Category: Thame news

Thame Town Council wants to encourage local restaurants and pubs to provide chairs and tables outside the front of the their premises to create a so-called ‘cafe culture’in the town.
The council’s support for such a move came out of a planning meeting last week, after it was asked for its views following a controversy in Wallingford.
The Association of Local Councils wanted to know if Thame was facing any problems with the setting out of tables and chairs on a pedestrianised highway because Wallingford Town Council was challenging the imposition of a licence fee of

THE High Sheriff of Oxfordshire has praised the refurbishment of Thame’s Memorial Gardens, which he officially opened today.
The

THERE have been two burglaries overnight in Thame,
Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd November. It is believed that entry was gained via the front doors, although there is no sign of forced entry.
The first burglary was in Fairfax Road, where offenders stole property from the house, as well as a Blue Mercedes E 320, part registration number 600 BO.
The second burglary was in Astley Road, where property was stolen and a Grey Rangerover Sport Estate, part registration number AZ 127.

WARNING: Offenders are gaining entry through letterboxes and pulling down the inside door handles. Residents are reminded to lock UPVC doors at night and not to leave keys in the locks.

FIGURES released recently show that MPs expenses have soared.
Thame’s MP and shadow higher education minister, Boris Johnson, accumulated

THAME’S leading Business representative has called the town council’s rejection of a plan for a relocated cattle market, “an absolute traversty.”
Mr Alun Rowe, Chair of Thame First (formerly the Chamber of Commerce), made his comments following the town council’s Planning Committee’s decision not to support the relocation of the cattle market and development of a new agricultural centre on the Thame Show ground. (See previous news item below)

“I cannot imagine who, a decision such as this will benefit,” said Mr Rowe.
“Thame will never have the chance again to create a community facility in the town centre and the agricultural community will suffer greatly because of a lack of proper facilities.
“The cattle market is the only possible location for a community facility in the heart of Thame and would give us back the centre Thame so desperately lacks now. With it we could provide a purpose built library, rather than evicting one of Thame?s most successful businesses; we could create community halls to give the local volunteer groups the opportunity of meeting in Thame rather than going elsewhere and most of all we could have created a hub around which to reinvigorate Thame’s sense of community which appears to dwindle with each passing day as we slowly become a commuter ghost town.
“In simple terms there is no room left in the town centre to build the much needed community facilities that will be required with the building of another 90+ houses on the Rycotewood site and the numerous small developments springing up on, what seems like a weekly basis in Thame and it?s surrounding villages. Thame forgets too easily that it is the hub for not just the 12,000 residents but also for villages such as Haddenham, Chinnor and Long Crendon.
“The agricultural community must feel incredibly let down too as Thame has always prided its self on being part of that community and yet the elected representatives of our town have dismissed the chance for that community to grow in a time when agriculture all over the UK is in decline.
“I am incredibly disappointed by this decision and believe the council have failed to recognise the opportunity for positive change in Thame.”

Contact Alun Rowe: chair@thamefirst.co.uk

POPULAR Thame student, Martin Gadd (known to his friends as Gadget), who was paralysed after a tragic fall, has returned to live at home after months in hospital.
Over that time, local people and friends of the family have held several fund-raising events to help towards the costs of a state-of-the-art wheelchair and other associated costs of adapting to less mobility.
The latest event, a Picnic Ball, organised by Chinnor Rugby Club, raised

OXFORDSHIRE County Council?s Fire and Rescue Service is issuing advice to families to make sure that everyone has a good time on Bonfire Night without getting hurt.
Peter Cleary, Risk Reduction Manager at the county council said: “Having fireworks at home can be great fun as long as they are used safely. Sadly, figures show that more children than adults get hurt by fireworks and over the past five years more than 350 pre-school children, some only a year old, were treated in hospital for fireworks injuries.
“As part of our ongoing 365 Alive safety campaign we are offering advice to families so they can enjoy themselves ?. and stay safe at the same time!”

Where to buy fireworks
Fireworks should always be bought from a reputable shop to make sure that they conform to British Standards ? they should have BS 7114 written on the box.

Never buy fireworks from car boot sales, unlicensed market stalls or the back of a van.

Sparkler safety
Sparklers get five times hotter than cooking oil ? they are not toys and shouldn?t be given to children under the age of five.

Setting off fireworks
Only one person should be in charge of lighting fireworks. They should read the instructions in daylight and not drink alcohol until the display is over. It?s best to prepare in advance and in daylight. Have the following close by on the night:

? a torch
? a bucket or two of water
? eye protection and gloves
? a bucket of soft earth to put fireworks in
? suitable supports and launchers for Catherine
wheels and rockets.

Common sense rules to keep safe:
? never drink alcohol if you are setting off
fireworks or in charge of the bonfire
? keep fireworks in a closed box
? follow the instructions on each firework
? light them at arm?s length, using a taper
? stand well back
? never put fireworks in your pocket or throw
them
? never go near a firework that has been lit –
even if it has not gone off it could still
explode
? always supervise children around fireworks
? light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves
? never give sparklers to children under five
? keep pets indoors.

County Councillor Ray Jelf, Cabinet Member for Community Safety said: “If everyone observes these simple guidelines they will be able to enjoy their family bonfires without experiencing a tragic accident on the night. Children love fireworks but it is up to their parents to keep them safe.”

Government legislation states that:
? it is an offence for the under 18s to possess
fireworks in a public place
? it is also an offence for anyone to let
fireworks off after 11pm (except on 5
November when they can be set off until
midnight and New Years Eve, Chinese New Year
and Diwali when they can be set off until
1am)
? it is also an offence to throw or set off
fireworks in a street or public place.

A NEW collection of photographs of Thame and other Oxfordshire places of interest is available to view or buy, on the county council’s website.
Some of those of Thame, known as the Packer Collection, includes shots taken in the 1940s of Priest End, Thame High Street and the Spread Eagle.
Take a look on:Link

Photo By: Thame High Street By Henry W Taunt, – Courtesy of The Heritage Collection, Oxfordshire County Council.

THE POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision on Chinnor Road, in Kingston Blount near Chinnor, at around 7.40am yesterday morning (24/20).
An elderly female pedestrian, walking two dogs, was in collision with a motorcycle in the village as the road goes to a 30 limit.

The woman woman died at the scene of the accident and the motorcyclist, a man in his thirties, was taken to the JR2 hospital in Oxford with minor injuries.

One dog died at the scene and the other is being treated for serious leg injuries.

The road was closed for four hours while emergency services worked at the scene.

PC Naomi Gardiner of Abingdon Roads Policing, said: “If you witnessed the collision please contact me so that we can establish exactly what happened.”

Contact PC Gardiner via 0845 8 505 505. If you do not wish to speak to police or give your name you can contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

THE man behind a proposal to relocate Thame’s cattle market to the Thame Show ground, said last night that he was “gob-smacked” by Thame Town Council’s decision to recommend refusal of the plan.
Mr Bob Williams, who is a Director of both the cattle market and the Thame Show, as well as of the applicant company, was speaking after a special meeting of the town council’s Planning committee last night, to hear Mr Williams’ presentation and other speakers who wished to make their views known on the proposal.
Mr Williams’s stated main reasons for the necessity of moving the cattle market were:-
* That the current site is too small for the necessary changes needed for new, statutory bio-security measures, pollution control, animal welfare and other necessary investment and enhancements to tackle new challenges to the farming industry.
* That, because of the short lease remaining on the current site (15 years), there is no security of tenure for the market.
* That the future of the Thame Show, which is currently weather dependent, would be strengthenend if it could gain income from enhanced usage of the site.
* Reduced service costs for both organisations if the site is shared.
* That the proposal would help ensure that Thame, as a market town, continues to flourish in the future.

He claimed that current planning and sustainability of agricultural economies policies supported the proposal and that he has the backing of the farming community.

Mr James (Chubb) Castle, representing owners of land in Oxford Road and Rycote Lane, told the meeting that his group were strongly in favour of the construction of a new market but felt that their proposed site in Rycote Lane, adjoining the new Ford Garage: “.. would be more suitable, and could keep the market site in the ownership of SODC as guarantor of the facility when built.”

Mr Chubb maintained that landscape, local amenity and transport and highways factors make the proposed site unsuitable.

Mr Bob Hewitt told the meeting that traffic counts and other highways studies had shown that the 50-60 more vehicles during the peak time in the mornings, would not make any significant difference to waiting times at Cromwell Road’s junctions with the A4125 by-pass road.(Both Cllrs Donald Butler and Nigel Champken-Woods expressed concerns about Lea Park residents who currently have difficulty in getting on to the by pass in the morning rush hour.)

Cllr David Laver said that he was convinced by a need for the long-term survival of both the Thame show and the cattle market, and that he did not think the proposed relocation would change Thame as a market town.

Mr Darren Baker, speaking on behalf of Cmag, the Cattle Market Action Group, said that his organisation was broadly in favour of the proposals, although they had some reservations because there were no detailed plans available. He urged the council to take this opportunity to look at the community needs of the town, whose population had grown but where community facilities had decreased.

The committee voted four to three, against the application with several abstentions.

The plan will shortly go to the local planning authority, South Oxfordshire District Council, for consideration.