A Thame resident has spoken of his fears for the consequences of building on the old pig farm in Oxford Road, Thame, one of the designated sites in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.
Photo taken from Ford bridge on Oxford Rd looking west across Cuttle Brook field towards by-pass 11 am this morning – by Barry Yates
Barry Yates, a member of the Oxford Road Residents Association, which opposed Site F, as it is known in the TNP, to being adopted as suitable for development in the district council’s Core Strategy, said the following:
“We have lived here for 30 years and myself in Thame for nearly all my life. This is the worst flooding ever [I am too young to remember 1947]. The entire bank of the Cuttle brook has never been broken before. The water is up to the top of the Oxford Road bridge, with nowhere else to go but into the field! The field next to our house in Cuttlebrook Gardens is completely flooded up to the edge of our garden fence.”
“Water is flowing at the foot of the hill in the Oxford Road out of drains and from a manhole cover by Waterloo Cottage. There is raw sewerage, mainly on the path, spilling out. It happened last time it rained heavily; the drains cannot cope. This is one of the main reasons we opposed any development on site F, and so vigorously against 600 houses there under the initial SODC core strategy. With 203 allocated under the Thame Neighbourhood Plan as a minimum, with this possibly increasing to 326 if the Lord Williams’s amalgamation does not proceed, the impact on more widespread flooding cannot be overestimated. “
The adoption of Site F was very controversial during the consultation stage of the Core Strategy and the TNP, particularly when Thame Town Council switched its preference from Site D to Site F, attracting opposition from residents groups such as The Oxford Road RA and residents of The Renaissance (Rycotewood site), over flooding fears.
The Developer has always maintained that flooding on the proposed site could be prevented with the use of containment ponds in the lower corner of the site.
A WAR of words, over part of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan, has developed between Thame Town Council, a local developer and a group of Thame residents opposed to building news homes on an open space in the town.
The meadow land at The Elms in Thame where a development of 45 homes is proposed
The row over the ‘how,’ and ‘whether’ the proposed Elms Field development was legitimately included in the TNP has now reached the point of threats of legal action following letters published in the local media.
The leading opposition group, which calls itself The ‘elmspetition’ Group and claims to have hundreds of signatures, has today issued the following statement about the situation as they see it, hoping to raise more awareness of their case and stimulate wider discussion. The statement reads:
“Our main reaction is ‘methinks he doth protest too much’. There is nothing wrong with Rectory Homes proposing development on land they own but it seemed a bit strange that originally the Elms was supposed to have been purchased as a retirement home for Mr and Mrs Vickers, and that surveyors turned up so quickly after the purchase to survey the field – in preparation for a housing proposal?
“It helps with any presentation to the planning authority to show that the public have been informed and that there is little opposition to a scheme. However, the Developer’s November presentation in Thame town hall, can surely not be considered a success from Rectory’s point of view. Rectory’s latest planning consultants, who are based in Solihull, were there, together with Mr David Ullathorne, a Directory of Rectory Homes, to answer questions.
“Witnesses state that, following adversarial questions fromP members of the public, Mr Ullathorne ‘exploded’, saying ‘The Elms has always been in the Town Plan, and was not slipped in out of nowhere, as I keep hearing today. It all comes from a man called Peter Webb, who has been misleading people.’
“Mr Webb has confirmed that, when challenged on this slur, Mr Ullathorne was unable to substantiate his assertion, but he did not deny that he had made it. All this is on record. We counter by saying that the site was not ‘always in the plan’.
“The Planning Group within Thame Town Council were charged by SODC with selecting a site or sites for the building of 775 houses over the next 20 years. To assist in this task, the planning authority of South Oxfordshire provided a detailed analysis of several potential sites, with a capacity well in excess of what is said to be needed. They clearly examined the merits and disadvantages of each. Elms Field was not one of these sites and thus there has been no analysis in regard to it. Also, we say that the Council exceeded its remit in allocating housing to a site other than those on the original list.
“While Mr Vickers claims to be ‘doing exactly what the government is urging’ by building houses in what he says is a ‘sustainable location’, what the government has actually asked is simply for land to be identified for 775 houses to be built in Thame over the next 20 years. Fulfilling this task does not need Elms Field which, with access and services problems, is the opposite of sustainable.
“In regard to access, the council rejected seven houses on the Old Dairy site on Southern Road, Thame, due to the extreme congestion already existing on Southern Road and Nelson Street, so how can it justify 45 using the same streets?
“Mr Vickers’ letter to the local paper said that there had been accusations that he and the Town Council had acted improperly. Our counter to that is, that there has been nothing published to this effect, so far as we know, so this suggestion is from Mr Vickers himself. There is actually nothing illegal or wrong with offering a site, so why so sensitive? Maybe it has to do with the way things were done.
“Could it be related to the fact that the Mayor and Town Clerk have refused to supply minutes of a meeting that took place in November 2012, where development on Elms Field was discussed? The Clerk wouldn’t even say who attended, or who set up or initiated the meeting. This clear refusal has been reported to a higher authority, as a contravention of the Freedom of Information Act.
“This town hall meeting followed an earlier site meeting held to discuss a ‘Heritage Assessment’ concerning the field’s historical relationship with The Elms. This assessment was not the work of English Heritage but that of a firm of planning consultants, the Nash Partnership. They were commissioned and paid by Rectory Homes. Nothing wrong with Rectory using all means available to try to ease through the idea of building on a site which the planning authority, some years ago, designated as ‘important open space’, but people should be aware. It is called “openness” and is supposed to be government policy relating to the behaviour of Parliament and Councils.
“English Heritage itself has been more forthcoming than Thame’s Town Clerk. Two, named representatives of English Heritage, and the Conservation Officer from SODC, attended both the site meeting and the town hall meeting that followed. The others present, say English Heritage, were the Town Clerk, the Thame Council Committee Services Officer (to keep the minutes which we are not allowed to see), three persons from The Nash Partnership and Simon Vickers himself. No Councillors?
“At this meeting, English Heritage and SODC Conservation conceded, on the basis of the aforementioned assessment, that maybe the field was not historically so closely connected to the house as they had previously thought and conceded that, subject to seeing detailed plans, possibly 35 houses on the site might be tolerable.
“Having closely examined the report, we find that much of it is ‘filler’ material. More importantly, the historical facts are frequently, we believe, plain wrong and the bias in regard to conclusions questionable. A thorough analysis of the report has been sent to English Heritage, with a request that they thoroughly review the matter.
“It might be thought strange that no member of the town council’s Planning Group was present at this November 8, meeting (English Heritage provided the date that the council refused to supply) but that 14 councillors were present at a full Council meeting called for on November 20, less than two weeks later. The minutes of this second meeting are totally inadequate and unsigned in the space provided for the purpose. It is not stated who was the chairman, who had initiated the meeting and there is no sign of an agenda. What any Councillors had to say is unrecorded except for the fact within the concluding summary that the meeting had agreed to increase the number of houses to 45. It is stated that one unnamed Councillor (this turned out to be Cllr Don Butler) said he was totally against any development on Elms Field. It is recorded that he was told: ‘This is not a Councillor matter’. When we later asked: ‘In that case, why were Cllr Butler and the other Councillors there?’ the Town Clerk replied, ‘It was not a Council meeting’. Since the minutes were headed ‘Meeting of the Thame Town Council’, this was challenged, and met by silence.
“Other questions arise from these so- called minutes. Councillors were guided to vote to accept the whole plan, now with 45 houses on Elms Field, despite any doubts they might have on specific parts. ‘The plan has been through rigorous testing with the community’ they were told; by whom is not stated.
“We have to ask whether this is correct. Surely any MP or Councillor can propose amendments for debate by his or her fellows. Not in Thame? The ‘minutes’ then go on to state: ‘This change (to 45 presumably) has been made as a result of both feedback forms from the community and a very late letter received from English Heritage, three weeks after the close of the consultation period’.
“Hang on! The feedback forms showed 82%+ against development on Elms Field. Also the ‘late’ letter, which is addressed to the Clerk, was in line with the original opinion of English heritage and concluded that development on this site would be ‘deeply damaging’. They strongly urged that alternative sites be pursued.
“It is therefore asked – Was the letter actually tabled? One has to suspect not, because it does not seem conceivable that all 14 Councillors would have ignored it.
“Incredible as it may seem, this whole meeting took just 27 minutes.
“Regarding minutes generally, it is revealing to look at minute format in West Berks. Just log on to – http://decisionmaking.westberks.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=15133 There is no need to read the lot but just notice how the subject matter is dealt with at the beginning and everything people said is recorded.
“In an original letter to Thame.Net from another correspondent, Richard Jeffries, mention was made of planning consultant Jake Collinge’s involvement with the Town Neighbourhood Plan, this paragraph being subsequently edited from the letter at the request of Mr Vickers. Why?
“That letter referred to the fact that Jake Collinge was a former employee at Rectory Homes. Well he was, as Planning and Development Manager. Subsequently, as an independent consultant, operating from an office at Rectory House in Haddenham, he has had Rectory as a frequent client, including in 2012 and 2013. Mr. Collinge was introduced by the Town Clerk as Planning consultant to the Council, when the Clerk set up a meeting with elmpetition group member, Peter Webb, at the request of Councillor Butler, to familiarise herself with the reasons why people were opposed to development in Elms Field.
“Mr Webb pointed out that the reasons were surely clear from the petition which hundreds of people had signed. Neither the Clerk nor the consultant admitted to having seen the petition. Mr Webb thought this strange because a copy had certainly gone through the door of Cllr Dyer, the leader of the Neighbourhood Plan Group, who lived in Park Street. Later, when checking the website of Mr Collinge and noticing his address, he realised that he himself had dealt with that street and put the petition through that letterbox.
“Whether or not it is ethical for Mr Collinge to advise the Council, given his previous connection to Rectory Homes, is for others to decide.
“In regard to the final distribution of leaflets urging acceptance of the town plan, why did the promoters think it necessary to remind people that a No vote was pointless and that 775 houses were coming to Thame anyway. The number was actually not the issue. Where the houses would be built was the issue. There was no mention of locations in that leaflet. Opponents observe that many people did not vote, having been told that Yes was the only answer. Others voted Yes as instructed. “Is it right that the subsequent Adoption of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan should now be represented by the Council as that Thame residents have agreed to the development of Elms Field? Plainly they have not.
“The scheme’s opponents point out that the Planning Manager at SODC has said that the plan can be modified but that this initiative has to come from Thame. Thus Elms Field can be taken out as a site without affecting the rest of the plan.
“Nobody seems to be positively in favour of development in Elms Field but Councillors need to be told to admit their error and to act to correct it. In doing so, they will uphold that part of the Plan which promises to protect existing open space. They will also be acknowledging that they are there to represent their constituents, who in any street survey, are firmly against destroying an important open space.”
The elmspetition Group elmspetition@hotmail.co.uk (name & address of correspondent supplied)
EDITOR: Do you agree with the elmspetition Group, or do you have a different view? We want to hear from YOU
ANYONE passing through the Thame Services yesterday morning, may have noticed two tired and hungry men on a tandem loaded up with equipment, parking up outside Burger King.
The two men are The Cycle2Liberty team, consisting of Dave Simms and James Hesketh, who are continuing their preparation rides for an epic tandem ride across America to raise money for the Youth Sport Trust, by cycling from Leeds to Paris this weekend.
The Leeds-Paris leg, via Thame and then on to Reading, is the second of a five-part fundraising mission that will conclude with a mammoth ride from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California through four time zones and 10 states to the Statue of Liberty in New York.
The duo have already cycled from the west coast to the east coast of England, but this time, the distance covered is a lot further, as they would have cycled from Leeds, through London to the south coast, and then will take a ferry across the English Channel before carrying on to Paris.
EXCITEMENT and support is growing for the Great Worminghall Bake Off , which today announced that celebrity baker, Lottie Duncan, is to judge the competition. Lotte is well known in the food and baking community both locally and nationally and is patron of the hugely successful annual Thame Food Festival.
Lotte Duncan with BBC Radio presenter, Ken Bruce, at the Thame Food Festival 2013
Lotte will be joined by fellow foodie, Worrminghall’s very own ‘Queen of Cakes,’ Lissie Mead. The two judges will be tasting cakes with themes such as ‘My Holidays’ and ‘Great Britain’.
Lotte said : “I’m thrilled to be asked to judge this event. It’s great to see a small community come together to raise money for local and international causes and at the same time have fun and get to know each other better.”
The event will take place in the Village Hall in a Worminghall on Sunday, February 9, from 3-5pm. Would- be bakers can sign up by visiting the pop-up cafe which runs for another two Saturdays, February 1, and 8, from 10am-12.30pm. Registration is £2 and entrants will receive a copy of the recipes, rules and regulations. Places are limited and on a first come, first served basis. Entry is not restricted to Worminghall residents.
The three categories are as follows: Under 8s 9-13 years Adults (14 years +)
Worminghall residents, Kathryn Albany-Ward and Lex Brown, decided to organise the pop up cafe to bring their local community together on a Saturday morning to raise money for their local village hall and the Karibuni charity for Kenyan street children. Kathryn said: “‘Since the shop closed in Worminghall a number of years ago, there has been nowhere in the village to meet friends and for the children of the village to spend pocket money. We hope that holding the cafe and tuck shop will encourage the whole village to get together to raise money for two great causes as well as getting to know each other and, through the Bake Off, have a bit of fun.”
The Karibuni Trust (UK Charity No. 1044872) aims to raise awareness of children living on the streets and in the slums in areas of urban and rural extreme poverty in Kenya, and to raise money to support projects to meet their needs. The children could be orphans, abandoned children or runaways who must support themselves on the streets by begging, stealing or scavenging. Karibuni also supports projects run by Kenyans and is currently working with a Maua Methodist Hospital to provide care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Further information can be found at www.karibuni.org.uk
PLANS for the fifth Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC) Gemstone Midnight Walk have been announced, as the ever-popular ladies’ night-time challenge returns on Saturday, July 12, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the hospice – with 25 silver places up for grabs for MEN!
Rowan and Zane modelling the Gemstone Midnight Walk pink, flashing, furry ears wo
In this very special Silver Jubilee year, the Hospice Charity is encouraging friends and family members to nominate a partner, husband, brother or granddad, who might like to take on the six or 13-mile challenge alongside over 700 ladies, and explain why they should be awarded one of the special silver walker places.
There are only 25 places available and the ballot for these will open on Saturday, March, 8, to tie-in with the official launch of the Gemstone Midnight Walk in Friars Square Shopping Centre, 10 am-4pm. Nominations for these silver places must be received by Midday on Friday, April 25, (terms & conditions apply) by emailing 25@fnhospice.org.uk. Alternatively, you can nominate your special ‘man’ by post to the Charity head office – details at www.fnhospice.org.uk Representatives from the Charity will then select the lucky 25 participants, who will be donning the pink flashing bunny ears and taking to the streets of Aylesbury (starting at Aylesbury College) at Midnight.
Along with 25 silver places on offer, there are a few new twists to this year’s walk, including changes to the previous route (to be announced) and splashes of silver throughout the night in celebration of our Silver Jubilee year, as well as the trademark bunny ears!
The last four Midnight Walks have raised over £250k for the Florence Nightingale Hospice, and it is hoped that this year’s event will tip that figure over the £300,000 mark. Last July, hundreds of flashing bunny ears lit up the Oxford Road as 754 ladies (a record turnout) strode out from Aylesbury College to undertake this formidable challenge in aid of the local Hospice. FNHC Development & Events lead, Karen Shardlow, is keen to see that number increase once again: “We’re always very lucky to have so many men come forward and marshal our Midnight Walk, so we thought it would be great to involve a few of them in the walking itself in our very special year. We’re really looking forward to seeing how well our lucky few men can do alongside so many women – bunny ears compulsory of course!”
She added: “With a few surprises to be announced in celebration of our 25th anniversary, we’re hoping our fundraising goal looks even more achievable. We are offering 25 ‘silver places’ exclusively to men, who want to show their support for the Hospice. This will be the first time male walkers have been invited to participate in this event, and those lucky few will be asked to commit to a special sponsorship target of £500.”
The Charity is also appealing for willing male and female volunteers to help marshal or help set up the event again this year: “The en route support provided by all the marshals from the local community, including the Buckinghamshire Freemasons, is an incredible boost for walkers and adds to the fantastic camaraderie that characterizes the evening, as well as ensuring the safety and well-being of all our walkers,” added Sam Heggie, FNHC’s PR & Marketing Manager.
Ladies who would like to take part can register their interest via the dedicated Gemstone Midnight Walk website www.gemstonewalk.co.uk or contact the Fundraising Team on 01296 429975 before main registration launches on March 8th.
A number of celebrity faces have lent their support to the walk over the years, including Aylesbury lass Lynda Bellingham, singer Tony Hadley, actress Anita Dobson and local footballer Emmerson Boyce.
The Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity (FNHC) needs to raise over £600,000 this year to keep essential in-patient and at-home services running for local families affected by life-limiting illness across Aylesbury Vale and surrounding area.
ELMS Park in Park Street, Thame, will soon be a more pleasant and safer place to walk after dark.
Image for illustrative purposes only
Thame Town Council has confirmed that new lighting for Elms Park has been ordered, and that installation is scheduled to being in the Spring this year. The project started three years ago following a suggestion by The Friends of Elms Park who have raised some of the money.
One of the highlights of Thame’s calendar of events, Music in the Park, has helped raise much of the money for the project. This year’s Music in the Park will be on May 4. More details HERE
The total cost of the project is expected to be £27,907, of which any shortfall will be underwritten by Thame Town Council.
THE NHS Trust responsible for medical provision and patient care at Thame’s Community hospital, wants to hear from local people about their experience of its services in the town, either as a patient or as a carer, and their ideas about how the service could be improved.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s ‘Big Conversation’ event, will be taking place in Thame on Friday, January 31, at 9.30am – 12pm.
Tracey Underhill, Head of Membership, Engagement, Equality & Diversity said: “Patients and carers have been really receptive to sharing their experiences at recent meetings and have made some constructive and helpful suggestions. I would encourage local patients who live in or around Thame to come along and get involved so that together we can improve the patient experience for everyone.”
The Thame event is part of a series of conversations taking place across Buckinghamshire. There are other ways to get involved in BHNHS Trust’s Big Conversation including smaller focus groups. One of these will be held in Thame on February 6, between 1-2.30pm. Anyone who can not make the meetings can submit feedback via the Trust’s website: www.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/abc
For more information about the Big Conversation and how to get involved, call 01494 734953 or email dee.irvin@buckshealthcare.nhs.uk
THE manager and deputy of a popular Thame restaurant and pub will this Saturday take their seats on a plane to Kenya to do their bit in a campaign to help save the frontiers of the Maasai Mara Reserve, one of the natural wonders of the world.
Eveline Rae (Left) and Serena Toh practice a bit of spade work at The Thatch, Thame
Evelin Rae will join Serena Toh, who earned her place on the trip last year, by making it a fruitful 12 months for The Thatch, in Thame, both in trading and in picking up accolades, and both are looking forward to the challenge. As part of their trip, the girls will sleep under canvas whilst helping to plant a forest – 20,000 trees in a week – in a new conservancy project on the Enonkishu Conservancy on the northern boundary of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
Evelin and Serena will join other managers and chefs from The Peach Pub Company that owns other pubs as well as The Thatch, as well as the company’s co-founder, Hamish Stoddart, in this life-changing experience. Two of the company’s suppliers including its butcher, are also going to Kenya.
The Thatch has pitched in towards the company’s recent drive to raise money for the project, by donating a percentage of the takings from dishes on its menus and by doing activities such as sponsored cycle rides. In total, over £1 million Kenyan Shillings (around £7,000) has been raised for the conservancy which will be used to plant 20,000, two inch trees and to build a fence to protect the conservancy, helping to create what’s been termed the ‘Last Line of Defence’ for an area of land under growing threat.
As well as sleeping under canvas during their week-long stay, Eveline and Serena will also be taking part in activities to promote sustainable farming, forestry and tourism in this part of Africa. Some of these will be uniquely challenging, like digging ten fence holes in a day or building a game-viewing platform, as well as ear-tagging and milking cows and catching a catfish in the Mara River and then cooking and eating it.
“I know Serena and I are both ready for the challenge and can’t wait to get on the plane,” said Evelin. “We were both thrilled and honoured to be picked for the trip; Serena earned her place by coming top in a team challenge we ran in the company whilst I got mine by making it a good 12 months for the pub, both financially and in picking up various awards.
“We know it’s going to be tough and physically hard work, but we’re really ready for the hiking, the planting and all the tasks ahead of us. I’ve never been to anywhere like Kenya before so for me personally it’s going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m all set to go. We know this is a cause close to the heart of the man who co-founded Peach, Hamish, and we’re both hoping what we’ll do will really count.”
“Africa, and in particular, the Maasai Mara are both passions of mine, and whilst we do lots close to home to support good causes, through healthy eating for kids, education and sports sponsorship, we chose the Last Line of Defence and the Enonkishu Conservancy as our priorities this year,” explained Hamish Stoddart, Peach co-founder. “That’s because, in the last few years, the change in the environment and land use has accelerated even more, and we now need to take real action to preserve the last great land migration in the world. This is our chance, with the help of our guests and the people who work with us, to make a real difference. Good luck to Evelin, Serena and everyone else on the trip.”
Locals and pub guests can sponsor the tree-planting effort and support the Last Line of Defence and the Enonkishu Conservancy by contributing via www.peachfoundation.co.uk Alternatively, they can do their bit to support Evelin and Serena and the project by ordering the pub’s Caesar Salad when they visit The Thatch; for every salad ordered, the pub donates 25p to The Peach Foundation to help fund education, sport and conservation in Africa.
MONEY from an anonymous donor, notified just today, means that the Thame Youth Memorial’s outstanding costs can now be cleared.
Image courtesy of Frank Millar – Mayor of Thame, Peter Lambert (L), Peter Butt (Centre) and Iain Biddle (R) during the official opening of the Thame Youth Memorial
Thame Youth Memorial Trust Chairman, Peter Butt, told supporters today on the TYMT Facebook page: “It is a privilege and a pleasure to inform you of a donation that has been notified to me this afternoon.
“As you may know, we entered 2014 with a target of £2500 to raise, to clear the balance of the costs to create the Memorial garden. The Trustees have been planning a number of events and making suitable approaches to achieve our goals.
“A private individual, who has requested to remain anonymous, has come forward to donate £2500 to clear the balance. To say that I was stunned is an understatement, on behalf of everyone involved in this project, I have given our heartfelt thanks for their incredible support.
“This means that any fundraising we carry out now will cover ongoing maintenance and future dedications within the Memorial.”
Admitting to feeling quite emotional at the news, Peter concluded: “It’s a very proud moment for everyone that has given time, money, passion, tears and love to the project- on behalf of all the Trustees, we thank you for your commitment.”
THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to a burglary at a property in Thame yesterday lunchtime (20/1).
Thames Valley Police Alert
At around 1pm, a home in Chowns Close, was burgled and Thames Valley Police is keen to speak to anyone who may have seen two men hanging around the area before 1pm or have seen them making off following the burglary.
The first offender is described as a white man, aged around 40, of large build and around 5ft 10ins, with dark hair. He was casually dressed in a light grey hooded top and jogging bottoms.
The second offender is described as a white man, aged around 18 to 20, of slim build and is around 5ft 10ins, wearing a dark woolly hat and dark clothes.
If you have any information about this incident please contact Det Con Stephen Knight via 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.
