Category: More News

PLANNING Applications to be 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.

8231
P07/E0090/RET WATERLOO COTTAGE, OXFORD ROAD
Retention of fencing to Oxford Road boundary (retrospective).

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

8233
P07/E0168/LB 19 HIGH STREET
Erection of new porch and access ramp to front elevation

8234
P07/E0144 19 HIGH STREET
Erection of new porch and access ramp to front elevation

8235
P07/E0194 10 HOPTON ROAD
Single storey rear extension

THAME based charity, Efficient Learning has been awarded

LORD WILLIAMS’s, Thame, is one of Oxfordshire’s top performing schools at Key stage three, according to school performance tables published today.
Lord Williams?s and Matthew Arnold School in Oxford were among the best performers with more than 75 per cent of pupils achieving the higher level in maths.
Both schools scored 90 per cent or more in English, maths or science at the expected level as did Bartholomew School in Eynsham, Chiltern Edge School in Sonning Common and Gillotts School in Henley.

Oxfordshire pupils in general it seems are performing better than the national average at the most challenging level in Key Stage 3 tests.

According to the school performance tables, the biggest improvement was in maths with 61 per cent of 14-year-olds achieving the most challenging level 6 in 2006 – four per cent above last year?s result and the national average.

The number of pupils reaching the expected standard (Level 5) in maths and science has also increased and is better than the national picture.

Oxfordshire County Council?s Cabinet Member for School Improvement, Councillor Michael Waine, said: ?The results are very encouraging and it is good to see that pupils are performing well at the top level. Most schools are making year-on-year improvements in maths and science and this is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of teachers and pupils.
?In English, despite a small decline as has been the case nationally, the overall standard remains high but we are not complacent and shall continue to work, together with schools, to help more pupils reach their full potential.
?These results give us a good base on which to build further. We?re sure that heads and staff in Oxfordshire?s secondary schools will be working hard to translate these results into good GCSE grades in two years? time.?

Breakdown of Oxfordshire Key Stage 3 results

Percentage of 14-year-olds achieving the higher level (Level 6)

Mathematics results increased by 4 percentage points from 57 per cent in 2005 to 61 per cent in 2006. Oxfordshire is 4 percentage points above the national average.

English results increased by 1 percentage point from 37 per cent in 2005 to 38 per cent in 2006. Oxfordshire is 4 points above the national average.

Science results increased by 3 percentage points from 43 per cent in 2005 to 46 per cent in 2006. Oxfordshire is 5 percentage points above the national average.

Percentage of 14-year-olds achieving the expected standard (Level 5)

Mathematics results increased by 2 percentage points from 77 per cent in 2005 to 79 in 2006. Oxfordshire is 2 percentage points above the national average.

English results decreased by 1 percentage point from 76 per cent in 2005 to 75 per cent in 2006. Oxfordshire is 2 percentage points above the national average.

Science results increased by 2 percentage points from 74 per cent in 2005 to 76 per cent in 2006. Oxfordshire is 4 percentage points above the national average.

Photo: Courtesy of Lord Williams’s school.

LORD Williams?s School?s partnership with a school in The Gambia, West Africa, will take a big step forward soon with the school?s first ever Gambia Week.
In the week beginning 12th March there will be a wide range of activities both in and out of lessons on the theme of life in The Gambia.

Lord Williams?s School is linked with Brikama Upper Basic School in The Gambia. Every year for the last five years, Sixth Form students have taken part in a study tour supporting studies in A level Sociology and Geography. On the first visit, Lord Williams?s students visited a secondary school and the partnership has grown from that initial contact.

Lord Williams?s School has also been working on ways to help all our students understand life in an African country; for example, all Year 7 students now study life in the Gambia as part of their global citizenship education.

The school also wants to help its partner school in the Gambia to develop, and one of the aims is to build an Assembly Hall in the grounds of Brikama School which will be invaluable for both the students of the school and the local community. At the moment the school cannot hold assemblies in the rainy season. The hall will also be used for drama, dance and other activities.

To achieve both the aims ? education and fundraising – plans are under way to hold a Gambia Week in school. This will be Monday 12th March to Saturday 17th March. Many activities are being planned in school such as assemblies, tutor group activities, Gambian food tasting, a Walk to The Gambia, Gambia Poetry sessions, video, slides and photographs, African Art displays finishing the week with a concert on Friday evening and a jumble sale on Saturday.

If you have any jumble you would like to donate, please bring it to Lower School at 9.30pm Saturday 17th March. The sale will start at 1.00pm. We will also be serving refreshments. Please contact Carol Kendall on 01844 210510 for more details.

A THAME Councillor has asked for the return of the local authority waste skip that used to visit the Cattlemarket car park, Thame, every Saturday.
Cllr Owen Davies was questioning District Councillor, David Dodds, at a meeting of the full town council on Tuesday (20/02). Cllr Dodds was giving his regular report on SODC matters, as a member of the district council’s committee responsible for waste disposal.

Cllr Davies was concerned about the increased number of vehicles ‘trundling around’ Thame’s streets collecting waste from individual properties.
Cllr Dodds replied that figures have shown that more green waste has been recycled since the new scheme came into operation. But Cllr Davies said he still thought there was a need for the large, weekly skip.

When concern was raised about some confusion among residents about what could and what could not be recycled, it was reported that stickers were available from the town hall, showing pictorially what could be put in the green boxes.

THE residents of Chinnor are being encouraged to go along and have their say at a public meeting next Tuesday, February 27, at the Village Hall, starting at 7.30pm.
People are encouraged to go along and tell the police and other local agencies what issues they feel need tackling in their community to make them feel safer.

Sgt Martin Jubb, who is responsible for implementing Neighbourhood Policing in South Oxfordshire, said: “Unfortunately this meeting has been cancelled twice due to extraordinary weather conditions but we are hopeful that the wind and snow will stay away this time!
“It is important to come to your local meeting if you possibly can, so you can have a say in what the priorities should be for police and partner agencies in your community.
“We are also conducting surveys in the area for people who can?t make the meetings.”

Neighbourhood Policing, a new approach to community safety, is being gradually rolled out across the Thames Valley. The initiative aims to encourage better communication between police, other agencies responsible for community safety and the communities they work with. Officers and other public agencies will respond to the issues which directly affect residents, with the aim of reducing and detecting crime, increasing reassurance and reducing the fear of crime.

Sgt Mike Todd, in charge of the Chinnor neighbourhood, added: “This is a genuine two-way dialogue with residents where they can choose the issues they want us and other agencies to address.
“Residents will be involved in the whole process from deciding the priorities, the problem solving process, to taking action. This will help us make good links with the community and improve our community intelligence networks.
“I hope the meetings are very well attended and people take this opportunity to have their say about what issues they want to see tackled locally.”

Planning Applications to be considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday, February 20.

8113
P06/E0694 CHRISTCHURCH, UPPER HIGH STREET
Reinstatement of original secondary front door
Amendment No. 1 changes the design of the door.
TTC recommended approval of the original application in July last
year and SODC granted permission in August.

8162
P06/E1026 LAND FRONTING BOTH QUEENS ROAD & CROFT ROAD
Erection of 6 no. semi-detached dwellings with associated parking
and conservatories
Amendment No. 1 shows small velux rooflights added to the top
floor en-suites of Plots 1-4. TTC recommended approval in
November last year and SODC granted permission in December.

8207
P07/E0052 54A EAST STREET
Demolition of existing garage and associated buildings. Erection of 2×1 bedroom dwellings and 2×3 bedroom dwellings, off street parking and landscaping.
Amendment No. 1 slightly alters the design of the units. TTC
recommended refusal on the original application: 1. Access and
egress: a mixture of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, with a very
narrow entrance. 2. Traffic generation, parking and safety.

8215
P06/E1347 WATERLOO COTTAGE, 2 OXFORD ROAD
Alteration of shed height. Insertion of window and pedestrian
door and re-positioning of vehicular access doors to the garage.

8216
P07/E0117 9 BEECH ROAD
Single storey front and rear extensions.

8217
P07/E0010/RAD 100A HIGH STREET
Retention of fascia and projecting signs.

8218
P07/E0006/RET 100A HIGH STREET
Retention of existing security shutters.

8219
P07/E0121 LAND TO NORTH OF OXFORD ROAD
Erection of multi-purpose agricultural barn.

8220
P07/E0093/CA 4B OXFORD ROAD
Demolish 3 metres of stonewall to give separate access to
4b Oxford Road.

8221
P07/E0097 19 BUTTERMARKET
Re-alignment of low external wall to create an area to enclose
waste bins and a low level cycle store (capacity 3 adult bicycles).

8222
P07/E0113 1 HAZELRIG DRIVE
To re-pitch and increase the height of the roof to provide loft accommodation with the construction of a dormer window to the
rear elevation.

8223
P07/E0104/LD 11 ASTLEY ROAD
Certificate of Lawful Development for a conservatory.

8224
P07/E0137 15 COTMORE GARDENS
Single storey front porch

8225
P07/E0138 3 BANNISTER ROAD
First floor rear extension

8226
P07/E0123 4 ESSEX ROAD
External and internal alterations including blind bay to kitchen,
new porch to side and rooflight to front elevation

8227
P07/E0066/RLB 4 PARK STREET
Replace timber front door. Replace ground and first floor front
timber framed window. Retrospective.

8228
P07/E0086 6 BELL LANE
Single storey rear extension

8229
P07/E0087/LB 6 BELL LANE
Single storey rear extension

8230
P07/E0076/RLB 4 PARK STREET
Replace timber back door. Replace rear first floor timber framed
windows. Retrospective.

THAME is just one of seventeen communities across Oxfordshire that are holding ?Swap Shops? in their local area to which people can bring unwanted items or pick up anything they want – for free.
Following the success of the first ever county-wide event last year, groups of local people will again be coordinating their events to raise awareness of the simple idea of holding swap shops to re-use old items. This year’s events are on Saturday March 10.

Where are swap shops taking place?

Thame – Christ Church, Upper High Street

Oxford – Barracks Lane, off Cowley Rd,
Oxford – Bullingdon Community Centre, Headington,
Oxford – St Margaret?s Institute Polstead Rd, North Oxford,
Oxford – Waterside and Waterways development, North Oxford,
Oxford – Sunnymead, Harpes Rd, Summertown,
Abingdon – Long Furlong Community Centre,
Buscot -Village Hall
Charlbury – Memorial Hall,
Faringdon – in the Folley, Orchard Hill, Leisure Centre and Community College area
Didcot – Ladygrove Community Centre,
Wallingford – Regal Centre ,
Sutton Courteney – to be announced

Wheatley – Merry Bells,
Wolvercote – to be announced

Witney and West Oxford and Abingdon (south) CAGs will be holding events on different dates.

The Swap Shops are being run by the volunteer led Community Action Groups (CAGs) that work within Oxfordshire communities to save resources and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill sites.

The CAGs were the first of their kind in the country and were set up by The Recycling Consortium (now Resource Futures) in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council. The model is now being copied in other parts of Britain.

Hannah Moser, Oxfordshire County Council?s Community Action Group (CAG) project coordinator, said: ?By holding swap shops in their local community, groups find new homes for items that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

?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 away their unused household items for re-use.

?You don?t have to bring anything to take something home for free and you don?t have to take to bring; you can even just come along for a nose around!?

Elaine Steane of Sunnymead CAG in North Oxford who will be holding a ?green balloon swap? said: ?This is an easy option for people in our community to reuse items we no longer want.

?All we have to do is collect a green balloon from our street notice board on Harpes Rd and attach it to our unwanted item outside our door. It?s as easy as putting out your recycling for collection.

?The great thing about it is the sense of community that develops; the friendship and camaraderie!?

Some Swap Shops will be run in community halls while others will be street events marked with green balloons. Look out for posters giving exact locations, phone Moira or Hannah on 01865 815871 or click on to www.cagoxfordshire.org.uk

HADDENHAM villagers have been shocked to learn that their Post Office is closed at present, although the Post Office will open at another location in the village in due course. In the meantime, you can obtain post office services at:-

Post Office and Stores, Upper Church Street, CUDDINGTON
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9 am to 1 pm
2 pm to 5.30 pm
Wed 9 am to 1 pm
Sat 9 am to 12.30 pm
Basic services – but not vehicle licences

Post Office and Stores, Thame Road, LONGWICK
Mon to Fri 9 am to 1 pm 2 pm to 5.30 pm
Sat 9 am to 12.30 pm
Basic services – but not vehicle licences

Post Office (in the CO-OP store), Oxford Road, STONE
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9 am to 1 pm 2pm to 5.30 pm
Wed 9 am to 1 pm
Sat 9 am to 12.30 pm
Basic services, including vehicle licences

Post Office, 5 The Square, LONG CRENDON
Mon to Fri 9 am to 5.30 pm
Sat 9 am to 12.30 pm
Basic services, including vehicle licences – they also sell greetings cards, stationery, etc

Post Office (in Martins shop), High Street, THAME
Mon to Fri 9 am to 5.30 pm
Sat 9 am to 12.30 pm
Basic services, including vehicle licences, and takes in passport applications

If you have a POST OFFICE CARD ACCOUNT and wish someone else to have formal authority, and their own card, to go and collect your money for you, you need to ask for a ?permanent agent access form?. This is a form P6163 available from any post office – except Cuddington and Stone. It takes two weeks for the second card to be received.

If you have a GIRO that has to be cashed at Haddenham, ring the issuing office to ask for another to cash at another office – and do not forget to take identification (eg a utility bill, or a credit card with your signature on) to the office when you go to cash the giro.

THE Problem-solving charity, Citizens Advice, is warning people to be wary of cash back mobile phone deals promising refunds that may never materialise.
The words of caution comes during Scams Awareness Month, run by the Office of Fair Trading to alert people to common scams costing the British public a total of