Author: Sonja Francis

FOLLOWING Thame’s ‘Rising Star’ accolade in the ‘Great British High Street’ Awards recently, the Thame4Business working group met recently to decide where to use the £1,000 prize money to benefit the town centre.

The favourite suggestions up for discussion were:

1. An interactive AV touch screen ‘What’s happening in Thame’ device outside Town Hall

Although something that would cost more than £1k, it was thought worth progressing, especially as it could be a project that the district council might look favourably on as it would contribute to helping visitors and tourists to find information 24/7, particularly when the TIC was closed in the evenings and at the weekend. Team member, Helen Johns explained: “Because it will take time to get this moving, we didn’t choose this as our recipient. I am, however, investigating the technology / software with Box Technologies (at the suggestion of Sylo Associates who put forward this suggestion) to arrive at a ball park estimate, and then submit the idea to SODC for grant funding.”

2. Pop-up wine bar or restaurant

This is also being explored, looking at empty premises or ‘shared use’ of café space which could become a wine bar at night time. Because the finance on this looked complicated and possibly long drawn-out to achieve the objective, this project wasn’t chosen either for this particular spend.

3. Midsomer red plaques and a workshop to kickstart Midsomer promotion in Thame

The team felt that the Midsomer Murders plaques was the choice that would be least complex to put into action, most visible in terms of red plaques, and would generate PR and news coverage too, and at the same time generate footfall and income for the town. It was proposed that £500 go into red plaques (about £50 per each of 11 identified venues, to incentivise them to make up the balance to £125, and £500 to go towards the Thame workshop.

An excited Helen added: “We’d like to progress this ASAP. The timing is good as we are just coming into the main tourist season. To get this moving will hopefully achieve interest as well as spend in Thame over the summer months.”

Any businesses interested in sponsoring a red plaque, can contact Helen via helen.johns39@gmail.com for more information.

Visit Midsomer website: http://www.visitmidsomer.com/

The Thame connection http://www.visitmidsomer.com/midsomer-market-towns/

AS District Councils in the area jointly begin to commission a study into the future of local government, Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, has called on Oxfordshire County Council to: “…co-operate with the work being undertaken and not to waste the public’s money duplicating the study.”

The District Councils are currently selecting a leading company of experts to look at all the options for change, including creating four unitary councils representing people from the Cotswolds to South Northants, including Oxford City. Seven different councils have come together to commission the study jointly. They are South Oxfordshire DC, Cherwell DC, Vale of the White Horse, Oxford City Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.

In a statement today, Councillor Barber, who said he was speaking on behalf of all the District Councils, said: “Everyone knows that the County Council is having extreme budget difficulties, leading to cuts in services that people value. Two tier local government is broken in our view and we want to look at all the options for unitary councils.”

The study will look at the likely impact of four different alternatives – four, three, two or a single Oxfordshire unitary council covering Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and South Northants.  The proposed unitary authorities are:

Southern Oxfordshire Unitary Authority, replacing Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils
Oxford City Unitary Authority, replacing Oxford City Council
West Oxfordshire (Cotswold) Unitary Authority, replacing West Oxfordshire District Council and Cotswold District Council
Cherwell (South Northants) Unitary Authority, replacing Cherwell District Council and South Northamptonshire Council

which, it is proposed, would work in partnership with the NHS and Local Enterprise Group. (See previous news story)

Councillor Barber added: “We have included the options that the County Council have publically stated they want to look at. It’s time for them to co-operate with the work being undertaken on the future of local government. The public will not forgive them if they duplicate the work at this late stage.

“The train is moving out of the station and it’s time to stop shouting from the side-lines and get on board,” he added.

Oxfordshire County Council would prefer one, large unitary authority claiming it would be more efficient and less costly.  It has published its own ‘Vision for Oxfordshire‘ It has been reported elsewhere (BBC News) that Oxfordshire County Council leader, Ian Hudspeth, has said: “Once again the districts are putting headlines ahead of joint working.

“We have written to the districts twice asking them to discuss terms of reference for a joint study, with the public also given a chance to comment.

“They made it clear they weren’t prepared to do that.”

The Government will make the final decision about any devolution plan after public consultation.

South Oxfordshire District Council, which includes elected councillors for Thame, and Vale of White Horse DC, already share some back-office services to save money.

RESIDENTS in South Oxfordshire have put out over 30 tonnes of old toasters, kettles and irons and tatty old textiles since the launch of the new recycling services in September last year.

South Oxfordshire District Council introduced the new kerbside collections last year to help residents recycle even more from their doorstep.

The new collections include small unusable electricals like hairdryers, broken electric toys and radios, and tired textiles like old clothes, bedsheets and curtains.

Councillor Tony Harbour, cabinet member for waste at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Our residents have always worked really hard to recycle all they can – their position as best in the country only confirms that. We wanted to make recycling even easier for them, so by offering a service where they can put out even more items with their normal bins we hopefully make things a bit more convenient.”

“The services are a permanent part of our kerbside services, so if you’re having a bit of a clear-out or a spring clean, just put your small electrical items in a carrier bag next to your grey bin, and your textiles in a tied carrier bag next to your green bin.”

For more information, visit www.southoxon.gov.uk/weeeandtextiles.

A Thame family has raised £1200 for the Special Baby Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in appreciation of the unit’s ‘wonderful work’ with their daughter Sophie.

Three years ago, Donna Webb of Hamilton Road, Thame, was rushed into the JR having gone into labour two weeks early. On arrival it was discovered that Donna was suffering from a ruptured placenta. She was whisked into theatre where Sophie was born via emergency caesarean section.

Friend of the family, Tom Mackriell, took up the story: “Sophie was then monitored by the SCBU and through their incredible care and expertise both Donna and Sophie are here with us today to tell the tale. The work that the SCBU do is so crucial to many families and they have saved many young lives.

“As a ‘thank you’ Donna and her husband Michael felt it was time they gave something back to the wonderful unit that gave so much hope and support in their hour of need. Back in September and October, along with help from their friends and family, they held a raffle (Ed. Quiz master, Tom Mackriell) and a quiz with great prizes including tickets for the theatre and a brilliant overnight spa break and other locally donated prizes. The quiz night back in October was a great success and helped boost the final total which was a healthy £1200!”

Last month Donna, Michael and Sophie went back to the Special Baby Care Unit to hand over the cheque and to give their thanks in person. Penny Hambridge, the Children’s Development Officer at the John Radcliffe, had this to say of their hard work.

“This was an amazing achievement by Donna, Michael and their friends and family to raise such a sum. We are always so grateful to people who support the Hospital and enable us to provide medical equipment and facilities that are beyond what the NHS alone can fund.”

Donna and Michael would like to thank everyone involved and for all the support they received and said: “This really does mean the world to us and will do for so many other parents who have and had their babies cared for at this wonderful unit.”

Anyone who is interested in fundraising for the SBCU or would like to donate more, can visit Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Fund’s website at http://www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity/

THE police are appealing for information after thieves broke into an Estate Agents in Thame and stole computers.

The burglary happened between 6pm on March 16 (Wednesday), and 8.40am on March 17 (Thursday) at Hamnett Hayward, Estate Agents, in Upper High Street, Thame . The windows at the back of the property were smashed and the computers taken.

Over the same period, a business in Swan Walk, Thame, was also broken into. No further details are known at this time.

The police are appealing to anyone with information to contact them on 101. If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

A PROPOSAL to build homes on an employment area in Wellington Street, Thame, has been rejected by the town council, for the second time.

The plan is to demolish some of the employment buildings in Goodson’s Yard and build flats and houses in their place, and to provide parking, some of it in an underground carpark.

Parking and safety

But the town council remains unhappy with amendments put forward by the applicants, Mr A and S Good, which the council says, does not address its original concerns e.g. the density of the proposed development – 55 dwellings per hectare as opposed to that of 25 dwellings per hectare set out in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan, an unacceptable increase in overlooking of 68 Wellington Street and a shortfall in parking which would put additional pressure for off-street parking on Wellington Street, and would worsen pedestrian and highway safety in the area (The proposed exit for the underground parking would be in an area of Wellington Street that would require extra double yellow lines). READ THE COMPLETE REPORT HERE

Accepting that some increase in dwellings per hectare might be acceptable in the case of flats or apartments, rather than houses, it was suggested that a comparison with the Thame Service Station site in Park Street might helpful.
NOTE: The density of the Park Street site is 20 dwellings (retirement flats) on a site of  .3 Hectare, including parking spaces.

Not enough affordable housing

Councillors rejected the architect’s statement that it would not be financially feasible to provide 40% affordable housing on the site, the report by Jake Collinge, the council’s Planning Advisor, stating that the applicant has provided: “.. insufficient viability evidence to justify a reduction in affordable housing provision below 40%, a clear policy of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.”

The town council voted to reject the plans which will eventually go to South Oxfordshire District Council for a final decision.