Category: More News

Planning Applications Considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday, November 27.
8367
P07/E1273 3 PICKENFIELD
Single storey rear extension (as amended by drawing
no. 7433/07/1A received 15.11.07)
Amendment No. 1
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Over development of site
2. Out of character of area

8378
P07/E1411 25 EAST STREET
Two storey and part single storey rear extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8379
P07/E1407 THAME BAPTIST CHURCH, PARK STREET
Change of use from church to residential conversion and single
storey rear extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
Comment: Despite this recommendation, the Committee
expressed its concern about the preservation of the two memorials within the building and about the lack of parking facilities.

8380
P07/E1456 CHILTERN VIEW, MORETON
Single storey front extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8381
P07/E1448 1 CEDAR CRESCENT
Construction of lean-to conservatory to rear aspect of property.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8382
P07/E1248 9 NELSON STREET
Single storey rear extension to form sunroom, w.c. and kitchen.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8383
P07/E1471/RLB
(Retrospective Listed Building)
20A CORNMARKET
Retention of non-illuminated signage.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Against policy of Local Plan
2. Design and materials inappropriate in a Conservation Area

8384
P07/E1453/RAD 20A CORNMARKET
Retention of non-illuminated signage.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Against policy of Local Plan
2. Design and materials inappropriate in a Conservation Area

8385
P07/E1363 17 THAME PARK ROAD
Demolition of existing industrial buildings and erection of 99 dwellings
and apartments together with open space, and underground parking
and access.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Design of dwellings not in keeping with a market town
2. Loss of employment in the area

8385
P07/E1363 17 THAME PARK ROAD
Demolition of existing industrial buildings and erection of 99 dwellings
and apartments together with open space, and underground parking
and access. (As amplified by additional drawings accompanying letter
dated 12 November 2007).
Amendment No.1
1. Design of dwellings not in keeping with a market town
2. Loss of employment in the area

8386
P07/E1370 26 ASTLEY ROAD
Erection of fencing to the front of the property.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
Comment: Insufficient information

A GROUP of pupils are from the Friedrich-Ebert Gymnasium in Bonn, who are currently staying with the families of students at Lord Williams’s school in Thame, visited the offices of ThameNews.Net yesterday (27/11).
Accompanied by their teacher, Judith Baier, the group discovered how the news is gathered from Thame and the surrounding area, how it is edited and uploaded to the website, and the part the website plays in the community of the town.
Pupils from the Gymnasium have been visiting Thame every year for over 25 years and welcoming in return, year Nine students studying German at Lord Williams’s school.
During their visit this year, they will visit Oxford and London and spend time learning about English life, its language and culture through interacting with English young people of their own age, their families, and the school itself.

THAME’S MP, Boris Johnson, came face-to-face with some of the challenges facing the wilder parts of his constituency last Friday (23/11), when he visited the HQ of The Chilterns Conservation Board, in Chinnor.
He officially opened its newly installed, state-of-the-art, energy saving solar photovoltaic roof panels and meter.
Boris was welcomed by staff and Board members, including Chairman, Sir Johnie Johnson, and presented energy-saving light bulbs to Lewknor – the first Parish to take advantage of a free offer to supply them to all Parishes within the Chilterns Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Accepting the bulbs on behalf of The Lewknor Chiltern Gateway Project were Jane Pendlenton and Mary Farrow who work with St Margaret’s church, Lewknor and the young people of the village on conservation action.

Boris then officially unveiled a meter in the entrance to the CCB’s Headquarters which showed how many kilowatts were currently being produced by the solar panels on what was not a particularly sunny day – enough for six light bulbs. It was explained that the idea of giving away the free light bulbs was to help someone else reduce their carbon footprint – in other words, Carbon Off-setting.

Boris was then given a presentation showing the future challenges facing the Chilterns, which it happens, are mainly in his constituency. These included land ownership becoming more fragmented, high cereal prices adding to the cost of livestock feed, less sheep grazing and lifestock farming, an increase in arable land, the cultivation of field margins with consequences for wildlife life, the loss of carbon locked in the soil, changes in the landscape as more new landowners with horses move into the area requiring more pasture land, economic changes affecting woodland including higher timber prices and newly bought small parcels being fenced around, increasing demand for wood fuel and a decline in land management skills.
These factors apart, it seems that environmental and climate changes are likely to see more trees being blown down because of an increase in gales and waterlogged soil, bluebells declining if Springs and Summers become hotter and erratic rain-fall – a particular problem for the vunerable chalk streams in the area.
Apparently, familiar woodland species could be replaced by hoopoo birds from mainland Europe, swallowtail butterflies and even wild boar!
Other changes likely to affect the Chilterns AONB are an increase in the number of new houses being built -an area where design and the choice of materials will become especially important, and a shortage of Heritage skills. Because of a general increase in urbanisation, there will, it seems, be a need for more accessibility to the area including facilities for the disabled and others to encourage walking and cycling from home.

Boris expressed his admiration for the work of the Board and wishing everyone concerned the best of luck in raising continued funding from its main benefactor, Natural England, he said: “May the sun shine on your endeavours!”

HADDENHAM Parish Council has received a donation of

LOTS more photographs taken at the Remembrance Day Service and Parade in Thame, on November 11, 2007, are now available on Flickr. See LINK

Feel free to copy or print any of them for your own personal use. (Print industry or other commercial organisations should contact the editor (editor@thame.net) for permissiion to reproduce any of these images which are the property of https://www.thame.net.

ONCE again, in the run up to Christmas, 1st Thame Scounts will be offering their services, delivering Christmas cards for the elderly and disabled of Thame.
Collection boxes will be situated at the following places:

THE Chilterns Conservation Board has launched a new scheme to give away low energy light bulbs to parish councils in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The Conservation Board has set itself the target of being carbon neutral by 2011. One part of its programme to achieve this is to give away low energy light bulbs to parish councils for use in public buildings. By this means the Board aims to save several tonnes of carbon dioxide each year which would otherwise be generated by the use of ordinary lighting.
The Conservation Board has recently taken many steps to reduce its own carbon footprint. This has included installing solar panels to generate electricity at its office, reducing car mileage and removing excess office lighting. This has significantly reduced its carbon footprint but it is not enough to reduce it to zero. In addition the Board now proposes to invest in energy efficiency measures to help offset its own emissions which is why the free light bulb scheme has been launched.

The low energy light bulbs are being provided to parish councils for use in their own premises and a condition of receiving them is that they will only be used to replace normal tungsten light bulbs. There is a limit of 10 bulbs per parish and they are being issued on a first come, first served basis.

Anyone interested in obtaining free bulbs should contact Donna Hunter at the Chilterns Conservation Board on 01844 355504.

REFERENCES:
The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was designated in 1965, covers 833 sq kms (326 sq miles) stretching from Goring, in Oxfordshire, to near Hitchin, in Hertfordshire, and has a resident population of 80,000.

The Conservation Board was set up following the passing of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, 2000, to conserve and enhance the natural beauty and increase awareness and understanding of the Chilterns AONB. The Board, which also aims to foster the social and economic well being of local communities, is supported by all local authorities in the area and by Natural England, The National Trust and The Chiltern Society.

For more information about the AONB or the Conservation Board, phone 01844 355500, email: office@chilternsaonb.org, website www.chilternsaonb.org

PLANNING Applications Considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday, November 13.

8314
P07/E0945 44 WYKEHAM PARK
Single storey rear extension.
Amendment No. 1
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8354
P07/E1128 91 CHURCHILL CRESCENT
Two-storey side extension.
Amendment No. 1
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8357
P07/E1185 3 & 4 HORSESHOES PLACE
Single storey and part two storey rear and side extension.
Amendment No. 1
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8358
P07/E1258/RET
WHIZZKIDZ (THAME) LTD, 2-6 JEFFERSON WAY
Provision of ancillary outdoor play area (retrospective). Relaxation
of condition 3 – childrens indoor adventure playground only) of
planning permission P04/E1245.
Amendment No. 1
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8360
P07/E1272 5 CORNMARKET
Alteratons to shop front.
Amendment No. 2
Correspondence was received and noted from the Thame Conservation
Area Advisory Committee.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8361
P07/E1278/LB
5 CORNMARKET
New signage on front and side elevations, partition walls to be
removed on ground floor and first floor. New partition walls to be
erected and new doors
on first floor.
Amendment No. 2
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8362
P07/E1282/A
5 CORNMARKET
3 externally illuminated advertisement signs to the front and side
elevations.
Amendment No. 1
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8369
P07/E1324/LB 13 PRIEST END
Demolition of out building. Conversion and extension of annex to
dwelling. Conversion of barn to dwelling. Insertion of 3 skylights to
rear of existing Plough House. Single storey extension to ground
floor apartment. Alterations to garden wall.
Correspondence was received and noted from the Thame Conservation
Area Advisory Committee.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Over-development
2. Traffic generation
3. Unsympathetic to the character of the area

8370
P07/E1323 13 PRIEST END
Demolition of out building. Conversion and extension of annex to
dwelling. Conversion of barn to dwelling. Insertion of 3 skylights to
rear of existing Plough House. Single storey extension to ground
floor apartment. Alterations to garden wall.
Correspondence was received and noted from the Thame Conservation
Area Advisory Committee.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Over-development
2. Traffic generation
3. Unsympathetic to the character of the area

8371
S.21/07
PIED PEDALLER, 3 NORTH STREET
Demolition of existing building and erection of two-storey building
on site to create new town library.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Not in keeping with character of area
2. Design and materials
Comment: Members considered the proposed building to be
unsympathetic to its position.

8372
P07/E1271 17 ORMOND ROAD
Front infill extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8373
P07/E1381/RLB
13 NORTH STREET
Retention of replacement windows.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8374
P07/E1345/A
16 HIGH STREET
3 new signs. 1 projecting sign, a new fascia and 1 wall-mounted sign.
Correspondence was received and noted from the Thame Conservation
Area Advisory Committee.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Signs too large
2. Lettering style not in keeping with building or character of
area

8376
P07/E1290 14 SKIPPON WAY
Garage extension.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8377
P07/E1366 17a HIGH STREET
Lateral conversion of one dwelling flat to create two dwelling flats.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

THAME Town Councillor, Beatrice Dobie, has expressed her thanks to all who contributed to the success of the recent Charities Fair that she organised in Thame.
The total raised from the afternoon was

OXFORDSHIRE County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service has teamed up with the Government to spread the message about fireworks safety for the coming festive season, in particular Bonfire Night.
The Fire and Rescue Service has distributed a series of hard-hitting Government posters to all the community, youth and parish centres in the county in order to increase public awareness. The poster image demonstrates the realities of playing around with fireworks and the damage which a misused firework can cause.

Risk Reduction Officer, Julian Green, said ?Many people still end up being hurt and sometimes scarred for life, Bonfire night is supposed to be an enjoyable time. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service encourage local residents to attend organised displays and for everyone to take care when handling fireworks.
“We would urge all local residents to enjoy Bonfire Night and encourage everyone to keep in mind the following fireworks safety code.”

What does the fireworks safety code say?
? Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114.
? Don?t drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
? Keep fireworks in a closed box.
? Follow the instructions on each firework.
? Light at arm’s length, using a taper.
? Stand well back.
? Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn?t gone off, it could still explode.
? Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
? Always supervise children around fireworks.
? Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
? Never give sparklers to a child under five.
? Keep pets indoors.

For more information about bonfire night or any other fire safety information, please contact Community Fire Safety on 08000325999 or visit www.365alive.co.uk

PHOTO: Fire safety poster designed by teenager,
Jess Brayne from Wheatley.