Category: Thame news

THERE was tight bio-security at Thame Cattle Market yesterday, Thursday, the first time for three weeks since livestock has been allowed there.
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THAME CATTLE MARKET, which has been closed for business since restrictions were put in place after an outbreak of ‘foot and mouth desease’, will see the arrival of some animals tomorrow (23/08).
DEFRA, the Government Department for the Environmnet, Food and Rural Affairs, has announced that it will allow some movements of susceptical animals to enable them to go for slaughter, and Thame will act as a collection centre for such animals tomorrow (Thursday). A vet will be on hand to check the animals before they can be moved on to the slaughterhouse.

A collection centre is a gathering of animals in one place to sort them into size before going to an abattoir. A dedicated slaughter market will operate on the same basis as a collection centre but in addition allows for buyers to bid for animals on behalf of an abattoir.

The Chief Auctioneer at Thame Farmers Mart Ltd, Simon Draper, told ThameNews.Net that it is widely suspected that the outbreak was caused by the virus escaping from a laboratory at the Institute of Animal Health, that makes the vaccine to fight foot and mouth, and which is located just a mile away from the original outbreak in Surrey.

Photo: Simon Draper, Director and Auctioneer at Thame Farmers Mart Ltd, Thame cattle market.

A FORMER Mayor of Thame has accused South Oxfordshire District Council of treating Thame in ‘a cavalier fashion’ following its rejection of a plan to move the town’s cattle market to a new site, adjacent to the Thame Show Ground.

Mr Mike Welply, who is also an ex Thame Town and District Councillor, told ThameNews.Net that he was barred from speaking about the application at the planning authority’s meeting to consider the application, despite having his application verbally accepted by the Committee Secretary. He realises that, as a former Councillor he should have known the procedure and filled in the appropriate form.

Mr Welply explained:”On the Wednesday morning I was telephoned by an officer of SODC to be informed that as I had not filled in a form, I was barred from speaking. I attended the meeting, and watched proceedings. It was interesting to see that local land owner, Chubb Castle had two representatives from Rectory Homes to speak, supporting refusal, and putting forward an alternative site – on Chubb Castles land!
“The District Councillor for the North Ward, David Bretherton spoke and was supposed to be supported by the other District Councillor, Richard Walker, who did not show up, although he was down to speak, allegedly supporting the application. The vote was tied and the Chairman Pearl Slatter?s casting vote, supporting the officer recommendation for refusal, won the day for SODC.”

Mr Welply continued: “Yet again we, the people of Thame have been treated in a cavalier fashion by SODC. The District Council, whilst professing to support the Market Towns like Thame, has little concept of what a true market town really is. The loss of the outline planning request to relocate the Thame Livestock market to a place adjacent to the Thame Show ground may, I believe lead to the closure of the livestock market in Thame.
“The long term future of the Thame Show is also problematic as there are new Health & Safety and bio- security regulations which require livestock to be stood on hard standing ground, because grassland is almost impossible to decontaminate. If both of these disappear, Thame would barely count as a true market town. Moreover, the SODC planning decision does not in any way support the rural economy, which the Council is always stressing it supports.”

The application was previously recommended for approval by Thame Town Council’s own Planning committee, with a proviso that a solution be found to the perceived problems that increased traffic movements on Thame by-pass, could effect the egress of the residents of Lea Park.

PROHIBITION on the movements of animals susceptible Foot and Mouth disease has been relaxed by DEFRA to allow SOME movement of livestock.
(“susceptible animal” means a cow, bull, sheep, goat, deer, camel, llama, alpaca, guanaco, vicuna, any other ruminant, any swine, that is, a member of the suborder Suina of the order Artiodactyla, elephant or rodent – other than a pet rodent).

The following movements are now permitted:

i) Direct to slaughter at approved abattoirs.

ii) Between premises under the same occupation in order to protect the welfare of those animals. (premises must be within a 3 kilometre radius)

iii) The movement of pigs for welfare reasons from breeding units to grower units and from grower units to finishing units. (Veterinary certification is required for these movements and there is a distance restriction).

iv) The movement of bovines for calving or which have calved (together with their calf) since 3rd August for welfare purposes. (Veterinary certification is required for these movements, there is a distance restriction of 50km and a 20 day status requirement)

For more information, see the Oxfordshire Trading Standards’ website at: Link

Members of the public are being asked to call 01865 815412 to report suspected illegal movements of livestock.

The movement restrictions do not apply to horses and poultry.

Thame Cattlemarket still remains closed for business.

A PLAN to build a large hotel onto the existing Oxfordshire Golf Club, just outside Thame, had been turned down.
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ALL livestock classes in this year’s Thame Show have had to be cancelled, but the show’s organisers are determined that the show will still be able to offer a great day out for visitors.
The organisers of the annual Oxfordshire County and Thame Show, said: “Following the recent outbreak of ‘Foot and Mouth’ in the Surrey Area, the organisors of the Thame Show, have been in constant touch with DEFRA regarding our livestock section for the 2007 show. As the movement order for Animal Gatherings has not been lifted at this present time, The Committee have regrettably decided to CANCEL ALL LIVESTOCK classes for this year.
“The rest of the show will still be going ahead as planned and we hope that everyone will come along and have an enjoyable day.”
The main attraction this year will be the Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry, which will perform in the main ring. Other attractions for the whole family include displays of entries to the vegetable, fruit, flower and domestic classes; exhibition rabbits, caged birds and pigeons, an extensive craft market and trade stands from all over the country.
Visit the Thame show’s own website
for up-to-date news, timings and ticket informatiion.

AS ThameNews.Net is off on holiday for two weeks, here is a news-in-brief-type round-up of interesting quotes and news outstanding for this week. We’ll be back as from Monday, August 2.
* Chief Executive of SODC, David Buckles, who gave his annual report to Thame Town Council recently, has said that: “The ball is in Thame Town Council’s court” as to whether it wants to purchase the Old Market House in the Upper High Street. The two authorities have to-date been unable to agree a price. The town council has aspirations to provide a youth drop-in centre in the basement, which has in the past had problems with leakage from the public toilets above.

* On future housing development, Mr Buckle told town councillors said that: “Thame is not a location that we will be looking at for any significant additional housing. It is more likely to be in the hundreds rather than the thousands.”

* The District Council is about to embark on a debate about the future of rubbish collection, because it must make some crucial decisions, i.e. Wheelie bins or not, taking more out of the black bags, particularly food waste – by November when the provision of the service intil 2017 goes out for tender.

* SODC has no plans to re-introduce the Saturday morning waste skip that used to visit The cattlemarket, but Mr Buckle told councillors (particularly Cllr Owen Davies who raised the issue): “We are going out to public consolation so if there is a big public demand, we must look at it.”

* On the backlog of Planning Enforcement cases, Mr Buckle said that his authority had reduced the number outstanding from 1000 to 400, adding that: “We do not have the resources to look at every case and so have decided to prioritise. We ask ourselves, ‘Does it matter?’ and in some cases, not making a decision is making a decision! Listed buildings are our priority. Now it is not the ones who make most noise that we look at, but instead what harm it is causing.”

* He pleaded patience for action on the Lockwood Report which looked at ways of improving Market towns like Thame, because of a lack of resources including the vacancy for a new Economic Development Manager which was proving hard to fill. He said that Wallingford, which has acute problems following the re-location of Waitrose away from the town centre, would be first on the list. However, eventually it would be a case of SODC “sitting down with the Thame Town Council and coming up with a priority list of what can be invested in that’s best for the town.”

* Talking about the possibility of a Cycle path between Thame and Haddenhanm, Mr Buckle said: “I am sure it is something we would be willing to put some money into, but someone has got to get it off the ground.”

MORE TO COME

THAME’S Youth worker, Nicola Francis and several members of the youth club have pleaded with councillors to re-open discussion about where to site a youth shelter. They said that their own consultations with around 50 youngsters, and video evidence showed that the skate park was the most popular location for a youth shelter.
Speaking at a recent meeting of Thame’s Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee, Nicola said:”We are aware that there has been opposition from residents in the past who didn’t want it in their back yard! I understand their reasons but these young people need somewhere to sit and to keep them dry.”
Cllr David Laver said that the council did have the money in reserve for a youth shelter and Cllr Mike Dyer asked set the young people’s representatives a challenge to put together a paper of what they are after, who was going to control trouble makers and what exactly they needed.
A sub group of the committee is looking at the possibility of a band stand in Elms park as a performing space, which could double up as a youth shelter. Councillors considered Elms park as a possibility because it was not too close to houses. The committee agreed to consult with the Crime Prevention Officer, Lesley Nesbitt and the Youth Council and will consider a mobile shelter so that several locations can be tried out.
“We must bite the bullet,” said the Clerk, Helen Stewart, “and take the flack.” She added: “If they can get one in Brill, we should be able to provide one in Thame.”

HACKETS LANE, a section of Thame’s Phoenix Trail, is to be surfaced – but cyclists will have to get off and walk!
Whether the lane is a Public Right Of Way, a Bridle Way or a footpath, and who owns it, has been the subject of much debate eversince the Trail was first muted.
Now the County Council has said that it is a footpath and Sustrans, the Sustainable Transport Engineering Charity that provided much of the know-how and funding for the path, intends to provide a firm surface to what is often, a muddy lane and impassable.
But officially, cycling will not be permitted along that stretch of the Phoenix Trail.
It was also announced at a meeting of Thame Town Council’s Culture, Leisure and Recreation committee, that a route through to the Leisure Centre and Lord Williams’s school has been agreed, which will mean an uninterrupted, traffic-free route from Princes Risborough right through to the TLC and the school, a distance of around seven miles.

A THAME woman has failed to have her sentence reduced after being caught stealing thousands of pounds from a charity shop in Thame.
Patricia Mary Wagerfield, from Thame Road, stole more than