Category: More News

A revised planning application for the proposed Thame Solar Farm at Stonepits Farm near Towersey aims to reduce the site area by over 70% — from nearly 24 to just over 6.6 hectares — and specifies more native tree and hedgerow planting to make the site less visible to the public.

The revised plan removes almost all of the site’s ‘best and most valued’ (BMV) agricultural land, which will continue to be conventionally farmed. Continued agricultural use of the solar farm itself is also proposed, in the form of grazing sheep, while surrounding areas will be enhanced to support wildlife and biodiversity by planting wildflowers and installing beehives.

The new plan, submitted by developers Big60Million, Luminous Energy and Belectric UK, is intended to address local concerns about visibility from neighbouring properties, roads and footpaths. Drawing on consultations with local residents and feedback from South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC), it will be considered by SODC’s Planning Committee at the end of January.

As part of the substantial scaling down of Thame Solar Farm, the solar arrays will now be set back to leave a 140-metre-wide corridor between them and Windmill Road, and the existing hedgerow will be allowed to grow to a height of 3 metres, further restricting views from the road. A long lost native hedgerow along the western edge of the solar farm will be re-established, screening the site from any redevelopment of the currently derelict Stonepits buildings.

Along the eastern boundary, the solar arrays will be set back an average of 30 metres from the bridleway, which will itself be improved to increase accessibility and prevent deterioration of the trail. As recommended by the Environment Agency, and in keeping with local landscape character assessments, existing willow trees alongside the path will be pollarded. The resulting branches take root rapidly when pushed into the ground and will be used along with under-storey planting to fill in gaps and strengthen the hedgerow. Compared to the original proposal, 60% less of the bridleway will now be adjacent to the solar farm, so overall visual impact will be hugely reduced.

The reduced site area means that solar arrays will be no closer than 45 metres from the public footpath to the north of the site and a proposed native hedgerow will be planted along this boundary to further soften and filter the view.

Belectric’s development manager, Mike Rogers, commented: “Early last year we identified Stonepits Farm as potentially suitable for solar power generation because it’s largely flat, inconspicuously located and, crucially, has a 9000 kVA grid connection adjacent to the site. Since then, we’ve been talking to and listening to local people and the planning authority, and working hard to address their concerns. We’ve scaled back the project by more than half, greatly increased the buffer zones between the solar farm and public rights of way, and worked up landscape plans to minimize any residual visual impact.

“Solar farms are usually photographed from the air — precisely the angle from which they look biggest and most intrusive. At ground level, surrounded by trees, hedgerows and wildflower margins, they blend in much better than people might expect. Besides generating clean energy, our plans for Thame Solar Farm include sheep grazing between and beneath the panels, and working with local wildlife experts to provide habitat for birds, small ground dwelling mammals and pollinating insects. In the future, we hope local people will want to become involved with community projects based around our solar farm concept.”

THAME Town Council has begun the process of searching for a new Town Clerk, following a decision by the current Clerk to retire at the end of March.

Helen Stewart, who has been Thame’s Town Clerk for 11 years, was awarded an BEM in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List 2014, ‘For services to neighbourhood planning in Thame, Oxfordshire’. SEE LINK

The town council will begin advertising the post from January 23, with a closing date of February 13, holding interviews in the week beginning February 23. All the information relevant to interested applicants will be available on the Town Council’s website or available at the Town Hall from January 23. Anyone wishing for an application pack to be posted to them can register their interest by emailing info@thametowncouncil.gov.uk.

FOLLOWING an announcement today from Tesco PLC that it is scrapping plans for 49 new stores, Tesco has told Thame.Net today that it intends to go ahead with plans to build a new supermarket on the edge of the town, on the DAF site.

Dave Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’ve carefully reviewed our planned new store developments across the country and it remains our intention to submit plans for a new store in Thame. We continue to believe that the store will provide a valued service to the local community. The new store will provide a great shopping experience as well as bringing new jobs and investment to the area.”

The Tesco chief today unveiled a dramatic overhaul of the troubled supermarket chain to save money, including:
• 43 unprofitable stores to close and 49 planned stores shelved
• Thousands of management roles to be axed
• Halfords chief Matt Davies to run UK operation
• Head office downsized and moved

As well as falling profits and a sinking share price, Tesco was issued with four profit warnings last year and endured an accounting scandal.

LINKS to associated web posts: https://www.thame.net/?s=Tesco

THAME’S Tuesday street market, which has been established as market day in Thame since 1183, will be welcoming a very special royal guest in February, when it will be celebrating 800 years since receiving its Royal Charter way back in 1215.

The Princess Royal, HRH Princess Ann, has accepted an invitation from the market stallholders to visit Thame on February 17, 2015. Chris Hurdman, the market traders’ representative, received an unexpected early present when he learned just before Christmas that his application for the royal visit had been successful. He told Thame.Net: “The stallholders of Thame Market are delighted and very proud that the Princess Royal will be visiting Thame Market to help us celebrate 800 years since Thame first got its Royal Charter in 1215.”

HISTORY

The earliest record of the Tuesday market dates from the time of Bishop Walter de Coutances (1183–4). The market was then well established and was held ‘by prescriptive right’ (rights established by longterm usage). A royal charter granting a market at Thame was not obtained until 1215, the year of the Magna Carter, from King John. This was a general grant permitting the Bishop of Lincoln to hold markets and fairs in all his manors. Thame is specifically mentioned in a confirmation of the charter in 1227, and was confirmed again in 1229.

In 1219 a licence was obtained by Bishop Hugh de Welles from King Henry III, to divert the Oxford-Aylesbury road so as to make it pass through ‘his town of Thame’. The object of the diversion was to oblige travellers to pass through to the market-place and so increase and facilitate the collection of tolls. The old route was by Lashlake and Priestend, following the course of the river. The new route was the present one—along Friday Street (now North Street) and into the High Street.

More details of the plans for the royal visit will be published soon.

A Thame advisory group, originally formed to scrutinise planning applications affecting the town’s historic Conservation Area, is fighting to have its support reinstated after it was dismissed as ‘a self-appointed interest group’ by Thame Town Council.

Despite being given, in 1984, a remit to report back its independent views to the town council’s Planning committee, that same committee took the view last May  that the group, the Thame Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CAAC) did not have a formal role, and revoked the group’s free use of meeting space at the town hall.

Since then, the CAAC has continued to meet in the town hall lobby before planning meetings to scrutinise plans, but claims that since May, its views have not been shared at planning meetings or included in the minutes.

Speaking at a meeting of Thame Town Council’s Planning and Environment Committee on Tuesday (05/01), Colin Sear, the Thame CAAC’s Chairman, accused the town council of ‘a fait accompli’ by announcing its withdrawal of support without any discussion with his group, and of doing so based on ‘false information’.

Mr Sears claimed that the town council’s assertion in an email to a member of his committee, stating that ‘Thame CAAC was not aligned or acting on behalf of the Planning and Environment Committee in any formalised way’ and that it is ‘a self-appointed interest group’ was ‘clearly not correct’. He went on to say that the email advised the CAAC that the town council now considers planning applications in light of the Neighbourhood Plan. But, went on Mr Sear, it had not been explained where the relevant sections of the Neighbourhood Plan were that relate to the Conservation Area of Thame, and which set out where the work independently carried out by the CAAC is no longer appropriate.

He asked the council to reconsider its decision, stating that his committee’s sole interest, as an independent committee, was: “…to represent the interests of the residents of Thame in helping to maintain the hightest standards for the Conservation Area.”

The Chair of the Planning and Environment Committee, Cllr Helena Fickling, said that her committee had no powers to reinstate free use of the committee room at the town hall to the Conservation Committee, but that it could make a recommendation that would need to go to full council.

On the point of the status of the Thame CAAC, she said that there seemed to be some confusion at South Oxfordshire District Council over whether the CAAC’s views were those of the town council or of an independent group.

Cllr David Dodds said: “The Conservation Area Advisory Committee doesn’t have a constitution and is therefore self-perpetuating. Who makes up the membership and who nominates membership needs to be clarified.

“The group has a very valuable role and it is great that it is independent. I’m sure its members have taken on board what has been said here and I would back a decision by full council to grant it free use of meeting space.”

The matter will now go forward to full council in February. (RELATED LINK: http://www.thame.net/archives/15317

ALICE Thomas, aged 63, from Chinnor, who was missing since yesterday (6/1) has been found safe today (7/1).

Thames Valley Police would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance in helping to locate her.

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information regarding the whereabouts of a missing woman in Chinnor. Alice Thomas, aged 63, was last seen getting off the number 40 bus in Thame town centre at about 12.25pm today (6/1).

Alice is white, of medium build, about 4ft 10ins, with short grey hair. She was last seen wearing a beige jacket and possibly sandal or clogg type shoes. Police believe that Alice may have travelled to Oxford.

She also frequents Christmas Common near the M40.

If you have any information regarding Alice’s whereabouts please contact the Thames Valley Police Enquiry Centre 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 www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

 THAMES Valley Police is appealing for information following a fatal collision at Waterstock,  yesterday (5/1).

At around 6.10pm two vehicles were involved in a collision on the A418 Oxford Road, Waterstock.

An HGV pulled out of the nearside lay-by on the Thame-bound carriageway and collided with a green Ford Focus which was travelling along the A418 towards Thame.

The driver of the Ford Focus, an 81-year-old man from Thame, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital where he later died.

His next of kin have been informed.

Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to call the Thames Valley Police enquiry line via 101, quoting URN 1053 5/1.

If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or contact then online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

A FLOOD warning for the River Thame and Chalgrove Brook has been issued by The Environment Agency today, and updated at 19.24.

Location: River Thame from Marsworth to Dorchester including, Long Marston, Rowsham, North Aylesbury, Cuddington, Thame, Shabbington, Ickford, Waterperry, Cuddesdon, Wheatley, Quarrendon, Drayton St Leonard, Overy, the Chalgrove Brook at Chalgrove and Stadhampton.

The River and Flooding forecast is as follows: Levels on the River Thame and Chalgrove Brook remain high, especially in the Thame Bridge and Stadhampton areas. Flooding of low lying land and roads is expected to continue. Levels are forecast to stabilise over the next 24 hours. Property flooding is not currently expected. The weather prospects are to expect a largely dry night tonight and a dry day on Monday. LINK to Environment Agency

THE latest Staying Alive Thame community defibrillator has been installed at a local pub, and the Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green was there on Saturday (13/12), to mark the occasion.

Chris and Paula, the two landladies of the The Falcon pub, in Thame Park Road, were keen have this lifesaving devise on their pub, explaining: “We are a community based pub and know the importance of these community defibrillators.” The Mayor added: “Staying Alive Thame was set up a year ago and now there are nine community defibrillators in Thame, something Thame should be proud of.”

Richard Roofe from South Central Ambulance Service, said: “We would like to see that wherever you are you are never more than a few minutes from a public access defibrillator. 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.”

He went on to say that he was pleased that Thame has these nine community defibrillators, thanks to local people giving generously to the Staying Alive Thame.

In the new year, The Falcon Pub will be restarting its ‘Fat Club’ on Tuesday evenings, and the money raised will be donated to Staying Alive Thame. In the past, customers of The Falcon have lost many stones in weight and raised many pounds for local charities.