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  • New Express Way could mean thousands of new homes in Oxfordshire

    THE Oxfordshire EAG (Expressway Action Group) reports that it has been told informally that the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) Final Report with its recommendations for the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway route(s) will be published before the autumn budget on November 22.

    Image courtesy of RMF Training Academy

    On November 28, Highways England will begin its Stage 1a “consultations” on alternative routes which they call ‘corridors’ with an MPs group and with “Strategic Stakeholders” from December 4, to end in February 2018. The EAG says this means they will have to reveal what the alternative routes are before beginning their engagement with Stakeholders. Highways England has confirmed that it intends to announce its decision on the final route/corridor by July 2018. However, no public consultation is proposed by them on the alternative routes, or by the NIC on the principle of the Growth Corridor.

    ‘200,000 new houses for Oxfordshire’

    Commenting Peter Rutt, Co-ordinator of the Oxfordshire Expressway Action Group said: “Unfortunately, it is safe to assume that the NIC will endorse the OxCam Growth Corridor concept, with its one million new homes. This could mean nearly 200,000 more houses in Oxfordshire alone. I suspect very few people in Oxfordshire realise that this means they are planning to nearly double Oxfordshire’s total housing by positioning this new Expressway motorway as a ‘growth corridor’.

    “This approach would require a similar doubling of schools, surgeries, hospitals, roads and town centres. This is not sustainable, and it is all being planned behind closed doors. How can such a vast change to our countryside be proposed without asking Oxfordshire if it agrees? Why are there no plans for a full Public Inquiry? Consultations after the fact are just box-ticking exercises.”

    District Councillor gives her support to the action group

    South Oxfordshire District Councillor, Elizabeth Gillespie said: “Upgrading the A34 and the current roads to Cambridge seems the only rational route for a new Expressway, if one is justified at all. It is hard to see what case could be made to go through the Green Belt and countryside of South Oxfordshire instead, with all the environmental damage that would inevitable cause. I fully support the aims of the Expressway Action Group in opposing any such route.”

    The original NIC report in November 2016 recognised that the Green Belts around Oxford (and Cambridge) are a development constraint. However, as both cities are attractive economic targets, the Green Belt may not mean less development into the County, just that it will be highly concentrated on the non-designated areas.

    Chancellor to relax Green Belt constraints ?

    Peter Rutt explained: “Given Philip Hammond has hinted at relaxing Green Belt constraints in his Budget, and is expected to endorse the NIC findings, it is reasonable to fear these two issues are linked, so the Oxford Green Belt may not be as secure as we would all hope. Whatever the route of the Expressway, the Growth Corridor will be a transformative change, and not in a nice way, for all of largely rural Oxfordshire. The least harmful option would be upgrading the A34 while the greatest harm would be done if a route through the countryside South of Oxford was selected. It will reduce our open countryside, harm most people’s amenity and cause permanent damage to the environment and wildlife. There is no Oxfordshire need for it as we already have a prosperous economy and full employment, they are trying to make us to sacrifice our great rural assets for nothing.”

    Implications for Oxfordshire

    The NIC state in their earlier official Report that the Corridor project would mean one million more homes and could create up to 700,000 new jobs. EAG estimates that this means an average of 10,000 houses and 7,000 new jobs per mile. As the Expressway through Oxfordshire would be at least twenty miles on the Expressway’s Southern route and nearly thirty on the Northern, that would mean 200,000 – 300,000 new houses, and bringing new people here to live in them – all this in a County which already statistically has more than full employment.

    At the last census Oxfordshire’s existing housing stock was 270,000. Assuming it’s now 290,000 the EAG calculate that the Growth Corridor aims to increase Oxfordshire’s housing stock by 70% to 100%, and would increase Oxford’s current working age population of around 500,000 people by up to 40% in just a few years. Oxford currently has full employment – so if new jobs were created they would have to be filled by people and their dependents from elsewhere in the UK.

    ** (Ed. One of the options, Option A, would see a new carriageway branch off the A34 and pass between the Oxfod and Abingdon, before crossing the M40 at Wheatley and proceeding north of Aylesbury to Milton Keynes.)

    ** Thame Town Councillors are waiting to learn which route is announced before deciding whether or not to join the Expressway Action Group, and to see if there are any implications for Thame. (Route A will pass to the North of Thame – see map)

    SOURCE: Contributed by Expressway Action Group (AEG)

  • Concert to fund African clinic in memory of young cancer victim

    TOM Finlay, a student at Lord Williams’s school in Thame, is presenting a charity concert in memory of his friend, Josiah Andrews, who passed away in 2015.

    “Josiah and I grew up together at Long Crendon Baptist Church,” explained Tom. “I witnessed the great faith he had in God that was unwavering, even during his battle with cancer, and that gave him the courage and the strength that all of us who knew him so admired. It was this faith that inspired me to put on this concert.

    “Josiah was diagnosed with bone cancer in the summer of 2013. When his cancer returned, his faith helped him to keep his good humour and not to be afraid of dying.”

    His mother Kathy added: “Josiah’s priorities showed in his plans for his money. He knew that most children around the world don’t have the kind of medical care we have. So he was very clear; choose a charity that is Christian, Medical, in Africa and for Children.”

    Josiah’s parents chose The Good Samaritan Clinic in Senegal, West Africa, run by Tenebou and Bethan Manga. “It was a perfect choice,” said Kathy. “Josiah met the Mangas when they were home at our church, and we knew of their excellent work. Also, Dr Bethan grew up in Thame and her parents still live here.”

    Rather than spend Josiah’s gift on a piece of equipment, the Mangas have decided to start a new medical outpost in a village that is difficult to reach. Financial gifts toward the project are being collected in the Josiah Fund, at Long Crendon Baptist Church.

    The concert will be at Long Crendon Baptist Church, on Saturday, November 18, at 7pm. Entry is free but donations toward the Josiah Fund will be gratefully received on the evening.

  • A ‘Momentous moment’ for Thame’s Cricket Club (amended)

    THAME Town Cricket Club is celebrating tonight after Thame Town Council agreed to provide extra funding and a loan to ensure that work on a new pavilion and shared community facility can go ahead.

    The project seemed in peril after no tenders for the job were received within the club’s estimated costings for the project, and a funding opportunity hung in the balance unless more funding could be assured. Although some councillors were unhappy about additional town council funding being committed from section 106 money that might be needed in the future, and some fears of a possible request for even more money if the project’s costs increased, the town council tonight voted by majority to underwrite the project so that it could go ahead.

    Depending on how much will be needed (negotiations with a preferred tenderer and the architect over ways of reducing the costs are on-going), the town council has agreed to award an additional £60K-£80K on top of £120K it has already committed.

    Chairman of Thame Town Cricket Club, Matt Swain

    Matt Swain, Chairman of Thame Town Cricket Club, told Thame.net tonight: “Epic feeling! Four years in the making, this project marks a momentous moment in the club’s 140 year history. Thanks to everyone who has supported the cricket club, and in particular Thame Town Council.”

    Background article HERE  and more information about the cricket club pavilion development HERE

     

  • Park for FREE in the run up to Christmas

    MOTORISTS in Thame can park for free in district council car parks on selected days in the run up to Christmas.

    The annual free parking tradition is provided by South Oxfordshire, and the Vale, to encourage people to shop locally for their Christmas presents. The free parking days allocated to Thame, as for all the other towns in the district, have been agreed with the town council, as being the day which best suits local traders.

    Free Christmas parking days also mean people don’t have to pay to park if they wish to catch up with friends and family in the great pubs, cafés and restaurants during the festive period.

    Drivers will be able to park for free in South Oxfordshire, and in the Vale car parks, on the following days up to December 24, without the need to display a ticket:

    Thame – Saturdays from 2 December
    Abingdon – Saturdays from 2 December
    Didcot – Fridays from 1 December
    Faringdon – Saturdays from 2 December
    Goring – Tuesdays and Saturdays from 28 November
    Henley – Tuesdays from 5 December
    Wallingford – Thursdays from 30 November
    Wantage – Fridays from 1 November.

  • Thame Remembers

    THAME’S Memorial Gardens and the adjoining Upper High Street, were packed on Sunday, for the town’s annual Service of Remembrance to play homage to those men and women of the armed services, of all creeds, who lost their lives in wars and conflicts.

    ‘At the setting of the sun, we will remember them’

    Hundreds of people of all ages gathered in the chilly but bright, autumn sunshine to pay there respects with a minute of silence and spoken dedications by local church leaders, Alan Garratt, Vicar of St Mary’s Church, Father David from St Joseph’s Catholic Church and Paddy Harris, Pastor of the Cornerstone Church. The Mayor of Thame opened the service with a moving reading from a poem, Remembrance Sunday by Maria Cassee (**see below), and laid a wreath on the steps of the War Memorial, one of many laid by representatives of local community groups, the emergency services and local authorities. Thame’s MP John Howell also layed a wreath.

    During the minute’s silence, marked at the start by a lone bugler, barely a sound could be heard, just a gentle rustling from the few leaves left on the trees in the Memorial Gardens. During the service, two army helicopters flew low over the assembled crowd, reminding us all that there are men and women in our armed forces today, standing ready to put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us, in these uncertain times.

    In his sermon, Rev Alan Garratt said: “Whichever way we remember, we should remember the courage, the ingenuity, the spirit of working together for a common cause, the planning together for a better world that would come with peace.” He spoke of ‘the colossal horror of war, adding: “We remember the widows of seventy years and more, the old men and who never knew their fathers and mothers. We remember the love, the wisdom wasted, the minds that are still pained by memories.”

     

    As Rev Garratt concluded: “As we remember we must vow to do all we can to ensure that our children and grandchildren never have to face what has gone before.”

    Father David ended his prayer with: “God of wisdom, we pray for all whose decisions this day will affect the lives of nations. We think especially of the leaders of countries threatened by war or torn by division. We ask that their hearts and minds may be guided by your spirit into resolving conflicts, and establishing peace with justice and mercy.”

    To see more pictures from Sunday’s Remembrance Service, Click on the LINK HERE

    **Poem: Remembrance Day

    Remembrance Sunday

    On a cold November Sunday morn, an old man sits a while
    Looking through old photographs, he can’t help but smile
    They’re all there, all the boys, with hair cut short and neat
    Uniforms of khaki, strong black boots upon their feet.
    They met as strangers but soon became like brothers to the end
    Smiling at the camera, there could be no truer friends.
    They all took the Queen’s shilling, went off to fight the hun,
    Soon learnt the pain of loss once the fighting had begun.
    So many never made it home, lost on foreign shores
    Many more were injured and would be the same no more.
    The old man’s eyes mist with tears as he remembers every face
    Each of his fallen brothers and the killing which took place
    He proudly dons his beret, his blazer and his tie
    For today he will remember the ones who fell and died.
    On his chest there is a poppy, a blaze of scarlet on the blue
    He steps out into the cold, he has a duty he must do
    Once at the Cenotaph he stands amongst the ranks
    Of those who marched to war and those who manned the tanks,
    He bows his head in reverence, as the last post begins to play
    And he wonders what will happen at the ending of his days
    Will anyone remember? Will anybody care?
    About the lads so far from home whose life was ended there?
    I wish that I could tell him, that he should fear not
    For this soldier and his brothers will NEVER be forgot
    We owe a debt of gratitude that we can never pay
    And this country WILL remember them, on each Remembrance day.

    Maria Cassee

  • Thame’s young squash players shine in one day tournament

    RACQUETS November one-day tournament was definitely a case of quality over quantity, with fantastic nail biting matches being played by our the club’s junior entries.

    Having smaller draw sizes meant Racquets’ players got the opportunity to play matches best of five, challenging both their endurance and mental strength.

    The tournament was split into two round-robin competitions, with four players in each. The B tournament included 10 year-old Jack Turner who fought hard to win one of his matches, despite only picking up a squash racket for the first time eight weeks ago – a young talent to look out for in the future!

    Grit and determination was shown by the youngest entry, Myles Glover, approaching every match with a positive attitude and a big smile! The B tournament was eventually won by Thomas Taylor who kept his cool throughout the whole event, finishing with a convincing 3-0 win in the final, over Richard Wheeler.

    The competition couldn’t have been tighter in the A tournament, made up of four improver players from Racquets. Wildcard, Anthony West, rocked a few boats with a powerful forehand, and managed to take games from the club’s more experienced players; another one to watch out for!

    Representing the girls was Allegra Michopoulou who was placing the ball well all day, and was involved in one of the most exciting matches of the tournament, playing eventual winner Artie Shrimpton. Both players were hunting down the volley and attacking the ball at every opportunity. Coach, Chloe Marshall, commented: “who knew one of the first matches of the day would be so thrilling! Both players showed great awareness of the game, attacking the ball and hitting into space.”

    After a string of tough matches, Artie secured his gold medal, defeating good friend and rival Alex Glover 3-1.

  • It wouldn’t be Christmas without Thame’s Festive Fun Run

    THAME and District Lions Club will once again fill the streets of Thame with Father Christmases in aid of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity. on Sunday, December 3.

    Participants are invited to wear anything Christmas-related, from Santa suits to Christmas jumpers, and bring all the family to run, jog, walk, scoot or push a buggy or wheelchair round this easy, 3km route through Thame Town Centre. You could even walk the dog round!

    “Research has proven that a Festive Fun Run is good for your ‘elf’!” says organiser Ken Bennell of Thame & District Lions Club. “…And raising money for a cause like Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity is definitely good for your soul. That’s why we do this every year; because people love it as part of the town’s festive calendar, and because the money raised really helps people suffering with terminal illness in the local community.”

    Family entry is £30, or it’s £10 per adult, £7.50 per child under 16 years and free for children under two. For an extra £1 donation, entrants will be entered into a prizedraw to win a VIP Panto Meet and Greet Experience for four people to meet the celebrity cast of Snow White and The Seven Dwarves, which is Aylesbury Waterside Theatre’s pantomime this year.

    The deadline to register online is November 30, at 12pm, or you can enter on the day. For more information visit www.fnhospice.org.uk/festive-fun-run

    SOURCE: Contributed

  • Bus operator will ‘look again’ at controversial route change through Thame

    FOLLOWING a public meeting to discuss problems caused by the re-routing of the 280/X8 but along Park Street, Thame, the bus company Arriva, has said that it will look at the route again.

    At the meeting, which was attended by between 30-40 people, including town Cllrs Lambert, Dyer and Stiles, a representative from Oxfordshire County Council apologised for not consulting with the public before changing the route. The Arriva reprentatives said they would treat the new route as an experiment and re-evaluate it and would come back to the residents and the council.

    Ever since the new route became operational a week ago, residents of Park Street have been reporting grid-locked traffic, particularly when bin lorries are operating in the street, and particularly when two buses meet each other coming from separate directions.

    Two 280 buses meet in Park Street. Thame. Image courtesy of Poppy Gunn

    Cllr Mary Stiles, who is the Chair of the town council’s Transport Working Group, told members of the town council’s Neighbourhood Continuity Committee (NPCC) that she felt Arriva were listening and that there would be a positive outcome. She concluded: “Watch this space!”

    It was pointed out at the NPCC meeting that the implementation of the new route had diverted some of the section 106 monies and provided some of the service that a hopper bus might provide. So, the council will now consider its next steps regarding providing of a hopper bus service,and has meeting arranged for November 17, 2017.

    There is now a Park Street and Chinnor Road 280 bus group on Facebook for those who would like to follow progress this topic and share experiences and comment: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1893528164298533/

  • Withdrawn funding for business support ‘disappointing’

    South Oxfordshire District Council will be withdrawing the funding for the Market Town Co-ordinators, including Thame’s, Becky Reid, from the end of the year.

    Thame Market Town Co-ordinator, Becky Reid

    SODC is responsible for the Economic Development of its Market Towns, Thame, Henley and Wallingford, and it is from that department that Becky’s salary was covered. Thame Town Councillors at Tuesday’s meeting of the Thame Neighbourhood Continuity Committee (TNCC) considered the MTC role to have contributed positively to the economic vitality of the town (SEE REPORT from the recent Thame Business Forum meeting) and expressed disappointment at the withdrawal of the money by SODC.

    ‘We have been ignored’

    The Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, said: “All three Market Towns, Henley, Wallingford and Thame, have put in significant justification for maintaining the post, but we have been ignored.”

    Cllr Bob Austen, Chair of the TNCC, said that the only words he could think of for South Oxfordshire District Council, were those used in the novel, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (to describe Adam Lambsbreath’s cows): “..Graceless, Aimless, Feckless, and Pointless.”

    ‘Local businesses have benefited’

    A spokesperson for the Economic Working Group of 21st Century Thame, with whom Becky has worked  on many projects, including Small Business Saturday, the Great British High Street competition, the Food Trail, Business Surveys and Business forums, said: “It is very disappointing that this funding for the continued economic well-being of Thame, which SODC purports to support, has been taken away. Becky has been instrumental in bringing to fruition so many of the good things that have happened in Thame this year. These projects and events have helped local businesses benefit by keeping the visitors and local people coming into town, and contributing so much to Thame’s economic well-being.”

    Thame Town Council will continue to employ Becky for next year out of its reserves, but has stated that the following year, there would have to be an increase on the Precept for Thame Council Tax payers, if she is to be kept in post after 2018.

    Committee members agreed that the Town Clerk should write to express, in the strongest possible terms, the concerns of the Council at the decision to cut £11k of funding for the Market Town Co-ordinators.

  • Victims of road deaths to be commemorated in special service

    THE lives of those lost on the roads of the Thames Valley and Hampshire will be commemorated at special ceremonies later this month, one of which will be in Thame.

    The Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit will be holding two memorial services to support the family and friends of those who have died as a result of collisions on our roads. The dedicated ceremonies will be held to mark the United Nations Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and it is believed that TVP is unique in honouring the day in such a way. The services will take place on November 19, one in Winchester and one in Thame, giving families from across the Joint Operations Unit region the chance to remember their loved ones.

    ‘A beautiful service’

    During the services local dignitaries, police officers and colleagues from the ambulance and fire services will join members of the public in an Act of Commemoration. Families who have attended previous services have found the event extremely comforting and described it as a “beautiful service”. One family wrote: “‘Thank you for an absolutely beautiful and respectful service for road traffic victims. All of the family found the service very humbling and uplifting.”

    While another added: “The opportunity to join with all who are affected by death on the roads is most helpful in the slow process of re-balancing after violent bereavement.”

    Assistant Chief Constable for the Joint Operations Unit Dave Hardcastle

    Last year 144 people were killed on the roads of Hampshire and Thames Valley. Dave Hardcastle, Assistant Chief Constable for the Joint Operations Unit, said: “We believe it is very important for us to come together with our emergency service colleagues and bereaved families to remember those tragically lost on our roads.

    “In organising these annual services we hope to offer support to families and friends of those no longer with us, giving them an opportunity to come together and take comfort from each other. It is also very poignant for our officers and other emergency service personnel, who stand beside these families throughout the most difficult of times.

    “We welcome anyone who has been affected by the loss of someone on our roads to join us for these very moving ceremonies.”

    Contact details

    Anyone wishing to attend is asked to contact the Joint Operations Roads Policing Unit via the email addresses below, in advance of the ceremonies.

    The service in Thame will take place from 3pm, at St Mary the Virgin Church, Church Road, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3AJ. To attend this service, email RDMS@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk.

    The service in Winchester will take place from 2.30pm, at Christ Church, Christchurch Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9SR. To attend this service, email RDMS@hampshire.pnn.police.uk.