Thame.net

Author: Sonja Francis

  • 29/10/10…….Thame news round-up

    POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THAME MAN – Neil Scarborough from Thame become a national champion recently after he won the Powerboat P1 SuperStock Championship in Hampshire, despite a collision on the last day of the championships.

    Neil and his co-pilot co-pilot John Wilson failed to finish at the Lymington Grand Prix of the Sea after their boat came off second best in a collision with 150 Class rivals, Aztec Racing.

    But because they already had seven victories in ten races under their belts, Neil and John were guaranteed the title.

    THAME MAN FINED FOR POSSESSION OF DRUGS

    Michael Parsons, 22, of High Street, Thame, admitted possession of cannabis at Thame, on August 19, and has been fined

  • 29/10/10…..Working from home? You?re not alone

    A NEW winter project from Oxfordshire Rural Community Council is aiming to break the rural isolation of people who work from home.

    At this time of the year if you work for yourself at home, the sense of being on your own can be overwhelming. Running a business from home is hugely popular in Oxfordshire ? 58% of the people in home-based businesses in rural areas are self-employed ? but people often miss the social and professional buzz of a workplace. Yet there are hundreds of people in our villages who work from home in a spare room or garden shed near you! The answer is to get together.

    Since it first opened its doors in the 1920s the ORCC has been helping people in rural Oxfordshire get together to work out their problems from keeping the village shop or pub open to rebuilding village halls and supporting community projects and planning. Now ORCC is encouraging people who work from home to get together to tackle the issues that concern them from social contact to better broadband.

    The Adderbury Friday Club which meets every month at The Bell, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this October. Nick Fennell, the founder and organiser of is happy to advise new groups thinking of setting up.

    Would you like to hold a local informal get together of people involved in home-based working or businesses in your village? Would you come along to a group that existed in your community, but don?t have time to organise one? If you like the sound of this, and would like to be involved, or simply to be kept in touch with developments, call or email

    Catharine Arakelian, Business and Community Links Worker, ORCC
    catharine.arakelian@oxonrcc.org.uk 01865 883191

    SOURCE: Press release

  • 29/10/10….WARNING: Beward dog walkers in Chilton

    A THAMENEWS reader has asked us to pass on this warning to anyone who may walk their dogs in the Chilton area.

    “This incident in Chilton involved one of my dogwalking friends. She was in the fields a few days ago with her dog and a man, she described as tall and black, came out from behind a bush carrying a screwdriver – she managed to get away but understandably was absolutely terrified.

    “Would you mind passing this on to anyone you know who goes out with/without dogs on their own?
    The police have been advised but haven’t come up with anything yet.”

    ADDED AT REQUST OF CORRESPONDANT 30/10/10: “This man was very menacing and clearly has some mental health issues. The police are worried that this incident could lead to something more violent.

    Many thanks.”

    Sara (full name and email address supplied, and the correspondant is known to Thamenews.net)

    IMAGE: Courtesy of www.geographic.or, of fields in the Chilton area, for illustrative purposes only

  • 28/10/10…..Enterprise status boost for Oxfordshire businesses

    OXFORDSHIRE has today been recognised by the Government as one of Britain’s most vital centres for economic and business development by being selected to be among the first areas to be Local Enterprise Partnerships, or LEPs.

    A total of 56 bids were made and Oxfordshire, with a bid which emphasised its role as a functional economic area in its own right, was one of 24 successful bidders.

    LEPs will take on a similar role to that previously undertaken by Regional Development Agencies (RDAs)which will cease to be by March 2012, as announced in the last budget.

    The full extent of the changes and how the new system will operate, can be seen HERE

    Oxfordshire’s City-Region bid centered on its concentration of high-tech businesses and institutions and its academic strength. It made clear that the county could be at the heart of the UK’s future economy, leading the way in science and research & development.

    The bid was strongly and actively supported by a host of top names in Oxfordshire from business, academia, tourism, local government, the health sector and by all of the county’s MPs (Witney MP David Cameron was unable to formally sign the bid because of conflict of interest rules applying to the Prime Minister, but made his support clear).

    Dr Martin Dare-Edwards, of Oxfordshire-based company Infineum, and Shadow Chairman of the Oxfordshire LEP, said: “This is fantastic news for Oxfordshire, but the hard work now begins. We need to capitalise on this recognition both in seeking investment to make our vision a reality, and in using it as a springboard to make businesses across the world understand that we’re a hotbed of new technology and new thinking – and that means we’re the gateway to new markets.”

    Oxfordshire County Council Leader Keith Mitchell added: “This has been a great example of co-operation between local authorities and business, all striving for the same thing – a brighter future for the county. I’m delighted that hard work has paid off and that Ministers have recognised our potential.”

    Big names from the county supporting the bid included Sir Frank Williams (Williams F1), Professor Steve Cowley (CEO of Science Vale UK), Bob Bell (MD of Renault F1), Professors Andrew Hamilton and Janet Beer (Vice-Chancellors of Oxford and Oxford Brookes Universities respectively), Steve Mumford (CEO of software giant Sophos), David Richards (Chairman and CEO of race car specialists Prodrive and chairman of Aston Martin) and Dr Jurgen Hedrich (MD of BMW’s MINI plant in Oxford)

    The bid recognised that despite huge strengths in high-tech and academia, Oxfordshire was also disproportionately reliant on public sector employment and was therefore vulnerable at a time of cuts in that sector.

    SOURCE: Press release

  • 28/10/10……AMENDED 29/10/10…Town council vows to fight core strategy ‘every step of the way’

    SEE last paragraph for amendment.
    HAVING made its views very clear on proposals for increased housing development on the edge of town, Thame Town Council has said today that it will ‘challenging the premise of the Core Strategy itself, every step of the way.’

    *SEE LATEST VOTING FIGURES FOR SITE D OR SITE F BELOW

    Claiming to represent the views of local residents, the council says on its website that it has: “…no option at this stage but to accept the approach being taken by South Oxfordshire District Council about future housing development in Thame.”But, it continues: The number of dwellings plus a one-site allocation are both inappropriate for the town. Dispersing smaller developments within the boundary of the town would make it much easier for the new property owners to be integrated into the community.

    “Left with just the two site options on the table, D and F, it was suggested at Full Council on 26 October that the Town Council should respond that neither site is appropriate. This, however, would give the District Council carte blanche to allocate its own preference, which to date has been site D.

    “The Town Council has always objected to D, being of the opinion that the best of a worst case scenario for accommodating 700+ homes would be Site C. This opinion is still held, but with the number of dwellings being allocated to Thame now reduced to 530, it brings Site F back in for consideration.

    “Based on the 530 allocated at this time, the Town Council, after much debate and a close vote, decided that Site F was the preferred option if it had to accept a one-site allocation.”

    SITE D HAS IT SO FAR

    IN THE TOWN COUNCIL’S POLL, the number of votes cast up until 16.45 hrs today are: for site F (238), and for site D (256), but local people can still express their preference at the town hall until tomorrow at 16.30 hrs when the public consultation ends and all the polling slips and comments will be delivered to SODC.

  • 28/10/10…..Flametree set to feed Thame Football to victory

    LOCAL catering firm, Flametree Catering, has been awarded the exclusive contract as Thame Football Club?s official caterer at the new Meadow View Park Stadium opening in early December.

    Flametree Catering has been based in Thame for four years using local produce wherever possible as well as training young people in the hospitality industry.

    Sarah Whitmore, owner of Flametree Catering says: ?We have built up a reputation throughout the region but there is nothing that delights me more than cooking up a storm for the local community. The new stadium is fantastic and I have had an opportunity to help design the new kitchens.”

    Frank Thompson, Events Manager of The Thame Football Partnership says: ?We are delighted to be in partnership with Flametree Catering who will be providing an excellent service to our members as well as our corporate guests and we are looking forward to hitting the ground running on December 1.?

    Flametree Catering is also hosting a Gingerbread decorating event, and selling Christmas foodie delights and stocking fillers as it gears up towards Christmas!

    www.flametreecatering.co.uk

    PHOTO: Sarah Whitmore

  • 28/10/10…..Police Youtube clip aimed at Trick or Treaters

    THAMES Valley Police have produced a YouTube film clip for Halloween and Fireworks night. It has been produced in partnership with the Fire Service and Trading Standards.

    Called ‘Click Your Trick’ it aims to drive home the message that trick or treaters need to think carefully about the consequences of their actions before they embark on Halloween or Bonfire Night activity.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gc3YTHJ4_k

    The film clip shows a group of five friends knocking on the door of a house, saying ?Trick or Treat?. The occupant (which is the view of the camera) tells them he is sorry but doesn?t have any treats. The viewer will then be asked to click their trick.

    Blow this joint ? The children decide not to do anything to the house and move on to find treats elsewhere

    Beat it ? One of the teenagers throws eggs and flour causing criminal damage to the house.

    Go with a bang ? One of the teenagers throws a firework through the letter box. Images then come up showing the damage caused to the house from the firework and the person responsible talking about the consequences of his actions.

    The main point we want to get over is that teenagers should have fun when trick or treating but sometimes you can be influenced into doing things that may seem minor at the time but could have massive impact on not only people inside the house but to their life as well.

  • 27/10/10…..Thame Mayor’s vote decides option for housing

    FOLLOWING a split among Thame Town Councillors, the Mayor’s casting vote decided the vexed question of where the council thinks a new housing development should go in the town – if we have to have them.

    At its meeting last night (26/10/10), the town council considered its formal response to South Oxfordshire District Council’s consultation on proposed changes to the Core Strategy, and whether the 530 new homes allocated for Thame should go on site D or TTC’s hitherto preferred option, site F.

    After a very lengthy debate, during which the soundness of SODC’s methodology and judgement at coming up with numbers and its preferred site, Site D, was questioned, the council made its decision.

    Basically, on the proposed changes to the Core Strategy, the council voted to oppose the 530 homes allocated to Thame, saying that the four week consultation was not long enough and that following from the reduction from 800 to 530 homes, other sites had not been sufficiently considered. On the advice of its Planning Consultant, Jake Collinge, the council would suggest in its response that only 280 would be appropriate, and the council’s preferred location for these is Site C.

    On the thorny issue of where the homes should go if the town had to have the full 530, as its fall-back position the council finally voted for Site F, after a vote of six for and six against meant that Mayor Adam Buckland’s casting vote tipped the balance. There were two abstentions. Cllrs David Bretherton and David Dodds who are also District Councillors.

    It was revealed during the meeting that from the responses received so far, following the distribution of voting sheets at the public meeting held on
    Monday, 205 residents preferred site F, and 225 preferred site D. Some preferences were ignored because they did not include a name or postcode.

    The pros and cons of both site D and site F were fully aired at the public meeting. In its Thame Assessment, available on SODC’s website, the district council states the following about site C:

  • 27/10/10….Town council rejects need for mobile coffee vendor

    THAME Town Council’s planning committee has come out against an application to sell coffee from a van in Montesson Square.

    The vendor, Coffee King, has applied to South Oxfordshire District Council for a licence to sell fresh espresso coffee, tea, muffins, flapjacks, croissants and cold drinks.

    The owner of Rumsey’s in the Upper High Street, opposite the proposed location, with the support of three other caf

  • 27/10/10…..Save our buses, says town council

    FROM the minutes of last night’s meeting of Thame Town Council’s Planning and Environment Committee, during which they discussed the Review of Subsidised Bus Services currently being made by Oxfordshire County Council:

    Members discussed the questions raised about the contracts affecting the Thame area. County had notified the Council that the Public Transport subsidy was likely to come under severe pressure in the current financial year and beyond.

    Members were perturbed about the stopping of the last 280 bus service from Aylesbury, especially as a new theatre had been built there. Their opinion was that this last bus should continue to run as before.

    They also discussed the No. 40 to High Wycombe, a service that runs commercially from High Wycombe to Stokenchurch but is subsidised from Stokenchurch to Thame.

    Members agreed that this subsidised part of the journey offered a vital link with Chinnor and Towersey
    and that it should continue.