THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision on the M40 yesterday (25/1). At about 7.15pm, a silver BMW convertible crossed from the southbound carriageway between junctions 3 and 4 onto the northbound carriageway and collided with a black Renault Clio. Both vehicles then caught fire.
The driver of the Clio, a man believed to be in his sixties, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Clio, a woman, was taken to hospital but later died.
No formal identification has yet taken place and officers are working to establish the next of kin.
The motorway was closed in both directions for more than four hours.
A 32-year-old man from Ealing, London, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit through drugs. He has been released on bail until February 11.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the vehicles prior to the incident is asked to contact investigating officer, PC Matt Diduca from Amersham Roads Policing on 101.
If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. (opens new window) No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
THAME’s cows are due for make-over, and need your help! Back in 2012,the 21st Century Thame Partnership provided a herd of life-size fibreglass, Holstein-Friesian cows as mobile notice boards to promote events and activities in the town, and as a way of creating interest for tourists and to encourage business growth and interaction with local residents.
In May this year a number of the famous Thames cows are to be repainted, and residents are invited to play a part in this exciting, creative process.
The organisers of this Community Arts project are looking for budding artists, designers or local people with something to say and a sense of humour, to help design a new look for our black and white cows. The new colour scheme should reflect the town of Thame in any way you like, its geography, businesses, history and its people.
By attending one of the three workshops that will be held by lead artist Stuart Roper, over the next three months and find out what can be achieved with a little lateral thinking and a sense of humour.
Workshop dates and locations:
16th February 7.30pm – 8.30pm 42A Upper High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 2DW 01494 670372 info@artsmartuk.com
19th February 7.30pm – 8.30pm Church Rd, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 3AJ 01844 217308
28th February 2.30pm – 3.30pm Thame Library, 3 North Street, Thame OX9 3BH 01844 212288 thame.library@oxfordshire.gov.uk Please note this event is specifically for Children
A detailed planning application from Bloor Homes, for a housing development in Oxford Road, Thame (site F), has failed to satisfy Thame Town Council and some nearby residents. Before the council considered a report from its Planning Consultant Jake Collinge, Mr Barry Yates, who lives in Cuttle Brook Gardens, and is the Chair of the Oxford Road Residents Association, spoke about some of the concerns.
Last year’s flooding (Feb 2014) Ford bridge on Oxford Rd looking West across Cuttle Brook field towards Thame by-pass
At a meeting of Thame Town Council on Tuesday eventing (20/01/15), Mr Yates told councillors that whilst he personally had no major reservations about the plans, and felt that it generally fell within the context of Thame Neighbourhood Plan, residents of Town Farm Close were upset, and objected to Bloor Homes disregarding their request to move the allotments to behind their houses. He added that there were other concerns associated with flooding, sewerage, traffic and access and pedestrian crossings.
“These issues have been recognized by Bloor Homes in their Statement of Community Engagement items 4 & 5,” said Mr Yates. “But their responses, items 8 & 9, to justify their position are not wholly satisfactory, and need addressing by the District Council.”
FLOODING
He went on: “In their planning application S2, Bloor Homes state that there is NO flood risk elsewhere. Glanville’s Flood Assessment Risk concludes that the proposed SUDS (drainage system) takes into account climate change and will ensure the risk does not increase in the River Thame & Cuttle Brook. This is debatable and remains a concern for us residents living on the edge of Cuttle Brook flood plain, in Cuttle Brook Gardens, Chiltern Vale and The Renaissance, where there was flooding 12 months ago.”
SEWAGE
Sewerage is a major concern for people living at the bottom of Oxford Road, explained Mr Yates. The drains, he said, were already unable to cope with the extra demand placed on them in recent years, following the infill developments on Oxford Road, Jubilee Gardens, Town Farm Close and Town Farm. Illustrating his point with photographs, he said: “At times of heavy rain, sewerage covers become overloaded resulting in raw sewerage spilling out onto the path. Thames Water regularly has to pump out the sub-station at Cuttle Brook. We note that a detailed report from Thames Water is due to establish whether upgrading is required, which we feel is absolutely essential to this application.”
TRAFFIC
Mr Yates then turned to matters of traffic and access, welcoming the proposal for a ‘ghost island right turn junction’ into the site, supplemented by two pedestrian islands. But he was not convinced that traffic would be able to exit right out of the development, particularly as vision would, he felt, be limited by the brow of the hill. “This will inevitably lead to more traffic turning left than envisaged in Glanville’s assessment, thereby causing problems further down Oxford Road and congestion in the town centre,” he said. More needed to be done, Mr Yates said, to slow down traffic travelling eastwards before the site entrance and suggested a controlled pedestrian crossing would be required. (The development would be served via a single access on to Oxford Road, to the west of Town Farm Close)
“With the aforementioned improvements we feel the speed camera should be re-located further down Oxford Road,” he went on. “We welcome the two uncontrolled crossings. But we feel these should be supplemented by a controlled crossing by the entrance to the Sports Centre/ Lord Williams’s School and the bus stops, to enable safe crossing for the public and especially schoolchildren using public transport. Furthermore it is proposed to open up the green spaces to include cycle and pedestrian pathways so another uncontrolled crossing before Cuttle Brook bridge would be welcomed to link up with the Nature Reserve access.”
Finally, Mr Yates said that he was concerned that Glanville’s Traffic Risk Assessment focused only on the impact of the Bloor development on traffic generation and flows on the Oxford Road and the A418 Thame by-pass roundabout. He suggested that Oxfordshire County Council and District Council planners should look at the wider considerations of the potential unification of the two parts of Lord Williams’s Schools and the likely affect of the simultaneous construction of three major housing developments in Thame on traffic on the ring road and in the town centre.
“Speed on the Oxford Road is a big concern of our residents. Bloor’s proposals will help but this is an opportunity to do more,” Mr Yates concluded.
Jake Collinge, the town council’s Planning Consultant, told councillors that no response from either the Highways Department at Oxfordshire County County or Thames Water had yet been made to the proposed detailed plans. Cllr Mike Dyer that it was essential that water and sewage reports should come in before any planning decision was made.
HOUSING MIX
Jake Collinge then introduced his report (http://www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/images/4.__Report_-_Site_F.pdf) to the council, summarising his main concerns. Jake raised concerns about the size of two-bed bungalows in the plan, which he was concerned were of such a size, that they could be easily turned into three-bed properties thereby reducing in the future, the number of smaller properties in the development. “The mix is already heavily skewed towards larger units,” he said. “It is essential that this matter is addressed in order to secure the mix of propertries anticipated.”
But after a stong case FOR the two-bed bungalows having extra space, from Cllr Helena Fickling (herself an architect), that large bungalows are the sort of properties needed to encourage older people to move out of their four or five-bed houses, the councillors voted not to accept Jake Collinge’s recommendation.
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
He then drew the council’s attention to where in the report he described a number of design and layout-based ‘shortcomings’ in the scheme, including: • That, whilst the Design and Access Statement includes some details in respect of the ‘distinctive design qualities’ of Thame, the document fails to sufficiently demonstrate how these principles have been translated in to the design and form of the proposed units and their scale; • That within each perimeter block, the form, juxtaposition and relationship between buildings lacks a sense of creating clear and cohesive streets with, in areas, an extensive use of on-street parking; • That, in a number of areas, back-to-back distances fall below the privacy standards set out in the South Oxfordshire Design Guide, or would otherwise give rise to overlooking of private areas; • That, for a significant number of units, levels of private amenity space fall below the standards set out in the Design Guide.
His conclusion was that: “In their present form the proposals fail to deliver a cohesive and legible development or one that respects and reflects the distinctive design qualities of Thame. In addition, the layout of the development fails to secure appropriate standards of amenity for future occupiers. “
ALLOTTMENTS AND LANDSCAPING
A further area of disapproval of the detailed planning application is the amount of allotment space provided, which falls below the requirements of the Neighbourhood Plan (0.33hectares) and so one that the council wants to be reviewed accordingly.
The other main recommendations by Jake Collinge, that were supported by the town council refer to, the depth and form of landscaping along the northern and western site boundaries; the provision of Lifetime Homes; clarification on the delivery of cycle parking; whether photovoltaics and/or air/ground source heat pumps are to be used to achieve Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4. (See full report)
Finally, there followed a forthright discussion about the design and material of the front wall of the development either side of the entrance, which one councillor described as looking like ‘a golf club entrance’. Councillors agreed that the wall should be made of rubble stone to match the other walls along the Oxford Road. They also agreed to put pressure on Oxfordshire County Council to provide a mini-roundabout by the entrance of the development.
The council voted to recommend refusal of the plan on the grounds of the receommendations made by its Planning Consultant, Jake Collinge.
The full planning application is available for viewing HERE
RESIDENTS of Haddenham, near Thame, have accused Aylesbury Vale District Council of ‘steamrollering’ over their emerging Neighbourhood Plan.
Masterplan for land at The Glebe, Haddenham
In a statement, Richard Moore, Chairman of Haddenham Parish Council’s Communications Committee, said: “An outline planning application to build 280 units on the farmland opposite Tiggywinkles (known as The Glebe land), which runs counter to the draft Neighbourhood Plan and contrary to the wishes of the majority of the community, has been recommended to be approved by Aylesbury Vale District Council Planning Committee on January 28.
“After two years of research, investigation and consultation Haddenham’s Neighbourhood Plan has been completed and is about to be submitted and undergo a final check before being voted on by villagers.
“According to AVDC the nascent Neighbourhood Plan ’carries insufficient weight at this time’ to influence the decision on the application. Approving this application will torpedo the Neighbourhood Plan which would promptly sink without trace and the village of Haddenham would become a tasty target for predatory developers.”
Chairwoman of Haddenham Parish Council, Margaret Aston, declared: “I am bitterly disappointed by AVDC’s uncooperative and unhelpful attitude.”
At a meeting of the Haddenham Planning Committee on Monday (19/01/15), the Parish Council decided to request that the Secretary of State calls in the application, and that they would advise the Oxford Diocese, which owns half the land in question, that this is not what their community wants and that it undermines the Neighbourhood Plan. They also decided to request that Haddenham’s MP, John Bercow, intervenes, and to seek to publicise, what the committee described as ‘the shambles and sham that ‘localism’ has become’, and ‘to ensure a vocal and obvious presence is manifest’, at the AVDC Planning Committee meeting on January 28.
No one from Aylesbury Vale District Council was available to speak to today, despite strenuous efforts, though a member of the planning team suggested that the ‘Committee report’ dated January 16, (scroll right down at the link below) explains the background to the recommended refusal. (See particularly paras. 1.9, 1.21 and 1.22)
Full details of the planning application and all associated papers can be found here: http://tiny.cc/529usx
NB TRANSPORT POLICY – SUPPORT OF THAME
The draft policies of the HNP aim to, ‘enhance internal and external connectivity in the village through the use of public transport, and facilitate walking and cycling as the main means of access’ and contributions are be sought from all new developments to fully fund the design and delivery of a cycle route between Thame and the Haddenham and Thame Parkway station.
Because this draft policy matches that of Thame’s adopted Neighbourhood Plan, and because Thame Town Council has already successfully secured financial contributions from developers of its own housing sites towards the cycle route, Thame Town Council is to support this policy in Haddenham’s Neighbourhood Plan.
THE local fire service is reminding households across the county that their safety is paramount, and that in the event of a fire they need to quickly evacuate and then call the fire service.
The warning came after the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to a fire in a bedroom of a three storey, detached home in Holton, near Wheatley, at 9:34am this morning (20/01/15).
Four fire Engines from Wheatley, Slade Park and Thame fire stations were sent to the scene, along with an Hydraulic Platform and Incident Support Unit.
Incident Commander Alan Hutchinson said: “On arrival we were faced with a fully developed fire on the first floor of the property. I quickly committed fire-fighters wearing breathing apparatus sets and with hosereels to extinguish the fire. The smoke alarm had alerted the occupiers of the property and my crews worked hard to extinguish the fire which had spread to the first and second floors of the property.”
The cause of the fire has been determined as being accidental.
IN response to an article in The Times recently, which accuses the Labour party of ‘plotting’ a huge increase in wind turbines (see LINK http://tiny.cc/gahrsx), Thame’s MP John Howell has accused his party’s opposition of threatening ‘ chaos in the Henley constituency’.
As it is not possible to read the full article without subscribing to The Time’s website, it is difficult to know exactly what the author of The Times’ piece, Ben Webster’s evidence for his claim is, but John Howell claims that the piece reports that: “Mike Parker, the head of onshore wind at RWE Innogy UK, one of the biggest wind farm companies, said that he had found ‘very strong support for onshore wind in one-to-one conversations’ with key Labour and Liberal Democrat figures’,” and that he (Parker) had added: “It gives me confidence to continue with what we are doing.”
In a statement, John Howell said: ““Many families in the Henley constituency, who are concerned that wind farms could be approved locally without their views being heard, will be appalled to hear about these Labour plans for a massive expansion of onshore wind – Labour must either condemn them or come clean to local people about [his/her] plans for more windfarms.
‘END WIND POWER SUBSIDIES’
“Now that we have enough onshore wind power to meet our renewables target we should be ending bill payer funded subsidies for newly planned projects and give local communities the decisive say on them, but only a Conservative government would deliver that.
“At the next election local people in the Henley constituency now have a clear choice: between the strong leadership of the Conservatives who will protect our local natural beauty for our children and grandchildren – or a vote for any other party which would lead to the chaos of more publicly subsidised wind farms.”
LABOUR CANDIDATE’S RESPONSE
Sam Juthani, the Parliamentary Labour Candidate for the constituency, has taken on John Howell over his claims, and states: “When climate change is one of the most important issue that faces the planet today, the Labour Party is proud to stand up and campaign on its commitment to decarbonise the UK’s electricity supply by 2030. Renewable sources of energy, such as windfarms are an important part of that. Surveys show that people much prefer windfarms to fracking, which has seen practically unconditional support from this Conservative Party.
“John Howell has been reduced to talking about non-existent policies. The Labour Party will not endanger our rural landscape and heritage. John Howell and the Conservative Party have been reduced to this because they have no plan to ensure a sustainable future for the UK, and have abandoned any pretense of being green.”
PROPOSALS for a controversial housing development on land at The Elms, Upper High Street, Thame, have been re-submitted with amendments, including a reduction in the number of new homes from 45 to 37, 14 of which are ‘affordable’ – four less than in the original plan.
Meadow land at ‘The Elms’ where a development of 37 new homes is proposed
Other amendments include moving a row of houses further back from the boundary between The Elms and Elms Park, and planting trees for screening; changes to the housing mix and layout; changes to parking provision and layout; cycle paths provided from Elms Road, Elms Park and the Upper High Street and reduction of some roof levels. These changes reflect responses to a number of concerns, including those of the South East Regional Historic Buildings Officer from English Heritage, the Conservation Officer at South Oxfordshire District Council, Thame Town Council and local residents.
WILDLIFE
An Ecology addendum has been added to the Plans, following an ‘Ecology and Protected Species Appraisal’ commissioned by the developer after concerns were voiced regarding the possible adverse effect of the development on Great Crested newts. The report concludes that the areas around the three near-by ponds, one at John Hampden School, and the others in the Memorial Gardens (the former only marginally suitable for newts and the latter unsuitable because of their over-hanging lips) to be an unnecessary concern.
On the effect of invertebrate biodiversity by the proposed felling of a horse chestnut tree and a sycamore tree, the report says that no significant loss can be expected because most trees on the site are being retained. On the question of bats, the report states that there are no bat roosts present in the trees at the moment but that, as the development is unlikely to begin for three years, it recommends checking the trees for bat roosts before felling. If, at that time roosts are found, felling would have to be delayed until appropriate licences had been gained from Natural England.
The Appraisal concludes: “Most of the site area is of low ecological value….any of note is being retained and safe-guarded within the Master Plan.”
CHANGES TO BOUNDARIES
Additional amendments include partial demolition of the boundary wall along Elms Road, creations of a vehicular entrance, new plinths, metal railings and brick piers; Removal of the wooden gates at the Upper High Street entrance and provision of timber, electronic gates at the private entrance to The Elms; Moving the Southern access to the site 4.5 m to the East along Elms Road ‘to ensure minimum impact’ on trees and roots.
HERITAGE STATEMENT
It is in this area that there still appear to be unresolved differences between the developer and English Heritage, and the Conservation Officer who had previously stated: “There would be undeniable harm to the setting of The Elms….and the other nearby Listed Buildings, and the Conservation Area as a result of development on this site,” and suggested that open space should be increased. The revised scheme amendments include that the park-side houses are reduced from 14 to 11 in number, thus increasing the space between them.
Differences remain between the applicant (Simon Vickers, Rectory Homes) and English Heritage regarding the setting of the development within land at The Elms, in particular its relationship with the open pasture land to the South. English Heritage, states the amendment documentation, has said that land to the South and West of the house ‘holds a greater degree of significance than the remainder of the pastureland’.
In a recent statement to Thame.Net (See previous report), English Heritage said that it was not able to support the plans as they currently stood as ‘they would contravene the agreed Neighbourhood Plan and be harmful to the setting of this important historic listed building’. There is also some dispute over the historic land ownership which the amendment documentation suggests can probably never be proved conclusively.
English Heritage has concluded: “It is the current sense of tranquility and seclusion (which) should be regarded as making a positive contribution to the setting of building.”
The applicant’s amendment concludes: “Public benefit offsets the notional degree of harm alleged.”
English Heritage has recommended to the Planning authority, South Oxfordshire District Council, that it refuse the application.
The plans can be viewed on request at Thame Town Hall Information Centre. Electronic copies of the plans are currently unavailable as the SODC website is down due to a major fire at their main offices but should be available online on the Town Council’s website next week. The application will be considered by the Town Council on Tuesday, February 27, 2015.
You can read all previous reports and communications to Thame.Net relating to the proposed development at The Elms, HERE
THE question that every teenager dreads: What are you going to do when you leave school?’ To answer this, you need to know what courses and careers are out there and what is going to suit you best. So, where do you find out about careers? What is an apprenticeship and how do you get one? What is the difference between college and Sixth Form? What do you do with your History/Maths/ Psychology degree?
The answers to these questions and much more can be found at the Lord Williams’s School Future Fest careers event to be held on Tuesday, February 3, from 6pm – 8.30pm in the Lower School Sports Hall. This is a public event, open to everyone. Come along and meet local employers and find out what they are looking for in new recruits. Pick up a prospectus from some of the local colleges and talk to course tutors. Listen to the talks on apprenticeships, then talk to the training providers and employers providing apprenticeships. Hear what it’s like from the apprentices themselves.
Professional careers advice is on hand together with expert advice on job applications and CV writing.
Apprenticeship talks are scheduled for 6.30pm and repeated at 7.30pm. Parking will be limited, so if you are local, please come by foot. We look forward to seeing you there. For further information, call Nicky Stallwood on 01844 210524 or email: n.stallwood@lordwilliams.oxon.sch.uk
A 38-year-old man was charged on Friday (16/1) with a number of burglary and theft offences, including a Burglary dwelling at a house in Haseley Road, Little Milton, between November 20, 2014 and November 22, 2014
Hizekiah Roberts, of no fixed abode, was arrested yesterday and charged with 10 other offences:
Burglary dwelling – in relation to burglary in Springfield Drive, Wantage, between 20 November 2014 and 22 November 2014 Theft of motor vehicle – in relation to theft of a car in Springfield Drive, Wantage, between 20 November 2014 and 22 November 2014 Burglary dwelling – in relation to burglary in Manor Road, Wantage, between 20 November 2014 and 22 November 2014 Burglary dwelling – in relation to burglary in Newbury Street, Wantage, between 20 November 2014 and 22 November 2014 Burglary dwelling – in relation to burglary in Woodlands Brook, Wantage, between 20 November 2014 and 22 November 2014 Burglary dwelling – in relation to burglary in Upperton, Brightwell Baldwin, between 5 November 2014 and 7 November 2014 Theft of motor vehicle – in relation to theft of a car from Upperton, Brightwell Baldwin, between 5 November 2014 and 7 November 2014 Burglary dwelling – in relation to burglary in Boot Street, Stonesfield, between 1 December 2014 and 2 December 2014 Theft of motor vehicle – in relation to theft of a car stolen from Boot Street, Stonesfield, between 1 December 2014 and 2 December 2014 Attempted burglary with intent to steal – in relation to an incident at a shop in Main Road, Long Hanborough, between 1 December and 3 December
FOLLOWING comments on social media about the presence of a man wearing a mask and carrying an axe in the vicinity of a Thame school, local community police officers have checked out the reports and concluded that the claims were a hoax. Today they wrote to Lord Williams’s School in Thame, with the following statement:
“THAMES Valley Police has received a considerable number of calls from concerned parents in the Thame area regarding reports of a male wearing a mask and carrying an axe outside various Thame schools; Lord Williams School in particular.
We’d like to take this opportunity to reassure parents and students that these reports are completely false. It appears to have been a story being told around the school by the students which has been exaggerated every time it has been passed on and then amplified over social media.
Several children have admitted to making up or spreading the rumours, and the Force has spent considerable time speaking with the students involved and reassuring parents that the whole story is in fact a hoax.
Despite there being absolutely no cause for alarm, we will continue our reassurance patrols in the Thame area. Officers have also attended the schools to speak with students and teachers on how to report concerns to the police. Any suspicious activity or community concerns can always be reported to Thames Valley Police on 101 where they will be taken seriously, and in an emergency situation please call 999.
Finally, please can I take this opportunity to ask that you have a conversation with your child/children to remind them of the seriousness of wasting police time. Time spent investigating false reports is valuable time lost in dealing with real crime.”
Kind Regards Lucie ROBERTS | Constable 7289 | Neighbourhood Policing Team
