A PLANNING application for the erection of 160 dwellings with associated landscaping at the former Chinnor Cement Works has been turned down – in particular because it fails to offer employment opportunities for the local area.
To read the full and lengthy list of reasons for refusal by South Oxfordshire District Council, follow the LINK
Photo: Quarry pool at the old Chinnor cement works, Courtesy of www.chilternphoto.org.uk
WITH half-term looming, how about taking the kids to a local dairy farm to meet the cows & see how milk is made?
The Chilterns Conservation Board has organised a visit to a local dairy farm to give children (and parents) an insight into how milk is produced. Visitors will be shown around Hollygreen Farm, Bledlow on Thursday, February 21, by the farmer, Neil Dyson and Tracy Adams, Farming and Land Use Officer for the Conservation Board.
Tracy Adams said: “As part of the Year of Food and Farming, this is a great opportunity to see behind the scenes of a family dairy farm. We will be getting up close and personal with the cows providing our daily pint and get the chance to see afternoon milking.”
The visit is free but booking is essential. Meet at 2pm in the farmyard at Holly Green Farm off the B4009 (grid reference SP775035). The visit should end around 4pm. Please wear wellies and appropriate clothing for a winter visit to a dairy farm with 400 cows.
For more details and to book your place, contact Tracy Adams on 01844 355523.
A THAME therapist, who has denied seven counts of Sexual Assault, had his case committed to Oxford Crown Court by Magistrates last Thursday (February 7).
Mr Praminder Mankoo, aged 46, of Oakley, Buckinghamshire, was charged on December 13, 2006, with the offences against five women over the age of 16.
Mr Mankoo’s trial will begin on February 29.
A LORD WILLIAMS’S Science ‘A’ level student was among the winners from schools throughout Oxfordshire to receive prizes at the Sixth Form Biologist of 2007-08 ceremony, held at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History last Thursday, February 07.
Claire Lasko, was one of 26 winners of the competition in which State and independent schools were represented. The event was hosted by the University of Oxford and the Oxfordshire Independent and State School Partnership (OISPP.
Professor Iain Campbell, Professor of Biochemistry at Oxford University, presented certificates and book tokens to the winners. Pupils, parents and teachers were then given a lecture and tour of the museum by the Assistant Curator of Entomological Collections, Dr George McGavin.
As well as being a scientist, Claire is a competitive sailor and the winner of several Gold medals participating in the Royal Yachting Association’s Youth Team Racing Championships. In 2006, she was presented with the Young Sports Achiever Of The Year award at that year’s Oxfordshire Sports Awards ceremony in Witney.
RICHARD McKenzie, the Labour Candidate for the Henley Constituency, which includes Thame, has added his voice to the gathering support for a cycle path between Thame and Haddenham.
In a statement received today, he said: “As a keen and regular cyclist, I welcome Bucks CC’s proposal to look at options for a cycle path between Thame and Haddenham, to connect Thame with Haddenham and Thame Parkway Station.
“At present anyone wishing to commute by cycle and rail is better off using the longer but safer Sustrans cycle trail to Princes Risborough. It would be very welcome if this initiative led to a usable cycle route to a closer station. We hope that any proposal that arises from this study will be fully supported by Oxfordshire CC and we call upon local County Councillors to declare their support.
There are many opportunities within Thame itself for the development of cycle paths using existing routes, but the Conservative dominated local councils have taken no steps towards developing these as a much needed local resource.”
Photo: Labour Candidate, Richard McKenzie
PLANS for this year’s Thame Festival are well underway and events for the week, themed around food, will include a Beer festival, a Quiz night, a Festival food market, a Parade, a Fete and a Rock Night in the town centre.
21st Century Thame are taking the lead in the organisation of the Thame Festival this year and would warmly welcome help from other Community groups and individuals in the town. The Festival week will commence on Monday, June 9, culminating with the Parade and Fete on Saturday, June 14, 2008.
21st Century Thame are hoping to involve all food and drink outlets in the town and the organisation will be split into a number of working groups to cover the various events during the Festival week.
If you would like to join one of the working groups then go along to the next meeting on Wednesday, February 27, at 7.30pm, at Lord Williams?s Lower School Sports Hall Classroom. If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like to be involved then please contact Alison Isherwood, 21st Century Thame Project Officer e-mail: ai@21stcenturythame.org.uk, mobile 07944 175633.
Local charities and organisations who would like to receive a donation from the proceeds of the Festival should contact Alison Isherwood, as above, with details of their request.
Photo: Courtesy of: www.wildhealthfood.com/cooking-classes
CHILTERN Railways haS welcomed the news that Virgin Trains will be accepting Chiltern tickets on their Birmingham New Street to London Euston services during the temporary blockade on the line between Birmingham Snow Hill, Solihull, Stratford upon-Avon and Warwick Parkway, from Monday 11th February till Friday 15th February. But the company is reminding passengers that there is still a near-to-normal service between Warwick Parkway and London Marylebone.
Ian Baxter, General Manager North for Chiltern said:
?During the blockade at Rugby over the festive period, we were able to welcome Virgin passengers on our trains and get them home for New Year. So it?s great that Virgin have returned the favour ? passengers always like to see the train companies working together! However, we are still running a near to normal service between Warwick and London Marylebone this week. Passengers may find it easier to drive to our Warwick Parkway station, where we have laid on extra parking spaces, and catch their Chiltern service from there.?
CRENDON Chamber Orchestra’s next concert is on Saturday, February 16 at St. Mary’s Church, Thame, at 8pm and will consist of three well-known works from three great baroque and classical composers, and the orchestra will be joined by two superb string soloists.
The concert will begin with the familiar Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel, scored for two oboes and strings, and the most famous part of Handel?s oratorio Solomon. Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra will bring a double measure with its two soloists. This piece, in three movements, is a favourite with violinists and viola players; it is full of lovely tunes passed from one soloist to the other and back again. For this piece the orchestra will be joined once again by David Le Page and Catherine Leach, who played with them to great acclaim last year.
The programme will end with Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 ? the Farewell symphony. Written to point out to his employer that the musicians’ holiday was long overdue, the final movement has gradually reducing numbers of players until only one desk is left!
Tickets are available by telephoning 01844 238478, or from ForeGolf, 10, Buttermarket, Thame
OXFORDSHIRE County Council has dropped from being a four star council to a three because its schools are not improving fast enough.
Latest figures show that 57% of the county’s pupils achieved five GCSEs at grade C or better, compared with 69.2% in Buckinghamshire and 64% in Gloucestershire, placing Oxfordshire at the bottom of league tables comparing exam and test results with similar affluent counties. Oxfordshire was one of two councils to drop a star out of 19 assessed in the South East by the Audit Commission. The other was Slough Borough Council.
Oxfordshire County Council has pledged to work tirelessly to improve its schools? attainment and pointed out that the Audit Commission commended many other key services for performing strongly. The new ranking rates it as a ?good? council rather than an ‘excellent’ one.
Council Leader, Keith Mitchell, said: “My two feelings are disappointment that we have not done better on the attainment issue and determination to improve our performance for our children and get our star back double quick.
“Educational attainment is vital for our children and we were conscious before this inspection that many Oxfordshire schools are not yet doing well enough.
“This is an affluent county with a skilled and well educated adult population by comparison with many other parts of England. Yet for complex reasons the current level of attainment in our schools does not match this.
?We appointed Janet Tomlinson as our new Director for Children, Young People and Families last year with precisely this challenge in mind and people can be assured she is already well on the case.
?I?m glad to say that the many strong performances of other service areas highlighted in the assessment speak for themselves. We have improved services in most of our priority areas and relative to other councils. Many are judged by the inspectors to be delivering a top rank performance, with quality now exceeding previously high standards. The council’s financial management and use of resources have been singled out for particular praise.
“This is very good news in terms of our delivering on our objectives of low taxes, real choice and value for money and shows the underlying strength of this organization.”