Category: Thame news

A MOBILE classroom that offers young children information and decision-making skills to face life choices, visited St Joseph’s school, Thame, today.
The Mayor or Thame, Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods, was introduced to ‘Harold’ the giraffe, a puppet that helps put messages about keeping healthy and how to tackle peer and other pressures around drugs, alcohol and smoking, when he visited the school with Des Wright from Thame Rotary Club which supports the Charity that provides Mobile life education classrooms.
Thame Town Council recently made a grant of

THAME Town Council’s Planning committee is unhappy about the brightly coloured signage of a town centre store.
Comments by Cllr David Dodds, that the existing fascia signage above the Co-op store is “appalling,” came as the committee was discussing whether or not to recommend approval of a plan to erect 12 external lighting units over the signage.
Cllr Dodds said: “These signs themselves should never have been approved in the first place. They are contrary to Dictrict Council Planning policy, and quite unsuitable in a Conservation Area. If this was a Planning officer’s interpretation of the policy, then it was wrong.”
The committee agreed to recommend refusal of the plan for the lighting.

A THAME Town Councillor is unhappy about aspects of the Rycotewood housing development.
Whilst recommending approval of an amendment to planning consent, to create a pedestrian access through a boundary wall, Cllr David Dodds has criticised the developer, Berkeley Homes.
At a meeting of the town council’s Planning Committee recently, Cllr Dodds said:”We asked for a children’s play area to be included as part of the original planning permission but so far, we have never seen a definitive plan for the site.
“It seems to me that this whole thing has been ‘planning on the hoof’.”
The committee agreed to ask to be sent full plans by the Developer.

THE public conveniences in North Street, Thame, are to be demolished and replaced with a high spec block, easier to maintain and with the possibility of taped classical music which apparently, deters youngsters from loitering.
The bad state of Thames toilets was particularly highlighted in a recent report by the District Council who have now made money available for their improvement. Responsibility for the maintenance of the new block will probably transfer to Thame Town Council from the district council who currently have that obligation.
The new toilets will include a unisex baby changing area, automatic air freshening and water-saving autoflush.
Energy saving features like solar heating and grey-water re-cycling were rejected for technical and cost reasons.

Illustration courtexy of Taylorgifts.com

THAME Town Council have issued an invitation to local people to the annual Town Meeting, which will be chaired by the Mayor, Nigel Champken-Woods.
The event will be held at the town hall on Tuesday, April 24, at 7.30pm
Representatives from the Town, District and County Councils will hear your views and answer your questions.
The Speakers will include Police Constable Russell Hounslow, who will give an update on Neighbourhood Policing, and Nicola Francis, the Area Youth Worker and two young people will talk about youth work.
The hopes & aspirations of the Thame Football Partnership will be discussed by both Jake Collinge, Chairman of Thame United and Nigel Hargreaves, Head of Strategic Development for the F.A.
AGENDAS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE TOWN HALL
Tel: 01844 212833 or e-mail: clerk@thametowncouncil.gov.uk

THE Try Thame First Campaign took to the skies last night (18/04/07), when the town’s Mayor took a balloon flight with ‘rising’ young Thame business, The Altitude Balloon company.
Ex RAF Glider pilot, Cllr Nigel Champken-Woods, sporting a smart brown summer suit and the Mayor’s Chain, joined members of the local press for what turned out to be a gentle and leisurely flight across the countryside from Thame Showground, up and away above Towersey and on to Bledlow, finishing with a text book landing in a field, executed by pilot, Ian Woodmansey.
Before they could take off however, the Mayor and his team had to earn their flight. They helped unload the bottles of propane gas, the basket and all the rest of the 1,000 kilograms of equipment before using a giant fan to blow first cold air into the gaping canopy, and then a gas burner to complete the inflation with hot air (jokes about the Mayor being used to ‘hot air’ in the council chamber setting the scene for the level of humour for the rest of the flight).

‘Try Thame First’ is the slogan that the 21st Century Thame Partnership’s Economic Working Group is promoting, to encourage local people to explore the excellent range of local shops, businesses and services in order to support their local economy.

After what he described as “a fabulous experience and one I shall definitely be repeating with my wife Alison,” the Mayor told ThameNews.Net: “New enterprises like The Altitude Balloon Company are exactly the sort of things that Thame needs and deserve to be supported, as do our more established, independent shops and businesses that bring so much to the town in the way of choice, variety and economic vibrancy.”

More information about The Altitude Balloon Company, which they believe is the UK?s first ever ? and only -carbon-neutral hot air balloon company, can be found on its website: “Link

The company works with the charity ‘Climate Care’ based in Oxford to off-set the carbon they create in flying, by donating money towards energy efficient projects. See Link

Photo: The Mayor or Thame, Nigel Champken-Woods, Pilot Ian Woodmansey, ground crew and trainee pilot, Stuart (outside the basket), Thame Gazette reporter, Sophia Jay and Editor of ThameNews.Net, Sonja Francis

FOLLOWING a petition and complaints about excessive noise, pollution and vibration created by the annual Thame fair in the High Street, the town council and the Showmen’s Guild have agreed several actions to try to curb issues of concern.
The September fair, which Thame Town Council says runs at a net loss to themselves, has divided the town for many years between those who see it as a positive thing for the town, bringing fun and enjoyment, and those who consider that the noise and smell and the inconvenince to nearby business and residents has a negative effect on the town centre. Many people think that the size of modern fair rides and modern amplification of music now make the town centre an unsuitable location for a fair.

The agreed actions are as follows:-

* Music and noise will be set not to go above 80 decibels, 20 ft from the source in line with the Noise at Work Regulations Act 2006. This to be monitored by stewards who will carry decibel meters.
Any infringement will be taken up by the Showman’s Guild who can fine the offending showman by amounts of

EMERGENCY Services were called to a crash on the Thame By-pass, near to the round-about with the Aylesbury Road.
A black car left the road at around 1.30pm today. The driver, a male around 20 years, appeared to have minor head and facial injuries but the full extent of his injuries is not yet known.
The air ambulance attended the scene.

THIS is a ringmaster message from Thames Valley Police.
There have been two overnight burglaries between Sunday, April 15th and Monday 16th, to properties in Webster Close and Vane Road, Thame.
There are no signs of forced entry; it is thought that entry may have been gained via insecure doors.

Handbag and contents were stolen from both locations.

Please remind all watch members to check that their doors and windows are properly secured overnight and NOT to leave any valuables on display, including mobile phones, wallets, handbags, laptops, etc.

If you have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and quote URN 343 & 327 of 16/04/07.