THE Sharing Life Trust, the group behind setting up both the Thame Food Bank and Thame’s Community Bank, in consultation with the town council and other community groups, is promoting the idea of a ‘community charter’ for Thame.
John Hulett, one of the founder members and a Trustee of Sharing Life Trust, said: “We want to set out a few short phrases which will highlight why Thame is a good place to live, and to encourage community through volunteering.
The idea of a Community Charter is currently the subject of public consultation, and the Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green, is fully behind the project. She commented: “‘This is a great opportunity to highlight the values that make our town a special place to live. Please help us by responding to this consultation. We would urge everyone to respond by using the feedback forms available here: Consultation form link
Paper copies are available from the Town Hall Information Centre or the library on North Street, Thame.
FOCUSING on a debacle between Thame Town Council and a developer who wants to convert Thame’s old police station into sheltered apartments for the elderly, a Thame Councillor has criticised the government over its National Planning Policy Framework.
An artist’s impression of the proposed apartment block, formerly Thame Police Station
Speaking during a discussion about the proposal at a town council meeting on Tuesday (02/09), Town and District Cllr Mike Welply, said: “This matter indicates the great problem we now have in this country because of the way the National Planning Policy Framework gives developers a much bigger say. We have got our plan (the Thame Neighbourhood Plan) and it seems that the developers are ‘running rough-shod’ over the people of this town.”
Thame Town Council is unhappy about a developer’s appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, against a refused application to turn the old police station in Greyhound Lane into these sheltered apartments for the elderly.
The town council feels that the planning authority, South Oxfordshire District Council, did not include in its objections to the plan, all Thame’s concerns about aspects of the plan that it feels would provide a poor quality of living for potential residents, such as the layout of apartments, outlook and amenity space. It also feels that there has been a lack of consultation both with the town council itself and the people of the town. So, Thame Town Council has written to The Planning Inspectorate to support SODC’s decision to refuse the application and to reinforce the objections with its own.
In the letter, the town council states: “The proposed scheme has not been the subject of any meaningful public consultation, and certainly not in the evolution of the design proposals. Instead, the appellant held an exhibition where detailed, pre-prepared design proposals were presented to the Town Council and others as a fait accompli. There has been no meaningful discussion, review or dialogue at any stage. This approach is contrary to the policies outlined and a significant frustration to the Town Council given the principles embodied in both the production and content of the Neighbourhood Plan, and the active and positive approach the Council has, and is, taking with all other major sites in the town (notwithstanding the Town Council’s view that the principle of the development is unacceptable given the employment-based constraints to re-development).”
The Public Enquiry is expected to take place in late 2014 – early 2015. See previous report ‘Mayor accuses developer of ‘bullying’ the council’ LINK
THE filming and recording of proceedings could soon become a frequent feature of Thame Town Council meetings, following new government regulations around transparency and accountability that have recently come into force.
Shot from the first video ever taken of a Thame Town Council meeting on Tuesday (02/09/14)
In response to the Local Government Audit and Accountability Act 2014, Thame’s town council is coming to grips with this new aspect of local democracy and will soon be publishing arrangements and agreed principles for filming and recording meetings, including on mobile phones, on its website. These will include the council denying filming and recording rights if it deems the subject of any meeting ‘to be of a sensitive nature’ though it is not clear yet who will, or how it will be decided what is ‘sensitive’ and why.
The use of digital and social media such as Twitter, blogging or audio recording the council has said, ‘will only be allowed as long as it is carried out in a non-disruptive manner and does not interrupt the course of the meeting,’ and the Chair of any committee will have the authority to stop a meeting ‘and take appropriate action’ if any person contravenes these principles.
At a meeting last night of the full town council, councillors discussed concerns that recordings might be edited in such a way that the proceedings could be ‘misrepresented’ or ‘infringe on the values of the Council’. Cllr David Dodds said that there should be a requirement to register in advance an intention to film or record, and that it needed to be decided from where filming can take place to avoid ‘cameras being shoved in councillors’ faces’.
Tweeting from public meetings and courts has already been allowed for several months, following an announcement from the office of Eric Pickes, the Communities Minister.
Protestors agains NHS cuts and changes march through the streets of Norhampton yesterday
A Town Councillor from Thame has joined hundreds of other people in support of a group of mums from Darlington who are marching 300 miles from Jarrow to London, along the same route as the Jarrow Crusade in 1936, in protest against, what they see as the privatisation of the National Health Service.
Labour Party member, Cllr Mary Stiles, joined ‘The People’s March’ in Northampton yesterday and marched with them part way to Bedford. She explained her motivation for joining the march: “My younger daughter works for the NHS in Sunderland and marched on the first leg on Saturday, August 16, from Jarrow to Chester-Le-Street. She said it was amazing the support from hundreds of people, not only on the march, but also from people on the route who turned out to cheer them on their way.
“Our NHS is so precious, we feel we must do something. As Nye Bevin said, ‘ There will be an NHS as long as there are folk willing to fight for it’.”
Thame Town Cllr Mary Stiles enjoys a cuppa in Thame
The Labour Party’s General Election Candidate for the Henley and Thame Constituency, Sam Juthani, is also planning to join the march at some point before it finishes at The Houses of Parliament on Saturday, September 6.
THAME has a new town councillor, in the person of Tom Wyse, an ex Engineer and Thame man born and bred.
Newly co-opted Cllr Tom Wyse is congratulated by the Mayor of Thame, Jeannette Matelot Green
Tom was co-opted on to Thame Thame Council, after a secret ballot of four candidates, at a full council meeting last night (02/09/14), and replaces Andy Gunn who recently stepped down for family reasons.
Married for 44 years to Sheila, with two grown-up children and two grandsons, Tom went to Rycote Wood College and the Wenman School before working as an engineer, formerly at British Oxygen for 20 years where he finished as a Shift Superintendent. He recently retired from a staff position at Oxford University and enjoys working on his allotment at Stones Close.
He told the town councillors that his particular concerns were the increase in the number of new houses that Thame has to have, on-street parking and the loss of industrial units for housing. He also cares about the economy of the town and said: “We need to put more things on in the town centre to encourage people to come and use our High Street to help increase business.”
He told Thame.Net that he became motivated to join the town council after continually listening to other people, particularly in his local, The Cross Keys, complaining about what’s happening in Thame, and particularly about what the council are doing.
“Sometimes you just have to stand up and, instead of moaning, do something and have your say.” Tom stood for the council back in January but was defeated by Cllr Linda Emery. This was his second attempt to be selected.
In a statement welcoming Tom to their ranks, the town council said: “Tom spoke very passionately about Thame and was extremely delighted to be voted in by fellow Members. The Town Council wishes him every success in his new role.”
The other candidates were: Charles Boundy, Paul Cowell and Mary Ann Edwards.
Tom will serve the town council until the local elections in May 2015, when the whole town council will be up for election.
THE Police have charged a 22 year-old Thame man in connection with a robbery at a convenience store in Haddenham on July 28.
McColl’s in Banks Parade, Haddeham. Photo courtesy of Keith Milmer & Haddenham.Net
Lewis Bradbrook-Taylor, aged 22, of Putman Close, Thame, was arrested and charged on Thursday, August 28, for one count of robbery and for two counts of false imprisonment.
The charges relate to an incident which took place last Thursday at Martin McColls convenience store, Bank Parade, Haddenham, when a man entered the store at approximately 5.10pm and falsely imprisoned two members of staff. He then took money from the safe and left the scene.
Bradbrook-Taylor appeared at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Friday (29/8) and was remanded in custody. He will next appear at Aylesbury Crown Court on Friday, September 5.
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses after a fatal collision yesterday, in which a cyclist was killed near Brill.
The brow of Muswell Hill, Brill – Courtesey of geographic.org.uk
At 12.20pm yesterday (31/8), a cyclist was travelling down Muswell Hill near Brill, when he was in collision with a grey Land Rover Freelander that was travelling in the opposite direction. The cyclist, a 40-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the collision. The cyclist was riding a grey bicycle and was travelling away from Brill at the time of the collision.
If anyone has any information please call PC Alex Dearden quoting URN 753 of 31/8 via the Thames Valley Police 24-hour enquiry line 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. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
Dark skies over Towersey 2014, but the sun isn’t far away
DESPITE a soggy Bank Holiday Monday, both local people and visitors from far and wide turned out in their thousands over the three-days of what was the 50th Towersey Festival.
The festival, which started out from a need to renovate Towersey village hall on 1965, is now able to support a number of local projects. Musical events have taken place in several venues every year in large marquees in the surrounding playingfields, the village hall itself, in the church and in the local pub, The Three Horseshoes, where the sing-around in the barn has became an institution.
Throughout its 50 years, the festival has remained truly family-friendly with music, dance, poetry, street entertainment, film, story-telling, craft workshops, and safe and secure camping facilities, attracting people of all walks of life and ages who have brought colour, enthusiasm and their spending power to Towersey and Thame itself.
This year’s Towersey Festival celebrated its half-century and, particularly during a party for those who have been involved in many special ways, brought together artists and organisers and their families and friends to share some special moments (like that of a now retired Towersey Morris member, of Joe Heap, grandson of festival founder, Dennis Manners, delivering newspapers as a lad, in the village on his uni-cycle) – and of course a big, celebration cake! The cake was cut by Joan Gleeson, aged 91, the last surviving member of the founding committee in 1965.
The whole bank holiday saw around an estimated 8,000 people enjoy the likes of multi-award winning singer-song writer, Richard Thompson, the ever-green festival patron, Roy Bailey, local girl Megan Henwood, Thame First Music Club’s very own popular,The August List and The Ian English Boodlum band with their unique, ‘sherry trifle’ of a mix of off-beat songs and comedy. Some of the other ‘big hitters’ included Whapweasel, Rusty Shackle (back for a second time in two years) and the charismatic and thrilling Seth Lakeman.
It’s hard to imagine quite how Towersey Festival will evolve in the next decades but the recently announced move to the Thame Show Ground, which itself could be changing in the not so far distant future if a proposed move there by Thame Cattle Market goes ahead, is seen by the organisers as a positive development. Thame Show Ground offers scope for a bit more room, better and safer access, better parking facilities, improved crowd control and more involvement with the people of Thame, without losing the Towersey heritage, the involvement of the village and the unique atmoshphere of its catch-phrase, adopted from a comment by a visitor, ‘another lovelier world.’
Three Towersey Legends, L-R, Roy Bailey, Joan Gleeson and Paul Gleeson
So let’s all raise a leather or pewter tankard of real ale of cider to Steve and Joe Heap and their dedicated crew of organisers, and to future generations, to the next 50 years of the Towersey Festival.
THAME Youth Theatre is about to begin a new term, returning after their successful summer project, Aladdin Jr, and are looking for potential new members. If you are aged between 7 – 18 years-old and interested in performing then TYT could be the group for you.
This summer saw 53 members take on the unbelievable challenge of putting on a musical in just five days and then perform it twice to a paying audience.
“It always astounds me how we manage to put a show on in five days but we some how do it every year,” said Tom Mackriell, TYT’s Youth Arts Development Manager. “Every member was really committed to what was such an exciting and energetic performance, and each child came out with an experience that will last a life time. We had members from the age of six right up to 17 years-old take part and each was given a lot to remember and learn, and they all took on the challenge and produced a great show.
“Next term we will be presenting six shows with our seniors and our dance members, taking on the challenge of performing pieces based on War, in recognition of the 100 years since the start of WW1. We are looking for members aged 7 – 10 years and 14 ½ – 18. So if you arew interested in taking part in Thame Youth Theatre, then please contact us at admin@thameyouththeatre.co.uk or telephone Tom on 07805 88 58 46.”
THIS is part two of a report from notes taken at last Thursday’s public meeting at the Barns Centre, Thame, hosted by the ‘Save the Elms’ petition group. (LINK to part one HERE)
UKIP representatives (front row) at the Save the Elms meeting. Sam Juthani (Labour) strolls to his seat (far right)
AFTER a short break in the proceedings after a member of the audience was taken ill, those present at the public meeting held last Thursday (14/08) heard Save The Elms founder member, Richard Jeffries, mount a stout defence of leaving the park land at The Elms, undeveloped, calling it a ‘very special site’ that has been left alone for a very long time, ‘a remnant of ancient parkland’.
Richard, a former Wildlife Conservation worker, spoke of ”unique, open-form trees’ that were likely to be removed, trees that he said were over 150 years-old and unique to Thame, including an A1 condition, open-ground Horse Chestnut. There ecosystems, he said, would support everything from invertebrates all the way up the food chain and the trees serve as ‘an island’ for wildlife as does Tythrop and Rycote Parks.
“Those parks would never be built on,” he said. “So why The Elms? We are being asked to trade off all that just so that we can have access to part of an open space.” He went on to say that the Tree Removal Plan in the documents associated with the planning permission that are on display at Thame Town Hall, is ‘illegible’ and ‘ambiguous’ because the key to the trees is in red on the original document, but it has been photo-copied in black and white. It was though, he said, clear that the intention was to remove an entire tree belt from close to the boundary.
When a member of the public, recalled how, when he was young, the owner of The Elms, Leonard Purser, had a bird sanctuary there and a tree walk, Richard Jeffries responded that this was one more reason why The Elms is ‘an historical asset.’ He suggest that Thame should consider doing what Little Chalfont has done and purchase the site as a nature park. He then went on to remind those present of the cut-off dates for the consultation period on the planning applications, August 21 (today) for Elms Park (http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P14/S2310/O) and September 4, for the housing development. (See: http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P14/S2176/FUL)
NB – More information about submitted plans for associated work at The Elms, HERE https://www.thame.net/archives/16170ERE
Tom Marianczar urged those present to look at the plans and that if they wanted to comment and needed help, the Save The Elms group could help them understand the procedure if they would like help. He concluded: “This is a planning battle for Thame, not just for people living in the area. The question has to be asked, was submitting the planning applications during the school holidays, when many people are away, strategic on the part of the developer?”
He then went on to thank everyone for coming, including representatives from the local UKIP group and local Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Sam Juthani, as well as those town councillors who had come to the meeting, “…despite being advised by the Town Clerk not to,” he added. Thame’s MP John Howell was away on holiday. No one representing Rectory Homes was present at the meeting.
You can read part one of this report HERE. Please use the COMMENTS facility here to share your views whether or not you were at the meeting.
John Hulett, one of the founder members and a Trustee of Sharing Life Trust, said: “We want to set out a few short phrases which will highlight why Thame is a good place to live, and to encourage community through volunteering.
