Author: Sonja Francis

THAME Volunteers Day will this year be marked on Saturday, June 5, by an exhibition in the Upper Chamber of Thame Town Hall from 10am to 1pm.

The event will include stands showing the work of local charities and how they serve the community, to hopefully encourage other local people to volunteer.

Entry will be free and refreshments will be available.

There are a few places still available for locally based charities who may leave a note expressing their interest at the Town Hall for either Cllr B Laver or Cllr B Dobie.

THAMES Valley Police are appealing for witnesses and reminding residents to be vigilant after a distraction burglary in Haddenham yesterday (19/5).

The offender approached the resident of a property in Willis Road, Haddenham at 10.50am and stated he was working for the electricity board and needed to read the meter.

After the offender left, the victim discovered his wallet, containing credit cards, a driving licence and

GREENER Thame ? Greener Future; That?s the theme of the Carnival this year, June 12, 2010, which will mark the official launch of the Greening Thame campaign.

To join in the campaign, choose five ‘Green’ challenges for yourself and then display them in your window for everyone to see.

The parade will start at 12.15pm from Station Yard Industrial Estate and pass through the town centre, finishing at the Southern Road Recreation Ground where the f

THAME Town Council is not happy about goldfish being offered as prizes at the town’s fair, due in September and October.

A report presented to the town council’s Policy and Resources committee last night (18/05/10) said that whilst it is legal for a goldfish to be given as a prize, it is illegal for a goldfish prize to be given to persons under the age of 16 who are not accompanied by an adult. The report continued:

“The RSPCA does not recommend the use of any animal as a prize as it causes unnecessary stress and suffering. Fair arrangements at Witney and St Giles concur with Thame’s agreement.”

TOY GUNS

Toys guns also came under scutiny by town councillors. They have agreed with local police that any toy guns to be presented as prizes at the fair must be considered at a pre-fair meeting where the police will decide which items are obviously toys and therefore acceptable as prizes.

PUNCH BAGS

The use of punch bags at the fair is also to be restricted because, says the council: “They have been found to encourage aggressive behaviour within the fair environment.

“Security personnel and Guild Stewards must agree to enforce any requirements for closing down or removal from the site of the punch bags should problems arise from their use. This type of amusement is out of place at the October Fair and the restriction remains for that event.”

ACTIONS AGREED

The committee agreed that goldfish may be offered as a prize on condition that legal requirements are followed, and that punch bags may be located at two sites within the September fair, subject to close monitoring, but must be removed immediately if requested to do so by the Police or a council officer.

IMAGE: For illustrative purposes only (Courtesy of home-and-garden.webshots.com

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council is reported to have said that it will press ahead with deciding where it will build hundreds of new houses, despite previously postponing its decision while the general election was on.

The council is reported to have told MP Ed Vaizey, a minister in the new coalition government, that waiting for any change in the government’s planning policy, was not possible.

The leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, Ann Ducker, has confirmed that the Core Strategy of the Local Development Framework, which includes 850 new homes for Thame, would be discussed SODC’s Scrutiny Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 1, and voted on by the council cabinet two days later.

According to an article published by The Herald Series newspaper on its website today, Mrs Ducker is reported to have said “that delaying a vote in the hope of buying time for the new Government to change planning policy could allow big developers to ignore local concerns and build homes where they liked.

“She said it was her responsibility to prevent that and the council had to press ahead with the process.

“She said: ?If we do not have a core strategy and our five years? land supply, we would be extremely vulnerable for developers developing sites that would be most unsuitable.

?There is no room for delay. We are already behind some councils, and all the advice we have is that we should have something in place. Otherwise we are extremely vulnerable.?

The article continues: “In March, the council postponed voting on the core strategy until after the General Election, saying it could become a political issue in the campaign.

“At the time, Mr Vaizey suggested a Conservative Government could halt the process of allocating sites on the edge of Wallingford for new homes, while the party’s Green Paper on Planning, prepared by Henley MP John Howell, suggested housing targets for South Oxfordshire could be cut.

“However, there was no mention of planning policy in the deal struck between David Cameron and Nick Clegg in the days following the election.

Mrs Ducker added, says the article : “If this new coalition Government comes out with alternatives, then, obviously, we will review that at that time. We would like a review of planning policy, but the bottom line is that houses are needed in South Oxfordshire.?

Recently, a group of Thame Residents’ groups collected more than 800 signatures on a petition against building as many as 850 homes on the outskirts of Thame.

TO READ ALL BACKGROUND STORIES ABOUT THE CORE STRATEGY AND ITS IMPLICATIUONS FOR THAME, put the words Core strategy in the Search box top right of this page.