Author: Sonja Francis

A TOY shop in Thame, which is due to close to make way for a new library, has turned down the offer of a lease extension, made by its landlord, Oxfordshire County Council.
Since it was known that the shop would have to close in February when the current lease ends, the shop staff have been inundated with expressions of sadness and regret from both customers and business groups within the town, who fear its closure would be to the detriment of the town.

The company that owns the shop, Pied Pedaller in North Street, Thame, is Toy Zone and its Managing Director, Ed Tilley, told ThameNews.Net today: “The County Council has offered us an extension to the lease until September, 2008, which is no good to us, especially when they say they want to be able to break the lease anytime they want after April 30!
“Like most other toy shops, we make a financial loss for nine months of the year, but make enough profit in the three months leading up to Christmas to cover the losses.
“Therefore, we have been asking for a one year lease to carry us over Christmas, 2008.”
“There is still so much uncertainty over the new library; the town council are unhappy with the design and turned it down and it looks as though the cattlemarket may be moving which opens up the possibility of an alternative site for the library.
“Surely while there is so much uncertainty, it would be silly to close the Pied Pedaller which has been there for so many years when the whole thing could fall through?”
“I suspect that the whole thing is political and that they are just offering us this so that they can say they offered us an extension of the lease and we turned it down.”
“How can it be in the interest of the town, to close the Pied Pedaller on September 30?”

Oxfordshire County Council today issued the following statement:
“Oxfordshire County Council has put in a planning application to knock down the existing building on the council?s own site in North Street, Thame, and replace it with a library.
The application, reference number S20/07, is due to go before the county council?s Planning and Regulation Committee in February 2008 and has already been submitted for Conservation Area Consent.”

County Librarian, Caroline Taylor, said: ?Thame families need and deserve a new and better library to replace the existing one in Southern Road and there has been strong recognition of this for a long time from the community.
?We have spent several years considering the various options. Our site in North Street is the only suitable one available.
“Planning permission to demolish the existing building on the site and replace it with a library that is better suited to people’s needs is now being sought and we hope to start work next year.
“We believe Thame’s families will be very pleased indeed with the new library, which will be larger, better located and easier to access compared to the existing cramped, inaccessible and worn-out library.?

The statement continues: “The proprietor of the toy shop business which currently occupies the North Street site has known for many years that it would eventually become a library. Oxfordshire County Council has offered Ed Tilley, the director of the toy shop, a new short-term lease. It is now up to him to decide if he wishes to stay until construction work begins, or to leave the premises vacant in February.”

A supporter of retaining The Pied Pedaller has apparently drawn the shop’s attention to a clause in the South Oxfordshire Local Plan that they believe would be contravened if the shop was closed and was replaced by a library.
The South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011, policy TC8 states “Within the primary shop frontages of each town centre (including Thame)…a change of use of a shop (Class A1) to a non-shop will not be permitted if it would undermine the vitality and viability, and the dominant retailing character and function, of the primary shopping frontages of each centre.”

The shop has prepared a letter which they are asking customers to sign and send to the Planning department at South Oxfordshire District Council.

FOLLOWING three unsuccessful applications to demolish a house at Priest End, Thame, and rebuild a modern development, a new plan to extend the existing property has met with the approval of Thame Town Council – but only just!
Neighbour, Dr Bridget Hill, told the town council’s planning committee last night (Tues 18/12), that part of the proposed single and two storey extensions would mean that she would look out on a red brick wall. Both Dr Hill and fellow neighbour, Chris Simpson, said that their views of St Mary’s church would be blocked.

Both neighbours were pleased that the property was once again being lived in by a family and said that they appreciated the applicant’s growing family’s need for more space.
In a letter, the applicant, Mr Tom Glover, said that he intended to stay in the house and leave the property to his children. He added that he would be willing to move a window if it was felt to be too intrusive.

Despite Cllr David Bretherton’s view that the plan would constitute over development, the committee voted to recommend approval of the plan – carried by the casting vote of Cllr Beatrice Dobie in the Chair.

NB Two previous proposals, one for eight homes and another for seven, were both rejected by the town council and the district council, on the grounds that they were un-neighbourly and out of keeping in a Conservation Area

FOLLOWING a plea by Thame Guides’ District Commissioner that the Thame Guides’ headquarters no longer met their needs, Thame Town Council’s Planning Committee unanimously voted to recommend approval of plans for a replacement.
Linda Newton told councillors that there had been a 75% growth in the number of girls joining Thame Guides in the last two years and that the proposed new building (on the site of the existing one in Southern Road) would allow for two packs to meet at the same time and allow for a bigger range of activities.
The architect of the new building said that solar panels would be included to provide heat and water and that energy efficient lighting would be provided throughout the building.
The plan includes provision for parking 13 cars.

“We have let the girl guides put up with a tin hut for too long,” commented Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods.

SOMETIME between the hours of 1900 and 1930 on Monday, 17th December, a property in Lashlake Road, Thame was burgled. Offenders entered the property by an unlocked kitchen door and property was stolen. If you have seen any suspicious persons or have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and quote URN 1132 of 17/12.

ALSO on Monday, 17th December, there was an attempted burglary at Cotmore Gardens in Thame. The offender was disturbed by a neighbour as he was trying to break in to the property. The offender is male, 5ft 8 to 5ft 11 in height with dark hair. He is unshaven and has an Irish accent. He was wearing a dark coloured jacket, trousers and cap. If you have seen any suspicious people or have any information relating to this message, please contact the Police on 08458 505 505 and quote URN 1059 of 17/12.

If you have any information about the above message that is of an urgent nature please contact our police enquiry centre on 0845 8 505 505 and state you are responding to this Ringmaster message.

FOLLOWING the resignation of Peter Todd, the Chair of trustees at Thame CAB, a new Chair has been appointed.
He is Martin Briggs has lived in Thame for nine years and is married with four children and three step-children.
Trained as an economist, Martin has worked both in the private sector and for the Department of Trade and Industry. From 1999 to 2005 he was the Chief Executive of the East Midlands Regional Development Agency.
Martin said: ?I am delighted to have been asked to become Chair of Thame Citizens Advice Bureau, serving the town and the surrounding area. The work of the CAB is vital- giving free, independent and confidential advice, often when people?s circumstances are at their most difficult. Our skilled and committed local advisers are supported by the expertise of the national Citizens Advice network. I look forward very much to helping this work to develop and expand locally to meet the needs of our whole community.?