Category: More News

FOLLOWING a warning that the Thame area may have to provide for increased new housing numbers, local planners have responded to the recently published SHMAR (Strategic Housing Market Assessment Report) figures.

Cllr Nick Carter warned Thame Town Council recently that this Government commissioned report could mean higher new house building numbers for South Oxfordshire, which could impact Thame.

The report has now been published and shows a need for between 4,678 – 5,328 additional homes per year across Oxfordshire for the period 2011-2031, specifically for between 725-825 per year for South Oxfordshire. (More information about SHMAR here: http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/news/2014/2014-03/countys-new-housing-market-assessment

The reports identifies a need for 965 additional affordable homes per year in South Oxfordshire, throughout the period, 2011-2031.

In response to the new figures, South Oxfordshire District Council has stated: “The new SHMA, a new study of housing need in Oxfordshire, provides evidence on housing need over a longer period to 2031. We now need to review our plan to look ahead to 2031, and to work out the best places for the additional new housing to go. Our new Local Plan 2031 will do this, and we look forward to working with our communities to create the new plan. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor our housing land supply based on the requirements and housing delivery plans in our Core Strategy. “

Thame’s MP, John Howell, whose constituency covers part of Oxfordshire, has today published his opinion on the matter. He has stated: “There is no need for an immediate adjustment to the South Oxfordshire Local Plan as a result of the recently approved, county-wide Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA).”

He continued: “The SHMA is a contributory paper to the setting of housing targets. As the report makes clear, it does not set them but contributes to an evaluation of them. In contrast to the South Oxfordshire Local Plan, this report has been through none of the verification procedures that the Local Plan has. In South Oxfordshire’s case, that local Plan was agreed with Inspectors only at the end of 2012.

“Recent guidance produced by Central Government has shown clearly that in relation to the provision of a five-year land supply of sites, assessments are not automatically outdated by these new household projections. It should not therefore be possible for developers to simply over-ride the South Oxfordshire Local Plan on these grounds given that it has an up-to-date assessment of needs.

“Councils need to continue to work together to study these findings and to assess the extent to which the numbers can be accommodated in a sustainable fashion with the correct infrastructure.”

It is not yet known whether this new housing needs report will impact on the housing numbers catered for in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. No one from Thame Town Council was available for comment at the time of going to press.

THAMES Valley Police has charged two men with burglary offences. The charges relate to a conspiracy in which 20 dwelling burglaries took place across Thame, Aylesbury, Maidenhead, and Hampshire between February 1, and March 7, 2014.

Scott Blundell, aged 23, of Tower Field Square, Northampton, was charged on Friday (7/3) with one count of conspiracy to commit a burglary at a dwelling with intent to steal.

Jack Blundell, aged 21, of Windsor Crescent, Harrow, was charged on Friday (7/3) with five counts of dwelling burglaries. The charges are in relation to five burglaries in particular which took place in Maidenhead on February 28.

They both appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (8/3) where the court remanded them to appear at Reading Crown Court on March 17 .

A Councillor has warned Thame Town Council that it needs to take care before supporting whole-heartedly a new parking enforcement scheme being proposed for the town.

“We have to be clear from the start,” said Cllr David Dodds, “what it is we want for the town. We need to maintain the three hours free parking in the Upper High Street so that we would not be littered with parking meters.” Cllr Dodds was speaking to fellow town councillors at last week’s full council meeting, when they discussed whether to support South Oxfordshire District C’ouncil’s proposals.

Henley, Didcot and Wallingford have already agreed to support SODC’s intention to apply to the Department for Transport (DfT) to carry out Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) in its four towns. CPE permits local authorities to apply for the legal powers to take over the enforcement of on-street, as well as off-street, car parking regulations from the police. In return they are allowed to keep the proceeds and parking offences cease to be criminal offences. Local authorities adopting CPE usually employ contractors to run their scheme.

Parking tickets issued under CPE that are challenged, are dealt with by an adjudicator or tribunal rather than through the magistrates’ court and apparently takes into account more mitigating circumstances. Historically, the number of challenges for civil parking offences is significantly higher than with criminal enforcement (60%).

The start up capital cost is estimated to be between £120,000 – £170,000 for South Oxfordshire and the use of either Section 106 (contributions from developers to community projects) or CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) money from growth in development, is being considered as an option for funding the application. It is expected that the CPE scheme would take about 18 months to implement and the future cost of road marking and signs would remain with the County Council and would be funded from its parking account.

Other town councillors were concerned about the knock on effect of CPE on residents’ parking in Thame. Cllr Helena Fickling pointed out that: “The two hour parking in High Street is not being reinforced. The ex Traffic Warden, Peggy, never enforced the two hour parking limit on residents. We will need to negotiate to cover those interests.”

Cllr Nigel Champken Woods said: “Several times we have asked for Residents’ parking but were told ‘No’. There is Residents’ parking in Oxford City, so why not here?” Cllr Don Butler was concerned what effect CPE would have on shoppers.

The town council resolved that support would be given to the introduction of CPE by the district council only if it was assured that:

a) Free parking is retained in the two High Street car parks.

b) The markets in the town can continue and are managed by the Town Council.

c) There are no financial repercussions as a consequence of the introduction of CPE on the events held in the town centre.

e) Agreement is reached with Thame Town Council on any other important issues particular to Thame.

MOST people who know the Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert, know that he is not your typical, traditional sort of a Mayor; ‘pressing the flesh’ , kissing babies (hang on, you’re not allowed to do that anymore!), and exchanging platitudes and political sound bytes isn’t his style.

He’s a friendly, witty, straight-down-the-line sort of a bloke who says what he thinks at council meetings, but in an inoffensive and fair way, and above all, he likes having fun – and creating enjoyment for the customers in his pub, The Cross Keys, in Thame.

So it came as no surprise that this year’s Mayor’s Ball on Saturday was not your normal civic event, but a relaxed, informal affair though still with a sprinkling of bow ties and ball gowns, and a ‘flashmob’ of his pub regulars and friends who set the mood for the dancing with their very own version of a dance routine from the TV comedy sitcom, Ally McBeal.

In all, 145 guests attended the event at The Oxfordshire and were welcomed by the Mayor and his wife, Trudi, before sitting down to a three course meal. Harpist, Sarah Goss, provided musical accompaniment and the truly mystifying close-up magician, Sylar.

Peter, who completes his term of office in May, said: “I would like to thank everyone who made the evening so special, and the numerous businesses that made such generous donations towards the raffle and the silent auction.”

To all the assembled guests, his wife Trudi, and his family, who had travelled from Essex for the event, he spoke of how he had ‘thoroughly enjoyed’ his term as Mayor. He continued by saying: “Thank you to those who persuaded me to stay in Thame in the first place, five years ago, and to the many people I know for their words of encouragement throughout the year.”

The evening raised over £3000, which will be combined with other funds raised throughout the year by the Mayor’s fundraising events and be split evenly between SAFARI and Thame Players. More information about these two causes can be found at www.thame-safari.org and www.thameplayers.co.uk

THAMES Valley Police charged a 16-year old girl and 17-year-old boy, on Tuesday (04/3) with burglary.

The boy and girl, from Chinnor, were charged with one count of burglary of a dwelling in relation to a burglary on Monday, March 3,  at a property in Greenwood Avenue, Chinnor.

They are due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on March 19.

OVERNIGHT between Monday, March 3, and Tuesday, March 4, a number of properties in Thame were burgled. Offender(s) gained entry to properties in Henrietta Road, Overton Drive and Hazelrig Drive. Items stolen include handbags, laptops, keys and a camera.

 
It is believed entry was gained via insecure front doors or by putting an implement through the letterbox to open the door from the inside, as there were no signs of forced entry.
 
Residents are advised to be extra vigilant and to make sure doors are locked at night, ensuring handles are pulled up if necessary to engage any multiple locking mechanisms.  When secure remove keys from the lock and place them out of view and reach of windows, doors and letterboxes.
 
Please click on the link below to obtain further “door” crime prevention advice.
 
http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/crprev/crprev-home/crprev-home-iyh-doorwin-door.htm
 
If you see or have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message please call the police on 101.
 
Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org.  No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

AN attempt to forge cheques to try to steal money from Thame Town Council has come to light. Six attempts were made using the forged signatures of two town councillors who have long left the council.

Fortunately, the fraud was spotted by the bank because the signatures appeared to be photocopied and the cheque numbers were far out of sequence. 

PRIOR to considering a request for a loan from a local sports club recently, members of a town council committee were asked to leave the council chamber if they were aware of a ‘conflict of interests’ .

The perception of a possible conflict of interests among members of Thame Town Council’s Policy and Resources Committee, arose because the President of the club in question, Chinnor Rugby Club, is Simon Vickers, who is also the head of the club’s main sponsor, Rectory Homes; the town council is currently in discussions with Rectory Homes over its proposal for a housing development on Elms Field, next to Elms Park in Thame.

No Councillors left the Chamber and all took part in the agenda item to consider a loan of £300,000 to Chinnor RFC for an expansion project due to be finished in time for the 2015 World Cup. The Committee agreed to support the request in principle but proposed that other avenues of funding needed to be explored first, including money from South Oxfordshire’s Community Investment Fund (CIF), or from Section 106 Agreement money from Developers (contributions that can be sought from developers towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure, the need for which has arisen as a result of a new development taking place).

FOLLOWING a question from Cllr Mary Stiles at a recent Thame Town Council meeting, it was confirmed at last week’s meeting (Tuesday 25/02) that the council does in fact pay ‘a living wage’ to its employees. See previous report HERE 

FOLLOWING a request for a volunteer to take over the co-ordination of Thame Tidy Day, Sue Downhill, who has recently taken the reins of Thame4Business, has stepped forward. Sue is a Co-Director of Raquets Fitness Centre, in Thame.

The date for Thame Tidy Day this year is May 11. More details to follow.

THAME’S Oxfam Bookshop has a history of finding some very rare and valuable books amongst its donations. Shortly before Christmas, the shop sold a 1912 edition of Peter Pan, illustrated by Arthur Rackham, for the asking price of £300.

Some more recent great finds include ‘VVV’, four wartime magazines on Surrealist art, bound into a book, which was sold through Oxfam’s internet site to a customer in Japan. A signed copy of Statecraft by Margaret Thatcher, was recently sold to a customer in the Thame shop and General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, a First Edition, by J.M.Keynes, was sold this via the internet site to a customer in the south of England, who purchased it for a birthday gift for their son who is studying, yes, you guessed, Economics!

The Oxfam Bookshop’s Manager, Dick Jennens, said: “These three sales have generated an amazing sum of money, over £1,600, for Oxfam to use for finding lasting solutions to poverty and suffering. This amount of income will be enormously helpful for our work with the refugees from the civil war in Syria.”

Oxfam is planning to help 400,000 refugees between January and the end of March 2014.

OVERNIGHT between Wednesday (26/2), and Thursday (27/2), entry was gained to vehicles in Chinnor and Kingston Blount, Thame.

Offender(s) forced entry to a van in Greenwood Meadow, Chinnor, and stole power tools; entry was also gained entry to an insecure vehicle in Cowleaze, although nothing appears to have been stolen.

Offender(s) gained to an insecure vehicle in Icknield Close, Kingston Blount. A mobile phone, camera and cash were stolen.

Police are advising residents not to leave any valuable items in their vehicles overnight or when left unattended. For crime prevention advice on car security please click on the link below:
http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/crprev-auto-protectvehicle-car

If you have seen any suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area or have any information relating to this message please call the police on 101.

Alternatively if you have information but wish to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online @ crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.