishment and replacement work at Thame Skate Park facilities.
Image courtesy of Aidan North
Members of the Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee will consider the options open to it regarding the condition of the current skate park and the financial implications of progressing the redevelopment. The committee will also look at agreeing the terms of a Capital Grant Award Agreement from South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC).
The council will consider three options:
Option 1 – Undertake repairs at a cost of £3,000 to equipment to keep the Skate Park in use until the funds have been raised for the new installation
Option 2 – Close the Skate Park immediately and wait for the Inspired Facilities Fund decision in April( though a successful application is not guaranteed
Option 3 – The Council has committed £65,000 towards the project, to consider underwriting an additional amount of up to £80,397 which would be released from Council Investments
The meeting is at the town hall, and begins at 6.30pm.
AROUND 6,500 additional homes and businesses across Oxfordshire will be able to receive high-speed fibre broadband following additional £5.1 million funding announced today.
Image courtesy of itpro.co.uk
The project will extend the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire partnership roll-out, which began connecting the first homes and businesses to faster fibre broadband just over a year ago. Since then it has enabled more than 30,000 premises to have access to high-speed fibre broadband.
The partnership is part of the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, which today announced two million homes and businesses around the country are now able to connect to superfast broadband as a result of BDUK.
The new deal injects further funding into the County Council’s contract with BT, adding £1 million from South Oxfordshire District Council, £500,000 from Cherwell District Council, £250,000 from the Vale of the White Horse District Council, £200,000 from Oxfordshire County Council, £1.2m from BT, and a further £1.95m from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Superfast Extension Programme (SEP).
When complete, it will increase the percentage of homes and businesses able to access high-speed fibre broadband in Oxfordshire to around 95 per cent, when combined with the first phase of the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire roll-out already underway and the private sector investments.
More details about the communities to benefit from this new funding will be announced later this Spring and local people will be able to follow its progress via the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire website: www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk You can find out about the coverage in YOUR area here: LINK
THE people of Chinnor will soon start working on their Neighbourhood Plan, following the examples of Thame and other towns and villages across the UK.
Image courtesy of ramblefest.com
Chinnor Parish Council wants to gauge community engagement and are holding an initial meeting at the Parish Council Offices, 36 Station Road, Thame, February 11, at 6.30pm.
Anyone can attend the meeting and for more information, contact: chinnorpc@btconnect.com or call: 01844 353267
THE amended planning application for land at The Elms, in Thame, has once again had to be delayed for consideration by Thame Town Council, until March 3, at 7.15pm.
The extra time is to allow the planning authority, South Oxfordshire District to fulfill the required consultation period, following the loss of data during the massive fire at SODC’s headquarters in Crowthorne, following an arson attack.
THAME’S Community Policing team have been busy over the past month, tackling issues such as unauthorised parking in the town, by issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).
Practically a whole row of cars on market day in Thame, are issued with parking tickets in Upper High Street, Thame
In just one day, Tuesday, January 27, around twenty FPNs were issued to vehicles parked on double yellow lines or contravening free, on street parking. Three FPNs were also issued to vehicles parked on zigzag lines, an offence that carries a penalty of £60 and three penalty points on the driver’s licence.
In its monthly Neighbourhood Update, local officers report: “We have been monitoring parking in the town centre as and when we can, and we have been educating offending vehicle owners as well as issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). This work was well received by local residents and business owners.”
Offenders brought to justice during January in the Thame sector include:
A man charged with Battery and Criminal Damage following an incident in Thame town centre in January A woman given a caution for Assault on Police following an incident of disorder at The Black Horse Public House in November last year A man pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates Court for Possession of a controlled drug Class B A man pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates Court to Possession of 57 grams of Cannabis in May last year, he is awaiting sentencing A man summonsed after committing shoplifting to the value of £280 at Waitrose, Thame
The full monthly update for February, including dates for local ‘Have your say’ meetings, can be read here: LINK
Lafaiette Thomas Vieira, aged 32, of Chestnut Way, Longwick was charged with one count of voyeurism on Thursday, February 12, and has been bailed to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday, February 27.
The charge is in connection with a man peering over a cubicle in the communal changing area of Thame Sports & Arts Centre, on Tuesday, December 16, at about 7.50pm. A woman was changing in the cubicle at the time of the offence.
