Category: More News

FIRE chiefs are advising residents across the county to take extra care after a ?plug-in? air freshener caught fire in a house in Grove recently.
Ten firefighters and two fire engines, one from Wantage fire station and the other from Abingdon, attended the incident in Grove recently and when
firefighters entered the building they discovered a small fire on the first floor landing of the house where a ?plug-in? air freshener had over-heated in an electrical wall socket.
Luckily the fire had not spread further than the immediate area surrounding the wall socket but reminders about the importance of smoke alarms are being emphasized.

Incident support officer, David Bray, based at Rewley Road fire station in Oxford said:”The residents of the property had working smoke detectors in their home which went off and raised the alarm. This enabled them to get out of the house safely and call the Fire and Rescue Service. If they hadn?t had working smoke alarms the outcome could have been tragic.
“I would urge home-owners to make absolutely sure that they have working smoke alarms on each floor of their property. It?s also vital that non-essential electrical equipment is unplugged when it?s not being used, or when the property is left unattended.”

Anyone who doesn?t have smoke alarms in their home can contact the county council?s Fire and Rescue Service. Fire crews will supply and fit smoke alarms free-of-charge and carry out a home fire risk assessment. Call 08000 325 999 for information.

This is part of the county council?s 365 Alive campaign – a 10-year strategy based on the emergency response, community and partnership work of the council?s Fire and Rescue Service. By the year 2016 it should result in:

A PRIZE draw has been launched to raise money for the Children’s Hospital in Oxford. The Jabble Family have pledged to raise

PLANNING Applications to be considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday, March 20, 6.30pm.

8212
P06/E1251 CHESTNUT FARM, MORETON
Raising of roof, repairs and alterations to an existing granary barn
and conversion to one of a domestic study.
Amendment No. 1 shows no rooflight windows. Instead there is to be
a large glazed section covering the majority of the North-east elevation. TTC recommended approval for the original application in February.

8213
P07/E0061/RLB BROOK COTTAGE, MORETON
Demolition of existing garage and construction of extension and
conversion of existing stable to living accommodation.
Amendment No. 1 slightly alters the roof. TTC recommended
approval in February.

8236
P07/E0210/A
(Advertisement
Consent) 48A NORTH STREET
New illuminated sign on side elevation.

8237
P07/E0023 24 CHESHIRE ROAD
Part-conversion of garage to living accommodation.

ALMOST 2,000 people attended 17 Swap Shops across Oxfordshire on Saturday (10/03), including in Thame, as part of a County Wide event.
A record of well over four tonnes of ?junk? was taken to new homes in the second, County-Wide Swap Shop coordinated by the Community Action Group (CAG) project, Oxfordshire.
The Swap Shops were run by the volunteer-led CAGs that work within Oxfordshire communities to save resources and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill sites.

Hannah Moser, Oxfordshire County Council?s CAG project coordinator said:”The events were a resounding success; we were really pleased that all the hard work of the groups paid off and many people came and found a bargain, gave unwanted items to good homes and further reduced the amount of waste being dumped in Oxfordshire?s landfills.
“Because they are free and local, Swap Shops benefit the whole community from people on low incomes and those after a bargain to those who want to help reduce waste of resources by giving their unused belongings to someone else. Swap Shops are also a really good way of getting the message out there that unwanted items can be usefully re-used by someone else and give value to the resources we so readily throw away.”

As well as Christchurch, Thame, Swap Shops were held in:
? Abingdon (Long Furlong Community Centre)
? Barracks Lane (off Cowley Rd, Oxford)
? Blackbird Leys (Church of the Holy Family)
? Bullingdon Community Centre (Headington)
? Buscot Village Hall
? St Margaret’s Institute (Polstead Rd, North Oxford)
? Waterways Development,(Jericho)
? Waterside Development, (off Woodstock Road, Oxford)
? Charlbury (Memorial Hall, Browns Lane, Charlbury)
? Faringdon (around the Foley, Orchard Hill and around the leisure centre and community college)
? Didcot Ladygrove Community Centre
? Sunnymead (around the Harpes Rd area, Summertown)
? Wallingford (Regal Centre)
? Sutton Courteney
? Thame (Christ Church, Upper High St, opposite the car park)
? Wheatley (The Merry Bells, 89 High St)
? Lower Wolvercote

Four further Swap Shops are being held as part of the County Wide event on:
? Friday 16th March, Carterton Primary School;
? Saturday 17th March, Abingdon (South), South Abingdon Children?s Centre
? Saturday 17th March, Witney;
? Saturday 23rd March, West Oxford Waste Watchers, West Oxford Community Centre, Botley Rd, Oxford.

For full details of Swap Shop times and locations and for information on all the CAGs in Oxfordshire, check-out our website at: www.cagoxfordshire.org.uk

Photo: From an earlier Thame Swap Shop, back in February.

COUNCIL ELECTIONS. If you are thinking of standing for Haddenham parish council or AVDC, you can obtain an application form and information pack from the parish office (open Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-11.30am) or leave a message on the voicemail for 292411 or email haddenhampc@btinternet.com. It will also be possible to obtain the form and pack from AVDC’s electoral office. The deadline for the return of forms (to the electoral office, Friars Square) is April 4 (by 12noon). If you are interested but have not yet made a decision to stand, there is still a chance, before the deadline, to attend a parish council monthly meeting (April 2) or Planning and Forward Planning committee meetings (in the parish office) on Monday.

Please note that this year’s annual parish meeting will be held earlier than usual – on April 20 – to give the current council a chance to report to villagers on the past year’s work.

Planning Applications Considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday, March 6.

8063
P06/E0265 PEARCE COURT, WINDMILL ROAD
Demolition of bungalow and existing T.A. facility. Erection of new two-storey block comprising of 14 no. new dwellings and replacement T.A. facility.
Amendment No. 1 incorporates 13 additional car spaces.
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

8231
P07/E0090/RET WATERLOO COTTAGE, OXFORD ROAD
Retention of fencing to Oxford Road boundary (retrospective).
Correspondence was received and noted from the Thame Conservation Area Advisory Committee and No. 4 Cuttle Brook Gardens.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
Out of character in a Conservation Area
Safety of vehicular access and egress

8232
P07/E0165 16 WHITTLE ROAD
Erection of a single storey side extension
RECOMMEND APPROVAL
8233

P07/E0168/LB 19 HIGH STREET
Erection of new porch and access ramp to front elevation
Correspondence was received and noted from the Thame Conservation Area Advisory Committee and No. 21 High Street.
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Out of keeping and character in a Conservation Area
2. Unnecessary length of ramp when DDA requirements can be
accommodated within the building
CHINNOR RUGBY CLUB, KINGSEY ROAD
Erect digital scoreboard onto clubhouse.

8234
P07/E0144 19 HIGH STREET
Erection of new porch and access ramp to front elevation
RECOMMEND REFUSAL
1. Out of keeping and character in a Conservation Area
2. Unnecessary length of ramp when DDA requirements can be accommodated within the building

8235
P07/E0194 10 HOPTON ROAD
Single storey rear extension
RECOMMEND APPROVAL

RESIDENTS in Chinnor have named the issues they want tackled in their neighbourhood.
The recent meeting to discuss priority issues held at Chinnor Village hall, was well attended with some 60 local people who all made a contribution to the evening.
During the meeting residents were asked to think of things that concern them in their neighbourhood and they then voted for their top issues. The top three priorities people chose were youths and antisocial behaviour; parking; and speeding.

Youths and antisocial behaviour received 20 votes. Parking received 18 votes and speeding received 17 votes. These three issues received the most votes of all the issues mentioned at the meeting.

The neighbourhood team is now looking for people willing to be part of the neighbourhood action group (NAG) to start taking work forward to tackle these priorities.

Sgt Martin Jubb, Neighbourhood Implementation Manager, said: ?The NAG will be a group of people including local residents, police, local authorities and other interested parties such as shop owners, teachers, youth workers or licensees. This group will find solutions to the three priorities and put those solutions into action.

?If you are interested in joining the NAG then contact me, Sgt Mike Todd or PC Abi Derbyshire via 0845 8 505 505.

?We would also like to hear from anyone interested in becoming a PCSO. PCSOs are the key to the success of neighbourhood policing and we need more PCSOs across South Oxfordshire to complete our neighbourhood teams.?

?If you are interested in finding out more about what being a PCSO involves contact the national call centre on 0845 600 0925 or visit www.rewardingrole.co.uk.?

Your local officers are:
? Sgt Michael Todd ? Thame, Chinnor, Watlington
? PC Aiden Lacey, PCSO Jacqueline Madden ? Chinnor

BARCLAYS Bank retired member of staff, Rosalie Gibson from Thame, recently took part in a fund raising event at the Lace day held at St Mary’s church, Thame, in aid of conservation to the North clerestory
windows.
The total amount raised on the day was

RYCOTEWOOD COLLEGE may not be in Thame any longer, but its association of ex students and teachers held
a very successful AGM and annual dinner at the Spread Eagle recently.
The most significant aspect of the meeting, was the decision to extend membership of the association to any student completing a course at the Rycotewood Centre, Oxford & Cherwell Valley College, Oxford. It was felt that the courses available, are basically those that were offered at Thame and that therefore the ex students from Oxford are as much ex Rycotewood
students as those of us that attended the college at Thame.
Stewart Sloan, the Honorary Secretary of the Rycotewood Association said: “We look forward
to increasing our membership with new blood! We also welcomed ex student Chris Hyde, who is the head of the Rycotewood Centre, onto our committee for
2007/8 along with all the 2006/7 committee.”
Some 32 ex students and guests enjoyed an excellent dinner, during which a raffle raised

GREEN BOXES AND THE STORM OF JANUARY 18.
Dozens of green re-cycling boxes seem to have gone into orbit, during the massive wind storm on January 18. Did you loose yours?
It was either the wind, or a thief who, according to SODC, has been stealing large numbers of boxes throughout the district. A special delivery of 40 boxes left us bereft of supplies within a week, such was the demand. The thieving of these boxes around the district has been so severe that Grundon has run out of stock on a number of occasions, but they are doing their best to maintain supplies.

Electoral Register
The latest published electoral register has now been out for nearly three months. As there are District Council elections in May, you may wish to check that you are registered. To find out, please ring the Electoral Services Department at SODC on 0800 389 5560 or email: elections@southoxon.gov.uk.

A Good record
A recent assessment of all counties throughout the country has revealed that residents of Oxfordshire send the lowest amount of waste to landfill. Many people are very conscious that further improvements can still be made, and this is important, as other counties try to catch us up. It?s an ongoing battle.

SODC Council Tax ? the big freeze
For the second successive year, SODC looks set to agree a further freeze in its council tax.
On 8th February, the Council?s Cabinet looked at budget proposals for the year 2007/8. These were presented to the full Council on 22nd February for ratification. And the budget was approved. The outcome is that there is a freeze on rates for the next financial year, as over