Category: More News

VISIT the ithame crew at 9 High Street, Thame (ex Bump and Beyond, next to Newitts’)and get involved! Fun for all the family including:

OXFORDSHIRE County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service is backing No Smoking Day 2010 by urging smokers to consider the fire safety issues linked to smoking at home.

In October, 2003, a woman died in a fire in Langdale Road, Thame, when under the influence of alcohol, she discarded a cigarette into a waste bin in her bedroom.

This year, No Smoking Day takes place on Wednesday March 10, offering smokers the perfect chance to quit. In 2009 nearly one million smokers gave up smoking on No Smoking Day.

Although people will plan to use the date to stub out their habit for good, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service recognises that there are some who are simply not able to break their addiction.

Mike Bingham, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service?s Risk Reduction Manager said: “Of course it would be fantastic if every smoker in Oxfordshire decided to quit on No Smoking Day, but we realise that this just isn’t going to happen and want to get a fire safety message out to all smokers.

?In Oxfordshire we have had great success in reducing the number of house fires, but we want to stop our residents becoming complacent to these risks and remind them of the dangers of smoking at home.

“It only takes one cigarette to start a fire in your home which could kill you and your family. It only takes one cigarette to wipe out your possessions and childhood memories. It only takes one cigarette to leave thousands of pounds worth of damage to your home.?

ED: In October, 2003, a woman died in a fire in Langdale Road, Thame, when under the influence of alcohol, she discarded a cigarette into a waste bin in her bedroom.

Reducing the risks

Councillor Judith Heathcoat, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities said, “Everyone knows that smoking is an expensive habit and that it is bad for your health, but we need to remind people that there are also serious fire safety risks associated with smoking.

?We are urging smokers to Put it Out, Right Out! – Either kick the habit altogether, or ensure that you always extinguish cigarettes properly, especially last thing at night.?

For smokers not ready to kick the habit this No Smoking Day, it is important to follow these simple precautions to prevent a fire at home:

Put it out, right out! Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished.
Take extra care when you?re tired, taking any sort of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It?s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning.
Never smoke in bed – if you need to lie down, don?t light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire.
Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended – they can easily overbalance as they burn down.
Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can?t tip over easily and is made of a material that won?t burn. Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished.
Tap your ash into an ashtray, never a wastebasket containing other rubbish ? and don?t let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray.
Fit and maintain a smoke alarm – a working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.
Ask the experts – Fire and Rescue Services offer free home fire risk checks to identify potential fire risks and advise what to do to reduce or prevent them.
For more information or if you would like to discuss any home fire safety issues, please contact the Community Fire Safety Team on 0800 325 999.

For further information on fire safety visit www.365alive.co.uk or www.direct.gov.uk/firekills
For more information on how to give up smoking visit www.nosmokingday.org.uk

PHOTO: An elderly woman in Kent had a lucky estate when a burning cigarette caught this bed alive. Picture courtesy of Kent Fire and Rescue.

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council is inviting residents to have their say on plans for giving older people more choice when it comes to housing.

With people throughout the district living longer, the council says that it needs to act now to make sure people can live where they want to and get the care
and support they need as they get older. In light of the rapidly aging population, the council has undertaken research and produced a set of
recommendations for improving housing options for older people, which include:

● improving access to information about housing and support
choices
● providing better quality and more choice of specialist housing
● providing older people with more support to help them stay
independent in their own homes
● involving older people more in the development of housing
services
● ensuring new homes being built can meet the needs of older
people

The council is keen to find out people?s ideas for what a housing scheme could offer and on how existing housing could be improved.

Dorothy Brown, Cabinet member for housing and health, said: “By 2025 the number of people over 85 living in South Oxfordshire is set to increase by a huge 70 per cent. We?ve set out ideas for tackling this issue and making people have a wide enough choice, but need your help to see how we can work with others to improve what we offer in the future.

“We particularly want to hear from people who plan to stay in their own homes, those thinking about moving to more suitable housing or people already living in sheltered housing and family, friends and/or carers of older people. I urge people to take a look at our plans and complete the online questionnaire at www.southoxon.gov.uk
by 16 April 2010.?

NEW buildings must be designed to withstand extreme weather events, says a guide to building in the Chilterns published recently. The predicted effects of climate change include the likelihood of more severe storms which means houses will need bigger gutters and drainpipes to cope with heavy rain.

Putting up buildings with a low carbon footprint is another key area of advice in the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide. Using local materials like wood and flint and incorporating heating systems that use renewable fuels such as woodchips from local woods all help to reduce a building?s impact on the environment.

?We strongly believe it is possible to build new houses which blend in with the typical character of Chilterns? villages and which are also energy-efficient and designed to cope with a changing climate,? says Colin White, Planning Officer at the Chilterns Conservation Board.

?This new edition of the Design Guide contains a lot more information on building sustainably and is full of detailed advice for property owners, architects, builders and planners,? he added.

The Chilterns Buildings Design Guide was first published by the Chilterns Conservation Board in 1999 and has been widely adopted by local councils as Supplementary Planning Guidance. Its aim is to promote the beauty of traditional cottages, houses and farm buildings in the Chilterns and offers advice on how new buildings in the area can respect the traditions of the past and fit in with their surroundings. This new edition has been updated to take account of current environmental concerns and contains many new images.

The Design Guide was launched on February 23, 2010, at the Royal British Legion Hall in Princes Risborough.

Printed copies of the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide can be purchased for

IN December, 2009, leaders from around the world met to make progress on tackling climate change through agreements to reduce carbon emissions. As everyone is aware the conference failed to arrive at any effective measures. This meeting is to explore the results of Copenhagen.

The questions that have come up for us (and in a number of other like minded groups) are;
1) What does it mean that the political agreement
reached at Copenhagen is so weak?
2) How does it feel to watch this process unfold?
3) Does it change anything about what we are doing
locally?

This evening you can hear first hand accounts from some of those from Thame and district who were there and have a chance to share your own feelings and thoughts about what happens After Copenhagen.

8pm Wednesday, 3rd March. Cross Keys, 1 Park St, Thame.

This is a Ringmaster message from Thames Valley Police.
RESIDENTS in the Thames Valley (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire) believe the cost of policing the region is value for money.

According to a recent survey of Thames Valley residents 58.4% believe the current level of council tax for police services across the region –

Pupils from years three and four at St. Joseph?s Catholic Primary School, Thame, have been celebrating their their win at last week?s indoor athletics challenge, held at Lord Williams School.

Organised by the Thame and Oxfordshire School Sports Partnership, pupils competed in events including relays, soft javelin and standing long jumps.

?The children are thrilled with their win, especially with such a close final score and enjoyed competing with their friends from the Thame schools partnership,? commented Claire Kerr, Headteacher at St. Joseph?s.

?We would like to express our thanks to the organising team and to Lord Williams for hosting this event.?

School Sports Partnerships aims to increase the amount and variety of school sport opportunities for young people and reward for achievement in results and teamwork.

WHERE? Hill Farm, Little Wittenham, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4QZ- Dates: 20th, 21st and 27th, 28th March 2010.

PRICE: Family

AS Thame is becoming embroiled in the debate about whether or not, and where new homes are to be built in the town, The National Housing Federation is warning that communities in the rural South East will struggle to support a booming older population.

The number of pensioners living in the south east will increase by 148,200 over the next decade ? but communities here will struggle to support the ageing population boom unless more affordable homes are built, the campaign group has warned.

The National Housing Federation predicts the number of over 65s living in rural England will hit 3.23m by 2020, a rise of 907,900 (39%) from 2008.

According to the Federation, there will be a 32.8% increase in people who are over 65 years old, living alone in South Oxfordshire by 2020.

“Making matters worse,” says the Federation, “young people and families on modest incomes in rural south east communities could increasingly find themselves priced out of our villages and market towns, prompting fears that many rural areas will struggle to attract the key workers needed to care for and support the ageing population.

“More ?pensioner friendly homes? must also be built where there is a clear demand for them,” the Federation says, “and support services will need to be made more widely available in rural communities.”

Across England pensioners will make up one in four of the rural population (24%) by 2020, as the proportion of older people living in rural areas increases at a significantly faster rate than in urban areas.

The research also reveals that nationally one in three older people (32%) in rural areas will live alone by 2020, compared to the current level of one in four. In the south east, the number of older people set to live alone is expected to rise by 31.9% over the next decade, from 156,919 in 2008 to 206,924 in 2020. Many of these people could find themselves increasingly isolated if key services and amenities continue to disappear from rural England, the Federation has warned.

The Federation, which represents England?s housing associations, estimates around 100,000 new affordable homes need to be built in England alone to meet demand in rural areas over the next 10 years. In addition to the homes needed to cater for the booming population of over 65s, more affordable housing will also be necessary to house their families as well as key workers such as care assistants.

The Federation is calling on all local authorities to draw up action plans to assess their local housing needs and how they plan to meet that need. Councils should assess the changing needs of their local community and support the building of homes which meet the needs of older people where there is a demand for these properties, the Federation said.

Warren Finney, south east regional manager for the National Housing Federation said: “These projections suggest a huge rise in the number of older people living in our south east villages and market towns, many of whom will live alone. That means we?re going to be increasingly reliant on key services in these areas, as well as crucial housing and support services tailored specifically for older people.

“We must ensure that enough affordable homes are built for younger people on modest wages, so that they can continue to work in and support village shops, rural public transport, and these care and support services. If families and younger people are priced out of these areas then these amenities will continue to disappear and that would mean that older people will find themselves increasingly isolated.

“We are calling on local authorities to carry out assessments of housing need for their rural communities every three years and draw up action plans to deliver the homes required. They also need to assess what housing and support services will be needed to serve the growing older population.”

NB All new housing developments must include 40% affordable homes

NATURAL England and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) have joined forces to publish Green Belts: a Greener Future, the first major national survey of the environmental state of Green Belt land, and the benefits it provides for people and wildlife.

Together, Green Belts cover 13% of the land surface of England and 30 million people live in or next to a Green Belt.

New research presented in this report concludes that the Oxford Green Belt, established over fifty years ago, and covering 66,868 hectares, is a vital environmental asset.

It is, states the report:

* the best means of protecting the Oxfordshire
countryside from urban sprawl

* a valuable resource in providing space for people
to exercise and enjoy peace and quiet

* a large area of truly rural landscape on the edge
of our historic city
* important for agriculture

* and of growing importance for wildlife

The report continues: “Oxford?s Green Belt remains under constant threat from inappropriate development, including the proposed urban extension into the Green Belt south of the City, for a mixed development of at least 4,000 houses, the proposed Northern Gateway scheme which could include two parcels of Green Belt land and the proposed development of Green Belt land around Wheatley and Berinsfield in South Oxfordshire.”

CPRE and Natural England have agreed a series of actions that they feel need to be taken to improve Oxford?s Green Belt, through:

“continuing to uphold existing Government planning policy which restricts new development in the Green Belt;

focusing on better and more co-ordinated land management to help the Green Belt deliver vital environmental services ? such as attractive landscapes, wildlife rich habitats, places for recreation, healthy soils, fresh water, woodland and improved air quality;

maintaining and improving the Green Belt as part of an ecological network between the city, the surrounding countryside, and nationally important landscapes; and
encouraging more public use of the Green Belt, while maintaining the Green Belt?s open, rural character (the Oxford Green Belt Way allows city residents to walk the Green Belt and get there and back by public transport).

Helena Whall, Campaign Manager for CPRE Oxfordshire, said: ?By protecting land from development, the Oxford Green Belt has protected the setting of the historic city of Oxford and prevented the uncontrolled urban sprawl witnessed in many other cities. This report shows that the Green Belt is much more than a planning designation. It is a vital environmental resource than can help with the production of locally grown food, support wildlife and provide breathing places for city dwellers and others.?

She concluded: ?The report confirms that the countryside around the city of Oxford is a vital, but fragile, environmental asset. It underpins what we at CPRE have been saying for decades ? that we must continue to not only defend, but strengthen our Green Belt.

“We must continue to make full use of the opportunities it provides to allow people to enjoy their local countryside. We must not sacrifice the health of the city of Oxford and the surrounding environment by allowing plans to build homes in protected countryside.?