Category: More News

A MEMORIAL concert, Remembering Sheila & Denis Manners, is to be held in aid of Amnesty International and The Woodcraft Folk, on June 27, 2009.

TIME: 7.30-10.30pm at the Thame Leisure Centre, Thame, Oxon.

An unforgettable night of Music, Song and Dance with
Roy Bailey ?One of the finest voices in the folk world? The Guardian, ?The greatest Socialist Singer of his Generation? Tony Benn.

Also – John Kirkpatrick – One of the most prolific figures on the English Folk Scene, John is regarded as England’s leading exponent of ?Squeezebox? instruments ?A Virtuosic Master!? Amazon.

Plus – Gavin Osborn – ?Funny and Touching. Osborn walks a similar tightrope to Loudon Wainwright the III, but remains perfectly balanced? Sunday Times;
?Simultaneously hilarious and heart ‐rending songs?
Independent Weekly (Australia)

Tickets

THAME’S MP, John Howell, has called plans to expand Oxford into the Green Belt, Objectionable, Unsustainable and Undemocratic.
John Howell was speaking at the CPRE?s ?Hands Off Oxford?s Green Belt? Campaign Rally Horspath Village Hall, near Wheatley on Sunday, April 19.

Around 100 people attended the campaign rally including Ann Ducker, Leader of the SODC, John Cotton, SODC Cabinet Member, Anne Purse, District Councillor for Forest Hill, Janet Carr, Parish Council Chairman for Wheatley and District Councillor for Wheatley. Residents from the Leys and Berinsfield also attended.

Caroline Lucas, Green MEP, who was unable to attend the rally, sent a strong message of support: “The benefits of green open spaces are increasingly appreciated from a range of perspectives, including for our well being and mental health as well as the environment,” she said. “As you enjoy the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, please consider what this area would look like if the government forges ahead with meeting its unsustainable housing targets. I am sorry I cannot be with you to say ?Hands Off Oxford?s Green Belt.’ By all working together I am confident that we can win this one and I shall certainly be doing my utmost in the European Parliament to help protect our valuable countryside from unnecessary development.”

Ian Scargill, Chairman of the Oxford Green Belt Network, kicked off the rally by saying that Oxford City has always seen the Green Belt as an “obstacle to its expansionist ambitions? and simply as a “reserve of land for development.”

The Green Belt provides City dwellers with “quality of life” said Ian Scargill, and warned those in the audience that they would be the losers if they allowed it to be developed.

Elizabeth Gillespie, SODC Councillor for Garsington and The Baldons, began her presentation by saying that the Oxford Green Belt is currently “threatened as never before.” She confirmed that SODC is fighting against the proposed development of more than 4,000 homes south of Grenoble Road and called on the Conservative Party to “roll back the proposals” if it comes to power at the next election.

Commenting on SODC?s proposal to review the Green Belt at Wheatley and Berinsfield as part of its Core Strategy, Elizabeth Gillespie said that she was of the openion that no special circumstances warranted the development of the Green Belt at Wheatley. She said that the proposal to expand Berinsfield into the Green Belt is currently out for consultation, but if it can be shown that there is a genuine local need which can only be met by extending into the Green Belt, then this could be a special circumstance allowing the development.

John Howell, MP, said that he failed to see how the development would be sustainable in terms of location and infrastructure.

He said the proposal to build on the Green Belt south of Grenoble Road was being imposed on the local community by central Government through, what he called, an undemocratic planning process.

“Democracy has to be put back at the heart of the planning process,” he said, and that power had to be returned to local communities so that they have a say over decisions in their area.

He promised that if the Conservative Party was to win the election, that there would be a “bottom-up approach to planning” where local communities, not central government, would have a much stronger say in housing numbers and location of development. He said the Conservative Party would demolish the Government?s Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) ? a system which he said had “imposed housing numbers regardless of local need and feelings,” and “which has not worked.”

It is expected that the South East Plan, due to be announced this month by the Housing Minister, Hazel Blears, will endorse the review of the Green Belt south of the City and would require an increase in the number of houses to be built in Oxfordshire by 2026.

CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England), has said that it will continue to challenge both the urban extension into the Green Belt and “any further increase in housing imposition by the Government.”

A PLANNING proposal to demolish garage buildings at 1 Chinnor Road, Thame, (currently a car valeting business & former Bambrook’s garage), and build
six new starter homes, will be considered by Thame Town Council’s Planning committee on Tuesday (April 28, 2009)

The applicant is Mr Carl White, of 46 Chearsley Road, Long Crendon.

THAME Branch of the Conservative Party are hosting
an Audience with Daniel Hannan, MEP on Friday 24 April 2009, 7pm -9.15pm at Main Hall, Lord Williams?s Upper School, Sycamore Drive, Thame, OX9 2AQ

? DANIEL HANNAN, is a writer and journalist, and has been Conservative MEP for South East England since 1999. He has written eight books on European policy, speaks French and Spanish and is author of The Plan: Twelve months to renew Britain.
? See Daniel give Gordon Brown a verbal spanking in the European Parliament on 24 March on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs
? The evening will also include a short ??Introduction to the European Parliament?? given by Chris Mead, a previous Head Boy at Lord Williams?s School (2003/4), who gained a BA in Politics at Belfast University, and is currently reading for a Masters Degree in European Studies at Maastricht.
? European elections will be held on 4 June so this is a timely opportunity to get to grips with some of the issues and debate them with a leading Conservative MEP and candidate for re-election.

Entry by ticket –

THIS month has seen the Thame neighbourhood team involved in an operation to target underage drinking and antisocial behaviour during the spring half term. Officers having been targeting known hot spots and dealing robustly with anyone found to be committing an offence. The operation was run over a two week period and resulted in a number of alcohol seizures.

Police Community Support Officer, Diane Jackson attended the opening of the new youth shelter at Thame Skate park. The new shelter which includes a light and radio was placed at the park following consultation work with the young people of Thame.

Police Community Support Officers Diane Jackson, Dan Tucker and PC Russell Hounslow alongside Oxfordshire Fire held an event in Thame town centre to promote driver safety. The event was advertised in the local press and whilst out on our routine patrols we invited a number of young people along to the event.

Oxfordshire Fire supplied a vehicle that had been involved in a road traffic accident and a DVD for attendees to watch. After the event all the officers were on hand to answer any questions that had arisen during the presentations.

Police Community Support Officer Diane Jackson will be holding a police surgery on May 2nd 1000-1200hrs at the town hall, please feel free to come along and share any concerns that you have regarding the policing of your neighbourhood.

Dan and Diane have taken the Speed Indicating Device (SID) out to identified problem area for speeding identified by the Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG).

EX Thame Youth Theatre member, Laura Redmond, is to replace Cate Donaldson, as its Co-ordinator.

Laura takes over at a time of dwindling numbers since the group lost its headquarters, the Lord Williams’s drama student, when it was destroyed by fire, and has had to meet at temporary accommodation.

However, everyone connected with the Youth Theatre is optimistic and enthusiastic about its future, especially since it will move into the newly built, Phoenix studio next week (28/04/09), and has recently received a grant from Thame Town Council for its outreach work. This involves older members taking dance and drama into the Thame primary schools.

Thame Youth Theatre also gets involved in festivals abroad, as well as closer to home, the Towersey Festival, later in the year.

THE 21st Century Thame Partnership has been awarded funding for a new reminder service to make sure shoppers do not leave home without their own shopping bags.

Oxfordshire County Council has awarded 21st Century Thame

8611
P09/E0264/LB 82 HIGH STREET
Alterations and extension to existing barn building to form residential accommodation ancillary to the main building.

8612
P09/E0263 82 HIGH STREET
Alterations and extension to existing barn building to form residential accommodation ancillary to the main dwelling.

8613
P09/E0236 ST ANDREW?S COURT, WELLINGTON STREET
To install three illuminated bollards lighting to the car park area of St Andrew?s Court.

Thame Town Council – Planning recommendations – March 31, 2009.

8369
P07/E1324/LB 13 PRIEST END
Demolition of outbuilding. Conversion of existing buildings, including single storey extensions to annex building and ground floor apartment, to provide a total of 5 residential units. Alterations to garden wall. Amendment No.1
Correspondence was received from Striblehills, 15 Priest End and Martin Markcrow Architects. Also, a petition signed by 18 residents.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Out of character in a Conservation Area
2. Contrary to Planning Policy
The Committee particularly remarked upon statements within the architect?s
original design statement, when the importance of a red brick garden wall
was highlighted many times. A brick wall would ?enhance the setting
further?, it would ?complement the symmetry of the college??.
His current proposals were a complete reversal.

8370
P07/E1323 13 PRIEST END
Demolition of outbuilding. Conversion of existing buildings, including single storey
extensions to annex building and ground floor apartment, to provide a total of 5
residential units. Alterations to garden wall.
Amendment No. 1
Correspondence was received from Striblehills, 15 Priest End and Martin Markcrow Architects. Also, a petition signed by 18 residents.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Out of character in a Conservation Area
2. Contrary to Planning Policy

The Committee particularly remarked upon statements within the architect?s original design statement, when the importance of a red brick garden wall was highlighted many times. A brick wall would ?enhance the setting further?, it would ?complement the symmetry of the college?.
His current proposals were a complete reversal.

8608
P09/E0253 28 & 30 YOUENS DRIVE
Rear single storey extension to nos. 28 & 30 Youens Drive and part conversion of garage and extension to 28 Youens Drive.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8609
P09/E0260 19 GLENHAM ROAD
Single storey extension to garage to form new living room.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8610
P09/E0114 110 WELLINGTON STREET
Part single, part two storey rear extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

JOHN HAMPDEN school in Thame has been showing off its latest ‘green’ project – a greenhouse made out of recycled plastic soft drinks bottles 961 of them!

The greenhouse has been made by members of the school’s Eco Council, with the help of teachers, including Justin Eyre, and the school’s caretaker, Kevin Sayers.

The greenhouse is the latest project in a series which, when completed will hopefully win the school an Eco flag and the title of Eco School.

The school is currently working on a ‘Dig for victory’ vegetable garden, an Andersson Shelter and converting a wild area into an outdoor classroom that will include a decking stage, wooden seatin and a den building play area.

Cllr Adam Buckland officially cut the ribbon to declare the greenhouse open this afternoon, in the company of the Mayor of Thame, cllr Donald Butler.