IT has been reported in the national press that Haddenham, near Thame, is one of several options being considered for the siting of a new, four-runway airport.
According to the London Evening Standard, a document called ‘Heathrow 2025, Master plan Options & Indicative Layouts’, obtained by Aviation Week industry information service, outlines 10 options for a new, major airport, including Haddenham.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE: www.standard.co.uk
THE people of Thame of spoken. They have voted ‘YES’ to accept the Thame Neighbourhood Plan, the first in the country to include allocated sites for housing development.
The turnout was 40%, larger even than for the general election. The stats are: Yes – 2779, No – 855, with 21 spoilt papers.
Reaction from the Mayor coming soon!
SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority for Thame, has welcomed the news that Thame has voted YES to accept its Neighbourhood Plan, which SODC will use to help it decided planning applications.
In a statement today, SODC said: “SODC is delighted with the result of the referendum on the Thame neighbourhood plan. This is a tremendous achievement and means that Thame is among the first towns in the entire country to have a community prepared plan that will be used to make decisions on planning applications.
“The plan preparation was coordinated by Thame Town Council and the plan itself identifies where new housing, employment and shops will be built in the town, and what community facilities will be required. The plan takes account of the specific local needs and views of Thame and its residents.”
At the referendum yesterday, 2,779 Thame residents said yes to the question ?Do you want South Oxfordshire District Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Thame to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area??
The statement continued: “The district council will now bring the neighbourhood plan into action and as of July, it will carry legal weight in deciding planning applications for the town.”
Cllr Angie Paterson, cabinet member for planning at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: ?We are very pleased that Thame residents have agreed to adopt their neighbourhood plan. Everybody involved with creating the plan, from the Town Council to the residents who contributed can be very proud of the achievement ? it?s good news for Thame.?
The plan was almost two years in the making and can be read at the district council?s website at www.southoxon.gov.uk/ThameNP
THE Mayor of Thame has welcomed the result of yesterday’s referendum to decide whether Thamne’s Neighbourhood Plan, was acceptable to the majority of the town.
He told ThameNews: “Obviously I am delighted with the result.
“The future of Thame is now in the hands of local people.
We were and a front runner in a new process and we will continue to be! Even more importantly, we crossed the finishing line in first place with a fantastic, positive endorsement.
“History was made in Thame today!”
THE two sitting Conservative Councillors for the Thamme and Chinnor ward, have been returned, in the County Council elections held yesterday.
The stats are as follows:
Nick Carter – Conservative 2420 23%
David Wilmshurst – ditto – 1824 18%
Mary Stiles – Labour 1190 11%
William Parkinson – UKIP 1149 11%
David Bretherton – Lib Dem 1038 10%
Michael Montgomery- UKIP 937 9%
David Laver – Lib Dem 699 7%
Simon Stone – Labour 626 6%
Colin Grenville – Green 533 5%
The turnout for the county council elections in Thame, 43%, was up on the 2009 figure, possibly due to the Thame Neighbourhood Plan Referendum attracting more people to the ballot box.
The combined vote for Cllrs Carter and Wilmshurst was significantly down on the 2009 election, when they secured over 60% of the vote between them.
County-wide, the turnout was down significantly with only 31.87 per cent of the electorate voting, down from 38 per cent at the last county council elections in 2009.
Out of an electorate of 500,521, a total of 159,535 people voted, less than a third.
Go to: http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?XXR=0&ID=112&RPID=3471685 for the full statistical information.
THE Conservative party has failed to hold on to overall control of Oxfordshire County Council – by just one seat.
The Conservatives needed to win 32 out of the 63 seats available on the council to maintain control over the council.
The outcome went right to wire, as the count for Sutton Courtenay and Marcham was eagerly awaited, finally going to the Liberal Democrats.
The Conservatives had been in power in Oxfordshire since 2009. The horse-trading will now begin as the Conservatives talk to other political groupings to determine who will share power with them.
The other parties between them have 32 seats, Labour – 15, Lib Dems 11, Greens have 2 and Others have 4 seats. The Conservatives have 31.
THAME Choral Society’s Spring Concert is a Mozart evening, featuring one of his best known works – the Requiem Mass – together with the Missa Brevis in D.
Joining the Choral Society and musical director, Colin Spinks, will be soloists Helen Semple, Christine Petch, Alastair Carey and Nick Gee, organist Richard Carr and the Thame Sinfonia.
The concert venue is St Mary’s Parish Church, Thame, on Saturday, May 4, at 7.30 pm. Tickets are
LONGWICK VILLAGE FETE. SATURDAY 4TH MAY 2013. A fun day out for all the family. Starts at 12 noon with traditional May Day celebrations. Lots of activities, entertainment, craft and food stalls. Competitions including Tug of War and the Great Longwick Bake Off.
Entrance Adults
DEAR Editor, In his letter of 29/04/2013, Colin Sears implies that the TTC was ‘unduly influenced’ by the three RAs representing the West of Thame.
I assume he has been reading one of the leaflets distributed by the strangely anonymous ‘No’ campaign. These appear to contain many, of which could be construed as, inaccuracies and misleading comments.
All six Residents? Associations are individual and independent, and as stakeholders, were invited to send representatives to the relevant meetings. Southern Thame RA did not send one rep. to every meeting. I do not have the exact figures, but would estimate they attended no more than half of the meetings. The attendance figures simply reflect the level of enthusiasm and support within each RA.
It should also be noted that the most crucial meeting in this long process was back in Nov. 2011. All Thame RAs were represented, with the exception of STRA. This was the point at which the Independent Planning Inspector allowed Thame Town Council to allocate all 775 houses through its own Neighbourhood Plan, rather than SODC. It was most probably the presence and involvement of so many RAs ‘at the table’ that gave him confidence that this could work.
Following one meeting that STRA was able to attend in Feb. 2012, a summary of comments and ideas submitted by all six RAs was compiled by the town clerk. In this, both Southern Thame RA and Towersey Road RA proposed and supported housing development on both sites D and C.
I quote:
STRA: ?Land between Thame Park Road and Chinnor Road (Old Option C)—- has been dropped from options being considered for housing development—– . This is inconsistent and ignores the appetite amongst residents in earlier consultations for all or part of the land to be set aside for housing development- one option being houses on both sides of the Thame Park Road to create a ‘balanced’ entry to the town from the South.?
Towersey Road RA: ?Site C could absorb more housing and reduce the impact on F&D.”
Throughout the process all RAs have had every opportunity to get involved (as have all the other stakeholders – Schools, GPs, Business reps etc). If, as suggested, the ‘Western’ RAs had unduly influenced TTC, surely there would be no housing at all on site F? As it is, the three main sites have been more or less evenly allocated 1/3 each of the bulk of houses. In addition, site F will have to take on a new primary school, and the doubling in size of LWS.
This final Plan offers lower density housing, larger gardens and huge areas of green, public open space for all of Thame. We should be thinking of the quality of life of the future inhabitants of these new houses. We, or our families, may be lucky enough to live in one. Don?t be fooled that the ‘No’ campaigners are ‘friends’ of Thame. We don?t even know if they live here. It is possible that their own vested interests could far outweigh any of those of any of the six public spirited Residents Associations.
If you choose to vote ‘Yes’, be prepared to join in and help support the Town Council implement this Neighbourhood Plan over the next 15 years to make sure that YOU benefit from it, not just the landowners and developers.
You could always set up or join your own local Residents Association.
Name and address supplied
(I do not see why I should give mine whilst the ‘No’ Campaigners hide behind their anonymity).
PS It would appear that Mr Castle, or ‘The Castle Family Trust’ have finally put their names on leaflets promoting the ‘No’ Campaign. 30/04/2013
AFTER almost two years in the making, today is the day that the people of Thame go to the Polls to decide whether or not its Neighbourhood Plan becomes enshrined in local planning policy.
The lead up to Referendum day has no doubt been one of the most controversial periods in the town’s history, with passions running high on both sides of the debate, particularly over where it was decided new housing should go.
With accusations of ‘dirty tricks’, illegal advertising and ‘scare mongering’, today the dust must settle, minds made up and choices made that will have repercussions for the way Thame develops for the next 15 years.
Simultaneously, the County County local elections are also being held with the number of seats cut from 74 to 63 , though Thame is one of just two areas which will keep two representatives.
The Conservatives currently control the authority with 52 seats while the Liberal Democrats hold 10, Labour nine, the Greens two and the Independents have one seat.
The Polls in both contests are open between 07:00 and 22:00.
The result from Thame’s referendum is expected to be announced by Friday lunchtime with the county council final declarations by late afternoon.