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Why disband the Thame Conservation Advisory Committee?

Written by

Sonja Francis

in

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Dear Editor, 

It is a sad indictment of Thame Town Council that they seem to have adopted an air of total contempt with regard to the history and conservation of the town.

We have already had the outrage of the Elms field being put into the Neighbourhood Plan ‘through the back-door’. Now we hear they have disbanded the Thame Conservation Advisory Committee by withdrawing support and facilities.

The Conservation Committee consists of an excellent team, steeped with knowledge and history of the town who have made a valuable contribution over the last 30 years. To disband this group is nothing more than a vindictive ‘toss the toys out of the pram’ decision by the Town Clerk, with questionable logic behind it, and no Councillor had the courage to oppose her at the time of the meeting where this decision was made.

The Town Clerk has a disturbing enthusiasm to pursue the Elms field development and obviously will try to eliminate anything that may hinder it. Already certain Councillors (have said) that they enjoyed, and needed, the minutes from the Conservation Committee in order to make informed decisions. Surely if the council want to retain any credibility, this issue needs to be reviewed and the Conservation Committee re-instated.

The Clerk has stated that: “In light of the neighbourhood plan”, there is no need for a Conservation Committee. Utter nonsense. That plan does not over-ride the need for the planning department in the Parish, and SODC to assess all applications. Moreover the plan cannot possibly anticipate all future applications in the Conservation Area.

One final point of order. The Thame Conservation Advisory Committee was not ‘self appointed’ as suggested by the Clerk. It was appointed by the Council on the January 10, 1984, to give: “valuable independent advice” to both Thame Council and South Oxfordshire District Council.

Ron Clanfield
(Address supplied)

Comments

2 responses to “Why disband the Thame Conservation Advisory Committee?”

  1. Sonja Francis avatar
    Sonja Francis

    I think you two are two are talking about two different meetings? I believe Mr Clanfield is talking about the AGM on May 13 when the councillor agreed to no longer support the TCAC, not the Grants panel?

  2. Jeannette Matelot avatar
    Jeannette Matelot

    Dear Mr Clanfield
    I am sorry that you feel the Council is responsible for the possible disbandment of CAAC. That was not the intention. All councils have been affected by major funding cuts as have all community groups who by their very nature must apply for grants to be able to continue their work in the community. The remit of the grants panel is getting more and more difficult as more groups apply for grants. The Panel has a set amount of money and has the task of deciding which groups they can help. We cannot fund the same groups every year whilst ignoring new applications for very worthy causes. For instance, ARC which organises volunteers to read to children in our local primary schools, is doing very worthwhile work in the community. As is the CAB. Other groups who applied did not receive grants and I’m afraid this has to be the case with only a finite pot of money. We always encourage groups to seek further grants form other sources.

    Speaking from my own experience as an applicant, when the Twinning Association was refused a grant I set about finding another venue to hold our meetings. Racquets were very kind in offering us free space for out monthly meetings and we have met there for almost three years now.

    Your personal attack on the Town Clerk is both unwarranted and inaccurate. Helen Stewart was not present at the Grants Panel and therefore did not have any say in the decisions. We did have a senior Council official present but she took notes, ensured the meeting was carried on efficiently and did not make any comments at all in respect of the applications. I have been on the Planning Committee for seven of my eight years on Council and, as a former urban designer myself, and with an architect as our Chair, feel that we have the expertise to look at applications in the conservation area and make appropriate decisions. We took great pains to make sure our conservation area policies were thorough in the Neighbourhood Plan and every application is tested on these policies.

    Yours sincerely
    Jeannette Matelot Green
    Thame Town Council

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