Category: More News

ROBIN Storey, of the group, Open Britain Thame, which campaigns for a ‘People’s Vote’ on any Brexit deal with the EU, has written an open letter to John Howell MP, questioning the MP’s latest blog post on Brexit. The letter reads:

“SADLY, John Howell MP couldn’t be more wrong to conclude that there’s “nothing new on Brexit” in his March 6th blog.

“BMW Mini have now publicly questioned whether they can continue to make Mini in Oxford.

“For a year, BMW Mini have warned publicly of the threat to their supply chain and now they’re moving towards a Honda Swindon style decision to relocate production elsewhere and avoid disruption and 10% tariffs on every car they make and export to Europe.

“MPs are increasingly engaging on this issue; it can’t make sense for John Howell MP to ignore local jobs, for loyalty owed only in Westminster and to Party. We now need the scrutiny of all MPs in Parliament to ensure common sense prevails.

“He should focus on these real local issues and look for another national solution, as his loyalty to his own Prime Minister has been exposed as misplaced – and this loyalty is no longer deserved.

“The root of the May catastrophe lies in the legally inconsistent demands of no hard Irish border on one hand and a deal acceptable to the integrity of the EU’s continuing single market on the other. It’s premise has been exposed as fanciful and the option no longer exists, despite three wasted months since the December vote on the deal was first pulled. A pink pantomime unicorn from his own Party attended the Conservatives’ Spring conference at the Belfry Hotel nearby. It is isn’t a question of waiting for a negotiation to play out – more a slow locally made Mini car crash.

“Unfortunately, the Withdrawal Agreement or May deal is pointless, as it cedes all voting control, but continues to follow laws from the EU. It isn’t a compromise; it’s a botched negotiating plan that wilfully failed to take advice at the outset, but chose to follow Rees-Mogg internal party politics instead; the opposite of what anyone voted for.

“It’s not Europe and its not control. It won’t work. He should now vote against.

“No deal constitutes a rupturing of legal and economic relations unprecedented for a modern nation state. It cannot be voted through with good conscience. He should vote against.

“That leaves voting to extend Article 50 and finding time for a sensible solution.

“That’s why we’ve been calling on John Howell MP to support the Peoples Vote on the terms of the final Brexit deal. On March 23rd, hundreds of thousands of People will march at the Put It to the People march, including many from Thame taking, the 0938 from Haddenham.”

Robin Storey
Open Britain Thame
https://www.peoples-vote.uk/march

UPDATE March 11, 2019 – The fire, in Rycote Lane, Thame, is now being treated as arson, following a burglary when tipper trucks were stolen.

The police want to hear from anyone who saw a number of trucks driving away from the site, or have any other information which they think could help with their appeal for witnesses. Call the Thames Valley Police non-emergency number on 101, quoting reference number 43190074016.

AT 03.40 this morning, March 10, 2019, crews from Oxfordshire County Council and Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue were called by the Ambulance Service to a fire at an industrial building in Rycote Lane, Thame

Seven fire engines from stations in Thame, Wheatley, Woodstock, Oxford and Aylesbury attended the scene along with special water carrying appliances and command units.

A large fire appears to have started in a portacabin belonging to
David Einig Contracting, used as an office spread to a two-storey industrial unit. Crews used breathing apparatus, hose lines and high-pressure fans tackled the blaze and searched the building.

Watch Manager. Andy Ford from Thame, said: “Our colleagues in the Ambulance Service alerted us to this incident as they had seen it whilst they were mobile. We’re glad they called us when they did otherwise losses would have been even greater. Buckinghamshire fire crews were quickly on scene to support us and did a fantastic job to help extinguish the fire as speedily as possible.”

Crews are still working to search the building to ensure nobody has been hurt and to extinguish any pockets of fire that remain. They are likely to be there well into the morning due to the size of the building.

A joint investigation is being carried out by the fire service and te police into the cause of the fire.

A man from Thame, along with three others, has been charged with the murder of Luciano Dos Santo who died after he was hit by a car and stabbed in Southfield Road, Oxford on Wednesday last week, March 6, 2019.

Safeen Abdullah Karimi, aged 27, of Hode Garth, Thame, was arrested along with Michael Yemane, aged 20, of South Bridge Row, Oxford, Welid Solomon, aged 25, of Field Avenue, Oxford and Sasan Mohammed Khalid, aged 19, of no fixed abode.

All four appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, March 9, and were remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Crown Court today, March 11.

The victim was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital following the attack, but did not survive his injuries.

Mr Dos Santos’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

YOUTH groups across Oxfordshire will be invited to bid for part of a £1m fund over two years, and encouraged to find match funding from their local communities. The money is part of the recent budget agreed by Oxfordshire county Council who have said that this money would help existing projects expand and new ones get off the ground.

The funds would be administered by a cross-party working group of Oxfordshire’s county councillors, chaired by Councillor Mark Gray and bidding for the new grant fund – £500,000 in 2019/20 and the same in 2020/21 – will be opened in April.

Councillor Nigel Hudspeth said: “We want to try to reach out to all areas of the county, recognising good existing youth activities and offering additional support and offering help where there are gaps in services. I am sure local people with energy and ideas will come forward.”

Voluntary sector welcome for extra youth spending

Jodie Lloyd-Jones, chief executive of Oxfordshire Youth, said: “Community-run youth services make a huge contribution to society and compliment statutory services, but more importantly they provide a safe space, a trusting relationship and offer young people a sense of belonging.

“As young people grow up in a society that has moved online, a physical space for young people to go and build relationships, and feel connected to the wider community is more important than ever before.

“The youth clubs and organisations that are currently operating across the county provide an essential service for children and young people. As a charity at the heart of these organisations, we see the impact that is made on a daily basis.

“It is really positive that Oxfordshire County Council has found a way to support these services, the more recognition we have of the value of voluntary sector youth services, the more investment we will be able to bring to the county.”

THAME opened its doors this week to the town’s first chicken shop, a second take-away business to add to the very successful and national award-winning Atalay’s Kebab van.

The Mayor of Thame, Ann Midwinter officially opened the Thame Fried chicken, in Swan Walk, Thame, on Wednesday, March 7, and immediately the queue to be served lead out of the door.

You can watch the video of the official opening of Thame Fried Chicken on the shop’s facebook HERE

THIS year’s Annual Thame Town Meeting will be an opportunity for Thame residents to express their views and ask questions of their councillors about any issue in the town.

The meeting will be hosted by Thame Town Council and whether you have a major concern or a simple query, Councillors from Town, District and County, and staff will be available to answer your questions and address your concerns. There are all sorts of things going on in Thame, so it should be a lively meeting. The town council has made it clear that the annual Town Meeting is not the usual meeting of the Town Council, but a meeting of the electorate. So, unlike normal Council meetings, there is no need to submit your questions beforehand. Instead you can just turn up and take part in the Open Forum.

In its invitation to the electorate, the Town Council has said: “The meeting is also an opportunity for us to reflect on what the town and Council have achieved in the past year and our aims for the future. The Mayor, Cllr Ann Midwinter, will chair the meeting in true David Dimbleby / Fiona Bruce fashion. If we can’t answer your question straightway, we will guarantee to provide an answer, in writing, later.

“So please do join us for the Annual Town Meeting in the Town Hall Upper Chamber on Tuesday, March 26, from 7.30pm.

THAMES Valley Police have warned that residents in the Chinnor area may see an increased police presence after a burglary was attempted on 01/03/19 in Greenwood Avenue.

The neighbourhood team have conducted house-to-house enquiries and a CCTV trawl, and officers continue to look for any lines of enquiry. Anyone with any information regarding this incident, including CCTV footage, is asked to call 101 quoting reference 513 01/03/19.

To help prevent YOUR property being burgled, it is suggested that you follow the simple steps below:

Home security advice

*Lock all front and rear doors and windows at night and when you are out.
* Keep all valuables and keys, including car keys, out of sight and out of reach of windows and letterboxes.
*Double check your vehicle is locked too.
*Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of your property. *Move bins away from side walls and fences.
* Keep ladders and tools stored away. Don’t leave them outside where they could be used to break into your home

Are you going on holiday?

*Please do not advertise that you are going away on social media – wait until you get home to upload your holiday snaps!
* Check that your home insurance policy, as some may pay out less or not at all, if you have posted that you are away on social media.
* Use a timer switch to make your house look occupied, even when it isn’t.
*Ask someone you trust to keep an eye on your house while you are away.
Don’t leave spare keys in obvious places such as under doormats and plant pots.

BBOWT, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, has received notice from High Speed 2 (HS2) that they intend to carry out clearance works at one of the Trust’s nature reserves, Calvert Jubilee.

Telsha Arora, BBOWT’s Media and Campaigns Manager, said: “The clearance would involve a huge area of approximately 200 hectares. We have met with representatives of HS2 to make it clear that the scale and timing of the works will have a devastating effect on wildlife, particularly as it is the start of nesting season. We have also sent a formal letter to HS2 requesting more specific details of the areas to be cleared, how this clearance will take place and the mitigation that will be put in place to compensate for any damage to wildlife.

‘Unnecessary and unwarranted destruction..’

“We believe that the works will cause unnecessary and unwarranted destruction of important breeding and feeding habitats for a range of species. We therefore strongly object to the proposals as they stand.”

BBOWT’s Head of Planning, Policy and Advocacy, Matthew Stanton, said: “We are currently engaging with HS2 in what we hope will be constructive discussions that accommodate both parties’ interests. What we can be certain of is, that BBOWT will not be facilitating any works that may be harmful to wildlife.”

‘We will refuse access…’

Matthew Stanton continued: “If we do not consider that the mitigation proposed by HS2 is adequate we will, to the extent relevant legislation allows us to, refuse access to BBOWT’s land until HS2 produce a scheme of works and mitigation that addresses our concerns and respects the needs of wildlife.”

Questions in parliament

In response to a question in Parliament recently from Cheryl Gillam MP for Amersham and Chesham, Nusrat Ghani, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport responded: “”HS2 Ltd and their contractors will comply with all relevant legislation, HS2Environmental Minimum Requirements, as well as any applicable Protected Species Licences when dealing with ecology within HS2 limits. The following protection measures are in place for vegetation clearance activities:

“For all birds during nesting season, a “Permit to Clear” system will apply. A suitably qualified ecologist will assess existing survey data and then verify this with surveys of the site in advance of the vegetation clearance taking place. Once the area has been confirmed to be free of nesting birds, then clearance can commence.

“For other wildlife at the Calvert Jubilee Local Nature Reserve, the “Permit to Clear” system is applicable. However, should the area be known to contain Protected Species, such as Great Crested Newt and Badgers, then the HS2 Ltd contractors will work in accordance with the HS2 Ltd organisational licences for these species.

“Where surveys identify other Protected Species present, then contractors would undertake works in accordance with their legal protection and, where necessary, apply for mitigation licences from Natural England. Mitigation measures will be carried out under the supervision of suitably qualified ecologists where necessary.”

For the latest updates, visit Calvert Jubilee’s web page and read more about HS2, the impacts on wildlife along the route through Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and what BBOWT is doing to protect wildlife HERE.

FOLLOWING a recent report that Thame Town Council has approved a ‘Design Brief’ for a proposed development on the Lord Williams’s Lower School site (see LINK), a Town Councillor has clarifed what exactly the town council voted for and some background to the decision.

Changes to design

Cllr Bob Austin explained: “At the full council meeting on Tuesday, February 26, Thame Town Council was asked to ‘consider’ the Design Brief prepared by LANPRO on behalf of Lord Williams’s School (LWS). It should be acknowledged that, in response to the public consultation, design changes had been made most notably:

“Housing on the playing field moved to the western side next to Meadowcroft.
Withdrawal of the proposal of vehicular access via Chiltern Grove. Pedestrian access proposal still remains subject to Bowls/Tennis Club approval.
Increased separation of existing properties to new developments.

“At the meeting, Thame Town Council was asked to decide on one of three options:
a) The design brief for the construction of 135 dwellings is approved.
b) As discussed in Lanpro’s letter, that accompanied the design brief document, to allow consideration for the potential number of dwellings on site to be raised, above 135;
c) To reject the design brief, in not conforming to TNP Policy HA5.

The recommendation of the TTC Officer was that: ” ‘Given the incompatibility of b) and c) with core TNP (Thame Neighbourhood Plan) policies, it is recommended that Thame Town Council, follows option a) and considers approving the design brief as illustrated in the submitted document’.

“Thame Town Council approved the Officer’s recommendation.”

Housing numbers will be decided by SODC

“HOWEVER,” reitterated Cllr Austin, “the approval itself does not relate to a planning application. The planning authority SODC will decide on any planning application that comes forward and it is clear that the eventual application may include increases in numbers as proposed in Lanpro’s letter but rejected by TTC.

Cost of amalgamating the two schools remain unknown

“It was stated at the council meeting that LWS is totally dependent on the monies raised from the sale of the Lower School site to finance the amalgamation, yet there is no visibility currently of either the cost of amalgamation or the viability of any current development proposal to finance it. (Ed. This shortfall was recognised back in May 2016 – see LINK )

“In summary, TTC elected to keep as close as possible to the current Thame Neighbourhood Plan.

A DESIGN brief for the development of the Lord Williams’s Lower school site, as presented by the school’s Headteacher and a planning consultant, has been approved by Thame Town Council.

A larger, single site Lord Williams’s School, planned for the Oxford Road (upper school) site, will, the school believes….’ enable better educational outcomes and will remove the need for teachers to commute between sites. Teachers will have their own classrooms, there will be daily contact between pupils and tutors, increased learning time with a broader more creative curriculum and older students will be able to work with younger students’.

The plan was for the funds generated through the sale of the Lower School Site to be used to fund the relocation of the Lower School to the Upper School Site at Oxford Road, but it now appears there may be a shortfall in funds to realise the development of the single site school at Oxford Road.

The design as presented shows 135 dwellings, the retention of the existing Sports hall, and the demolition of the Phoenix Drama Studio. There are also public green spaces shown on in the plan. However, according to Alex Bond of the consultants Lampro, delivering the statutory 40% of affordable houses, would make the scheme ‘non-viable’ and that it could only be viable by increasing the number of dwellings and building them to a higher density than allowed for in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.

Mr Bond told councillors that the majority of people who responded to a recent public consultation on the scheme expressed a preference for less affordable homes as apposed to more houses. Cllr Linda Emery expressed concern that the council was being asked to accept a reduction in the number of affordable housing. Mr Bond responded that it was difficult to be certain about the viability question while no costed scheme for the single school site at Upper School in Oxford Road, Thame, was yet available to way against the cost of the lower school scheme.

Mr Wybron pointed out that if the community did not get behind the scheme, because ‘the clock is ticking’ towards 2021 when planning needs to be secured, the scheme might not happen (The time limit on the lower school housing allocation site (HA5) is set in the Neighbourhood Plan and if it doesn’t happen by 2021, the site will have to be relocated in the revised Thame Neighbourhood Plan currently being formulated).

You can view the Design Brief document by downloading it from item 6B HERE