Category: Election Candidates 2019

IN the Town Council election, Rebecca Fox and Joshua Lay are standing for Thame North ward and Helen Flitton and Paul Swan are standing for Thame South ward. Paul and Joshua are also standing for Thame in the South Oxfordshire District Council election. All candidates live in Thame with their young families.

Rebecca, Joshua, Helen and Paul state that:

“We love Thame and we want this to be an even better place to live now and for generations to come. That is why we are campaigning for a greener, safer and fairer future. We will achieve this by supporting key local services, engaging the community to find innovative solutions and protecting our environment. We will build on the excellent work done by current Labour councillor, Mary Stiles.

“We are concerned about the massive cuts Tories and Lib Dems have made to local government and schools since 2010, local child poverty and families relying on food bank parcels in Thame. Labour is committed to investing in our communities and public services, and opposing austerity.”

The Labour candidates’ priorities for Thame are:

• Families, children and young people – championing local schools, supporting the Red Kite Family Centre and improving children’s play areas and facilities for young people.
• Transport solutions – campaigning for a cycle route to Haddenham train station, a town hopper bus, sustainable public transport and traffic calming measures near Lord Williams’s school.
• Protecting our environment – working to improve parks, footpaths and open spaces, whilst opposing fracking and the environmentally damaging Oxford to Cambridge Expressway.
• Sustainable development, local business and culture – supporting sustainable development with the necessary services and infrastructure. Working with the community land trust to deliver genuinely affordable housing for local people. Supporting the high street, local businesses, festivals and events.

” If elected I pledge to support Thame Town Council to scrutinise for Climate Sustainability, every aspect of its functioning and services..”

ABOUT ME

I’m Sonja Francis and I’ve lived and worked in Thame for 27 years, married to John with whom I’ve brought up our three children who all went to Thame schools and have now spread their wings!

For the last 16 years, I’ve been News Editor of www.thame.net so I like to think I know how Thame ticks!

Thame is a great place to live and work and is generally a clean and green, thriving market town – largely through the care and attention of Thame Town Council.

BUT – beyond Thame we know that the world’s climate is changing and too much waste and over-consumption is impacting our beautiful planet and threatening all our future lives and livelihoods.

MY PLEDGE

If elected I pledge to support Thame Town Council to scrutinise for Climate Sustainability every aspect of its functioning and services, including the revised Neighbourhood Plan, the Green Living Plan, where the council buys its energy from and where it chooses to invest YOUR money, to make sure that the council sets the best example it can to our communities by enacting and encouraging an effective response to what has been officially declared to be a ‘Climate Emergency’.

GRASS ROOTS ACTION

All of us now have to take responsibility for halting the march towards possible water shortages, poor air quality, unsustainable house-building, loss of habitat for our native animals, birds and insects and the legacy of a worse world for our kids to inherit.

TIME FOR ACTION

So, from ranting on social media and marching for climate action, I’m ‘putting my money where my big green mouth is’ and standing up for what I believe in by putting myself forward for election to represent YOU as a member of Thame Town Council. So, if you share my passion to make Thame the greenest, most people and beast-friendly, healthy and happy place in which to live, work, bring up a family and retire, please vote for me on May 2, 2019  

Housewife, lived in Thame most of my life. Married. Two daughters & four grandchildren. All reside in Thame.
Previously Represented:
Thame South Ward (1986-1993)
Mayor of Thame (1990-1991)
S.O.D.C. (1998-2015)
Chairman of S.O.D.C. (2014-2015)
Thame South Ward (2015-2019)
Mayor of Thame (2018-2019)
ASSOCIATED WITH
Thame Welfare Trust
Thame and District Housing Ass
Thame Museum Trustee
Thame Day Centre Trustee
Royal British Legion

My aims and objectives if elected
• CARE IN THE COMMUNITY support in whatever way I can to maintain ongoing provision re the Day Centre, Youth Projects and a new Health Hub, as well as giving aid to community groups
• DEVELOPMENT OF THE CATTLE MARKET site must be used for the benefit of the local community and be sustainable
• Ensure the REVISED THAME NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN takes into account our local needs and infrastructure
• COMMUNITY LAND TRUST as a founding member of the Community Land Trust Committee I would continue to support this work covered by this charity. The aim of which is to provide opportunities for the people of Thame young and old to have affordable accommodation within our community.
• I support the GREEN LIVING PLAN this innovative Pilot Scheme to help the way forward re health and well-being for our community is paramount. Taking into consideration such topics as monitoring air pollution, suggesting walk ways, cycle ways, house design for sustainability; all suggestions for healthy living

I am standing for re-election to Thame Town Council as an INDEPENDENT Candidate because I believe that Party Politics have no place in Parish/Market Town Councils.

I am an architect with three adult children, am Churchwarden of St Mary’s Church, a Trustee of the Thame Welfare Trust, a Friend of St Mary’s & Thame Youth Projects Group. I support & volunteer with Music in the Park, Tidy Thame, Muck Out Moreton, Thame Twinning & other activities which benefit the life of Thame and Moreton.

I have lived in Moreton since 1982 & have served as a Town Councillor for two terms; for 6 years as Chairman of the Planning & Environment Committee; for 2 years as Chairman of the Town Centre Working Group & have served on the Policy & Resources & Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Committees whilst represented the Town Council on the 21st Century Thame Steering Group, Thame Youth Projects Group & Green Living Plan Working Group.

It is vital that families, children, young & old people have the best facilities & opportunities possible. I have worked for many years with children at Lighthouse & St Mary’s Church & at both the Youth Cafés for 11-13 & 14-17 year olds. I welcome the financial support that Thame Town Council has promised to Thame Youth Projects Group to enable the employment of a Youth Outreach Worker to meet the needs of our teenagers.

I believe that Thame is a very special Market Town which has much to offer to residents & business but needs to have a fair development programme for a progressive Thame & to keep responding to changing expectations & the social & economic demands of 21st Century life, including Sustainability & the Environment.

Care for the Environment & minimising our human impact on this planet are vital to our future. I wrote the brief from TTC for the Thame Green Living Plan & give the RSA group my full support in taking it forward to meet & communicate the aspirations of the Community.

All future development in Thame and Moreton should enhance the unique town centre & surrounding area for the benefit of all people in Thame & local business. I am prepared to contribute to the new Thame Neighbourhood Plan to meet the aspirations of the people of Thame. As a Town Councillor I would work to ensure that all new development should benefit Thame.

I would relish the opportunity to serve the people of Thame and Moreton as an Independent Councillor for another term on the Town Council.
PLEASE VOTE FOR ME

Chinnor ward – covering the villages of: Aston Rowant, Chinnor, Crowell, Chalford, Chinnor, Kingston Blount, Kingston Stert, Sydenham & Towersey. Plus the small hamlets making up these parishes.

Being a new resident to Chinnor (Feb 2017); Previously having lived in Princes Risborough for 30 years then my employment taking me to a small Warwickshire village for 20 years, where I served as a local parish councillor. During this time having family connections to the area through my son and his family living in Sydenham.

That small south Warwickshire Village, due to having a neighbourhood plan, did not suffer the over development Chinnor has. (And is still having). Despite multiple planning applications surrounding the village.

If Elected :-

As an Independent Candidate and therefore not tied to any political agenda I can apply myself to the best interests of the people of South Oxfordshire District Council’s Chinnor Ward.

• I will be supporting your local Chinnor Ward Institutions & Parish Councils, to push for completion and adoption of the very delayed and important local plan
• Support Local groups & local services to improve your local services and Transport links
• Look to improve the environment & ecology to reduce pollution and improve air quality
• Push for the existing granted developments to complete their build out and finish the environmental commitments as promised. (Landscaping and general reinstatement of hedgerows and open areas). Plus the all-important mitigating funds as defined by their planning consent. (Cil & S106 agreements)
• We need our roads repaired and the through links to the M40 improved especially in the light of future development in both the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire border towns & villages (Princes Risborough and Thame etc).
• Future development cannot be allowed without sound infrastructure investment we cannot wait until the demand is there then provide it.

David Bretherton, Kate Gregory and Pieter-Paul Barker are standing as a team for Thame because they want to see a fresh and positive approach from South Oxfordshire District Council.

● Our local council should be putting the environment, health and leisure
at the forefront of its policies, providing a better quality of life for local
residents
● It’s not healthy for democracy when one party – the Conservatives – holds
over 90% of the seats on the local council
● Constant infighting in the ruling group has led to a terrible local plan and
a complete lack of consultation about Government plans to build a new
motorway across Oxfordshire

David Bretherton is twice a former Mayor of Thame and an experienced Town and District Councillor. He is standing for both SODC and Thame North.
David is a trustee of Thame Museum and a founding trustee of the newly formed Thame Community Land Trust.
David spent the last four years as a leader of the Thame Remembers Project, commemorating the centenary of the First World War by researching all the names on Thame War Memorials – from all conflicts – to place a “Thame Remembers” cross on each resting place, wherever in the world that may be.

Kate Gregory is also standing in Thame South. She lives in Thame with her husband and two children. She currently runs her own business and believes her negotiating skills and ability to work within tight budgets will be useful if she were elected as councillor. Having caught the train regularly from Haddenham station for work, Kate feels a proper cycling and pedestrian route between Thame and Haddenham is vital. “Every time I drive to the station and see cyclists making their way in the dark I am terrified for them – it’s so dangerous”.

Kate is a school governor, an avid member of the PTFA and has helps Thame Museum with their events and activities programme.

Kate feels very passionate about the children centres and how important they are to new parents. She used the one in Thame weekly when her children were young and received a lot of support especially during those first few months.

Pieter-Paul Barker is a former Thame Town Councillor and lives near Barley Hill School with his family.
“It’s great to see how successful the Thame Neighbourhood Plan is. Thank goodness it was approved by Thame voters, because the rest of South Oxfordshire is suffering major problems due to the mismanagement of their Local Plan by the ruling group.”

Who is Catherine Jones?
I am an ex-army officer, the author of 22 published novels, past chairman of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, local resident for 25 years and a Thame Town Councillor for the past four years.

I first visited Thame in 1976 whilst based at a nearby barracks. I knew immediately it was a place I’d like to live in one day. Finally, after years of postings, the family moved here in 1994. It was one of our best decisions and the family has loved living in Thame. In fact, two of my three children still live locally. (The third is serving in the army overseas.)

I am is no stranger to working for the community having been an active member of John Hampden School’s PTA when my children were younger, a committed Cuttle Brook volunteer and a massive supporter of Thame Remembers which involved battlefield tours, delivering crosses to overseas war graves and co-authoring the play Ten Tommies From Thame.

Why I want to be re-elected?
My children grew up in Thame and we have all benefitted from the clubs, activities, festivals and sports that proliferate in the town – almost all of which are run by volunteers. By serving on the council I feel I am putting something back into a community which has given my family so much.

Since being elected in 2015 it has been a steep learning curve – the knowledge I have acquired over that time will be wasted if I am not re-elected.

I understand the need for more housing and opportunities for employment in and around the town but I want to ensure that the next iteration of the town’s neighbourhood plan offers the best possible solution to the needs of the townsfolk.

Thame is a town to be proud of with a wonderful high street, dozens of leisure opportunities and residents who are more than prepared to volunteer to run the many festivals and events. It also has a sense of community and cohesion that is beyond remarkable. It would be an honour to keep serving the population.

Follow the link for lots of information about the Local Elections on May 2, 2019, including details about all the candidates
https://www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/2019/04/12/election-2019/