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FOLLOWING the presentation given by the Thame Climate Alliance at the Thame Town Council meeting last week, June 18, although a motion asking the council to declare a Climate Emergency was lost (see report), the council has nontheless now called the promised internal meeting of Councillors and Officers.

This meeting is aimed at starting to put together a set of suggested actions and steps in response to the effects of the changing climate; actions which, the council has stated: “We are able to take, within our powers, beyond that which is being done already.”

A beautiful new River Thames Footbridge at Taplow, and Incurvo – a stunning, virtually carbon neutral house in South Oxfordshire – have been named joint winners in the Chilterns Building Design Awards 2019.

The awards, run jointly by the Chilterns Conservation Board and The Chiltern Society, celebrate design and construction projects that leave a positive mark on the Chilterns for us and future generations to enjoy.

The Chilterns Conservation Board and Chiltern Society named the 2019 award winners at the 19th Building Design Awards ceremony on Wednesday, June 19, at the winning house, Incurvo, in South Oxfordshire. Tom Beeston, the Chief Officer of the Chiltern Society, and Elizabeth Wilson, Chair of the Planning Committee of the Chilterns Conservation Board, presented the awards.

The Chair of the Judges was Dr James Moir. He described the features of the footbridge which won the judges over: “The River Thames footbridge, designed by specialist bridge designers Knight Architects of High Wycombe, is an elegant and delightful new addition to the Thames riverside. Drawing inspiration from Brunel’s nearby Maidenhead Railway Bridge, this 35m single-span bridge has sweeping twin arcs of triangular section steel cradling the deck. Linking the regenerated and previously unconnected Taplow Paper Mill quarter to Ray Mill Island, the bridge unlocks a new tranquil walking route to the Thames Path. This light-touch intervention appears to have been effortlessly dropped into this location, opening up great views of the riverscape and creating a new and fully accessible recreational amenity.”

About the house, James said: “Incurvo, as its name suggests, is a graceful, sinuous new residence that delights the eye whichever point it is viewed from. The sculptural design by Adrian James Architects of Oxford connects beautifully with its surroundings. The imposing entrance and stair-hall rises through two storeys with rooms flowing off this and thence through two storey-height glazing to the outside. Cleverly sited on an irregular contoured plot at the edge of Goring-on-Thames, the elegantly crafted landscaped gardens respond intimately to the sinuous curves of the house, and blend seamlessly into the Chilterns countryside beyond. The warm, red handmade bricks have been masterfully laid to create curved walls and are complemented by vertical charcoal zinc panels. Concealed energy-saving measures mean the house is virtually carbon neutral.”

In a statement announcing the awards, the award sponsors said: “The Chiltern Buildings Design Awards is a prestigious biennial awards program in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, recognising and encouraging great examples of design and construction based on the principles in the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide. With development pressures greater than ever in the Chilterns AONB, it is a great opportunity to showcase the very best projects.

“Through the 2019 competition a wide variety of 19 entrants were considered for the accolade including; new buildings, restorations, extensions, conversions and one civil engineering project. Winners were carefully selected by an expert panel of six judges working in the field of architecture and planning, all who took careful account of the advice given in the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide.”

For more information on the Chilterns Buildings Design Awards, please visit: www.chilternsaonb.org/conservation-board/planning-development/annual-design-awards   Applications for the 2021 awards will open in December 2020.

FOLLOWING a Thames Valley Police investigation, two men have been charged in connection with an incident of illegal fox hunting which took place in Moreton, near Thame, on New Year’s Day.

Ian James Kirby Parkinson, aged 64, of Lower Road, Haddenham, Buckinghamshire and Mark Anthony Vincent, aged 53, of Kimblewick, Aylesbury, have both been charged with one count each of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

Both are due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 23 July, 2019.

LANDMARKS – a revue of Thame Players by Tony Long and Bernadette Tildesley, promises to be a fun evening of sketches, songs and dances celebrating the Thame Players Theatre Company and its history.

Thame Players can trace their origins way back to 1944. In July that year – just a few short weeks after D-Day – the town held a series of fundraising events in aid of returning soldiers and one of those events was billed as by ‘Thame Players’. Since then the group has gone from strength to strength. From performing only once or twice a year to just a few hundred people in the early years to the thriving theatre we have today with some 8000 people coming through our doors each year to see our own or visiting live shows as well as cinema screenings.

Landmarks picks out the important steps along the journey, such as the acquisition of our theatre in 1977 and the major refurbishment in 2002, and presents extracts from some of the shows, the songs and the sketches. It also tells the story in words and pictures of our development and reminds us of some of the other events worldwide.

Join Thame Players on this fascinating journey. For some who have known about the group for many years it will be a journey of nostalgia. For those newer to what they do it will offer a fascinating insight into what has made Thame Players the thriving, vibrant group of today.

Tickets £5 all seats available from www.thameplayers.co.uk or Spear Travels on 01844 217228

THE Rotary Club of Thame and District thanked the local communities of Thame and the neighbouring villages for their support with fundraising during the 2018-2019 Rotary year, at an event the club held at Thame’s Spread Eagle Hotel, on Wednesday, June 19.

Local residents actively supported the club’s main fundraiser, the Thame Swimathon in March this year, and other events. The amount donated during the past 12 months reached almost £10,000. Thomley, Red Kite Children’s Centre, Maple Tree Children’s Centre in Wheatley and ROSY, are the main charities that received donations and support towards projects.

The event was attended by charities representatives as well as the top groups who fundraised for Thame Swimathon charities: Thame Swimming Club, Barley Hill School and John Hampden School’s Team Ice Cream and Rapid 6.

Graham Colverson, the club’s current President, also recognised the outstanding contribution towards their communities of three Thame Rotary members: Peter Hook, John Singer and Hamish MacDonald, by awarding them the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. Graham presented the awards together with Gillian Pearse, Governor of the Thames Valley Rotary District (1090) which covers most of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

Peter Hook had a major contribution towards the set up of an Interact Club at the Wheatley Park School aimed at young students aged between 13 and 18 years-old. Interact Club’s work for the community had a focus on fundraising towards CLICK Sargent during 2018-2019.

John Singer secured more projects towards good causes through his Rotary Business in the Community initiative, encouraging local Thame businesses to give employees opportunities to volunteer.

Gillian Pearse said of Hamish MacDonald: “What a pleasure to give a Paul Harris Fellowship on behalf of Dr Himansu Basu to Hamish MacDonald in recognition of his support of maternal and child health globally. The reason for the PHF was given by Graham Colverson’s wife, who received care from Dr Basu. It’s a small world. Hamish was delighted to receive his award from the District Governor who is also a midwife. Dr Himansu Basu was representing a Rotary Project Calmed at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and was unable to be present.”

Jo Sackett, Barley Hill School PTFA trustee, has driven the recruitment of five teams from Barley Hill, who thoroughly enjoyed their participation at Thame Swimathon. Jo said: “It was wonderful to join Rotary for dinner last week and to hear all about their recent activities in the community and see some of the Rotary members receive well earned rewards. They are an amazing group of people and we are so privileged at Barley Hill School to work with them on a number of projects and support each other where we can.”

Marius Ciortan, spokesman for the Rotary Club of Thame & District, said: “The Rotary Club of Thame and District is grateful to the local community for supporting all our fundraising events.”

He concluded: “To continue our projects for our local communities in the months and years to come, we are welcoming new members from the local communities of Thame, Chinnor, Long Crendon and neighbouring villages who can join our world of fun, friendship and fundraising. To express your interest to join our vibrant club, please visit www.thame.rotary1090.org or like us on www.facebook.com/thamerotary “

AT a meeting on Tuesday, 18/06/19, Thame Town Council rejected a motion calling for it to declare a Climate Emergency. Arguments for it were presented by a group of local activists and organisations, who had come together as a Thame Climate Alliance, in front of a full pubic gallery of around 50 local residents.

The motion began with a wide-ranging speech by Max spokes, Head Boy of Lord Williams’ School in Thame, who spoke for the Thame Climate Alliance and Oxfordshire Youth climate Action. He spoke evocatively advocating for the motion. He focused on how the world had to respond quickly to the building Climate Crisis, the importance of keeping global heating below 1.5°C and how humanity had ‘failed the earth’: “We have betrayed the greatest friend we have [and now] we have treated our home like a shop going out of business.”

He went on to quote the recent United Nations IPCC report on the devastating effect a 1.5°C and 2°C temperature rise would have on our eco system: “Coral populations would be completely wiped out,” explained Max, “and hundreds of millions of people will be at risk of climate based poverty.”

Max also outlined the adverse effects pollution has on people in Thame and the additional strain it places on the NHS. He also showed how the Thame community cares for this issue pointing out the ground-breaking work already being done by the Green Living Plan, the Lord Williams’ students climate protest and letter to John Howell MP, and the hundreds of local people who had demonstrated their concerns by taking part in the ‘Save The Planet’ themed Carnival Procession the previous weekend.

After the speech, the council had the opportunity to ask the panel from Thame Climate Alliance questions. These focused on the arguments for and many against the motion, such as how the UK is outperforming many comparable western countries in its climate goals and, from one councillor, how declaring a climate emergency would be more of a ‘symbolic gesture’ rather than change politics that will effect Thames constituents.

However the panel responded by talking about how, despite being a leader in climate policy, the UK is still behind it’s Paris Climate Agreement commitment and how showing the people of Thame how important an issue this crisis is would help add urgency and focus to implementing the town’s Environmental Policy(currently in Draft form) and future environmental policies.

Councillor Sonja Francis then presented the the details of the motion which came in three parts:

To consider the motion that Thame Town Council:

a) Agrees to commit to some immediate actions, and commit to complete a detailed Strategic Action Plan aimed at doing all within its powers to contribute to halving Thame’s CO2 emissions by 2030, and to aim towards reaching net zero carbon in Thame by 2040.

b) Agrees to report back on this plan and its progress in 6 months’ time.

c) Declares a ‘climate emergency’ to give the issue the focus and awareness it needs.

She stressed that this motion would require the council to do nothing more than it can ‘with in its powers and resources and emphasised the strong support this motion had from the citizens that Thame Town Councillors represented, a sentiment which drew cheers from the audience. Cllr Francis suggested a number of short-term, cost effective policies that the council could implement. These included changing to a green energy supplier, instaling motion activated light switches, reduce grass cutting to encourage more bio-diversity and pollinators.

The meeting was then promptly moved on to the debate where many councillors expressed the view that they did not support the motion, giving a variety of reasons, including a belief that the extent of climate change had been over-stated and another that, because Thame represents such a small fraction of the worldwide climate polution compared to countries like India and china, reducing Thame’s impact would be of no consequence. One councillor feared that by prioritising environmental issues, the council’s budget and resources would be unable to cope.

“To label Climate change as an emergency at the level of a humble parish council,” said one, “would be nothing more than a sensational headline.”

“This motion seeks to impose an arbitrary target,” said another councillor to which another responded: “Climate Change is an emergency and this motion labels this crisis for what it is.”

The debate ended with Cllr Sonja Francis, who proposed the motion, which was seconded by Cllr Kate Gregory, making the final case for the
motion summarising many earlier points on the severity of the situation, and how the motion would not require any commitment beyond what the Thame Town Council could legally make within its powers.

When the council voted the result was 3 votes for, 3 abstained, and 5 against meaning an overall rejection of the motion.

After the vote, Max Spokes said: “It is incredibly disappointing. The Thame council is ignoring the the fact that the Planet is in crisis. But nevertheless, we will continue to work with the Thame Green Living Group to ensure that we start reducing our contribution to climate change.

“If the Thame Town Council will not work with added urgency to ensure Thame’s future is sustainable, then the citizens of Thame, I have no doubt, will take this responsibility on their own shoulders.”

After the meeting, Cllr Sonja Francis, who was elected to the town council in May, representing the Green Party, said: “Of course, I am extremely disappointed that some councillors do not yet understand the extend of the crisis we find ourselves in, and were not willing, despite the evidence all around them, to simply set an example to the town they represent, in symbolising that they do appeciate that there is Climate Crisis, and the urgent need for us all to work together to play our part in trying to mitigate dangerous warming.

“The fact that Thame is the first town in the country to be making a Green Living Plan, is something we should all be very proud of and support, but the time for urgent action is upon us and I hope that, even though my motion was defeated, councillors have had a chance to listen to the arguments and with more discussion and reseach among themselves, and by all working together, Policies and actions will happen more promptly than they otherwise might.

“I should like to thank the Thame Climate Alliance for bringing forward this very important motion and I know that, as a consequence of their concerns, Thame Town Council will be considering its approach to Climate Change when it holds a promised, dedicated meeting on the subject, very soon.”

From the result at the end of the meeting, it was clear that many members of the council, despite apparent support from their constituents, were resistant to passing a motion that would only have invigorated their commitment to their own environmental policies, and how many councillors did not view climate change with the seriousness that the growing number of councils who have already declared a Climate Emergency, do.

NB You can read the town council’s explanation for why it did not pass the motion to declare a Climate Emergency, in this week’s Council News Letter HERE

SOURCE: Contributed by Alfie Richards