DESPITE strong representations from Thame Town Council that employment land in Thame needs protecting in line with the Neighbourhood Plan, a huge housing estate and a care home could be build on the old DAF site.
Preliminary artist’s impression of the proposed Care Home on the old DAF site in Thame
In a statement today, the town council explains: “It is possible that the Planning Authority, SODC, will be approving the building of up to 129 dwellings, a 68 bed care home and 1511sqm of office space on the whole of the Kingsmead Business Park, the old DAF/Kubota site. The Town Council will be making further representations at the decisive SODC Planning Committee meeting in Wallingford at 6pm on Wednesday, February 20.
Public’s views wanted
“The meeting is open to the public and we encourage you to attend, whether you are for or against the proposals.”
You can view the full details of the planning application HERE
THAME’s Red Kite Family Centre will be among charities to receive funding awards from the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Richard Venables, at a special Awards event in Oxford on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.
Flash back to April 2017 when the Red Kite Family Centre was re-opened
Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) has recently made £34,525 in grants to 12 different charities working to bring together people from different backgrounds – people who may not have culture, economic background or age in common, but can share friendship through shared interests and activities, of which the Red Kite centre is one.
The event will be held at the Tap Social Movement – a brewery and social enterprise in Oxford that employs ex-offenders, helping them back into society when they are released from prison. Guests from the charities receiving grants will have the chance to meet the generous donors who gave funds to OCF to make their projects possible and will speak about their work at the event.
The Red Kite centre will receive £2,100 towards their project, Growing Up Together, an intergenerational project in Thame where the youngest children learn together with the oldest residents. The project supports both generations to learn new skills with support from local artists. The project will also increase volunteers within both organisations to enable continued intergenerational community visits.
Other Oxfordshire charities to receive awards include:
• Sonning Common Green Gym, which draws volunteers from across the community, taking referrals from the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. Volunteers undertake practical nature conservation activities to help the local environment and to improve their physical and mental health and fitness.
• My Life My Choice, whose Gig Buddies project matches beneficiaries with a volunteer who loves the same kind of ‘gigs’ (eg football matches, the cinema, museum, concerts etc) so they can go to these gigs together.
• Oxford Hindu Temple, which has created a ‘Making Music Together’ project to harness linguistic, vocal, poetic and musical traditions. This will culminate in events for Indian Republic Day, Holi and Basant, and Eid.
NOMINATIONS are still open for the Community Policing Awards 2019. Now in its eighteenth year, the Community Policing Awards provide an opportunity to recognise the work of officers, staff and volunteers who have made an outstanding contribution to their community over the past year.
PCSO Diane Jackson serves tea to Thame’s senior citizens Christmas party in 2015, when Diane won an award.
Do you know someone in the Thame Community Policing team who has gone above and beyond in their role?
Someone who has made a difference to you or our community?
If you can answer the above questions, please nominate for the Community Policing Awards.
There are eight categories this year:
Community Police Officer 2019
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) 2019
Special Constable 2019
Diversity Champion 2019
Cadet 2019
Volunteer 2019
Community Volunteer 2019
Problem Solving Award 2019
You have until Monday, February 25, to nominate your local hero. For more information, visit the Thames Valley Police website HERE
LOCAL ELECTIONS, SNOW, KEBABS AND MORE…Want to become a Thame Town Councillor? Town Councillors will be making themselves available nearer May, 2019, when local elections will be taking place for Thame Town Council. The council wants ‘new blood’ and particularly younger people to stand for election as town councillors.
Publicity and leaflets will be available too, explaining what prospective councillors will be committing themselves to, and how to go about standing.
Cars struggle along the Chinnor Road in last week’s snow (Image courtesy of Tanya from Chinnor)
HEROES in the snow – Few of us realise just how magnificently the town council’s Maintenance team responded to last week’s snow fall. Despite clearing snow from Thame’s streets being the responsibility of Oxfordshire County Council, OCC Highways team only cleared the High Street. One member of TTC’s Maintenance team, realising from weather forecasts that the conditions in the town were likely to be seriously impacted by the snow, arrived at the council’s depot at 6am in the morning to prepare the council’s snow plough.
Throughout the day, the mainenance team cleared as many of Thame’s residential roads as they could, allowing cars and people to exit and access many of the town’s streets to go about their daily lives. These unsung workers deserve our thanks and appreciation.
THAME’S Atalay’s Kebab Van is once again up for ‘kebab van of the year’ in the British Kebab Awards 2019.
Resul Atalay and his two sons, Jason and Joshua, whose state-of-the art kebab van is based in the Upper High Street, will be hoping to retain the coveted crown for the third time in a row! To vote for Atalay’s, visit the British Kebab Awards website HERE
HOT NEWS! Atalay’s Chicken Shop, in Swan Walk, Thame, will be opening soon – a new venture for the Atalay family and, if it’s run to the same exacting standards of produce and service as the kebab van is, it’s bound to be the best Chicken shop for miles around!
THE date for this year’s Thame Christmas Lights switch-on will revert to the first Friday in December, and will be held on December 6, 2019.
The town council has decided that the town’s Christmas lights need a fresh new look and will be going out to re-tender for a new set of lights.
TOWN Councillors are still waiting for a report from Thames Valley Police, following complaints and a video claiming to show illegal practices by the Kimblewick Hunt. The council says it will wait for the hunt to apply to the council to hold the hunt’s usual town centre meet on New Year’s Day, by which time it hopes to have enough information to make a decision.
THAME Town Council is to take in house the production of the official town guide, will which contain much more useful information for residents new and existing, funded by local advertising.
Previously the more limited town guide was produced by a publishing company who profited from its production, even though the town council had to spend time producing copy and finding pictures.
Thame’s Market Town Coordinator, Becky Reid, who will be responsible for producing the guid, said: “By having control over the lay out of the guide we will ensure that information (and where relevant adverts) will be placed next to relevant editorial, ensuring targeted exposure for business. By ensuring that customers find out about what is available in Thame, they are less likely to make their way to other destinations to meet their needs. If we can provide this information to them and encourage additional trips to Thame, then the town as a whole will benefit from the inevitable linked shopping trips that will occur, keeping our high street vibrant.”
THE VICTIMS of a fatal crash on the B4445 in Thame have been named, and the inquest into their deaths will be opened tomorrow, February 7th.
Coroner’s Court, Oxford
Ben Folley, 21, from Chinnor, and Jill Evans, 58, from Malvern, died following a crash between two cars on the Chinnor Road, between Thame and the Towersey turn, on January 26, 2019.
Ben was driving a black Mini when the crash occurred around 9.20am, and Jill Evans, as the police reported in their original appeal, was a passenger in the White Golf involved in the crash. There were two other adults in the Golf who were seriously hurt in the crash, and a young boy who suffered minor injuries.
THAME Hockey Club has undergone vast expansion over the last few years, and as a result, part of Thame Hockey Club’s five year plan, is to have its own astroturf, club house and changing rooms.
With the housing development currently going on in Thame and surrounding areas, Thame Hockey Club has said that it would be advantageous for it to have a base of its own. In order to take this forward, the looking for a few people to come together to enable it to happen.
In an appeal today, Becs Gardner, Thame Hockey Club’s Secretary, said: “With the day to day running of the Club, the Committee is at capacity in regards to taking on this project. There should be numerous funding avenues we can tap into, especially as housing developments now have to put something back into the community. If you have any interest helping with this, please get in touch with me. You will of course get full support of the Committee and hopefully within five years Thame Hockey Club will have their own premises and pitch! Exciting times ahead for THC I’m sure you’ll agree.”
If you feel you can help, or for more information, contact Becs Gardner via email: HERE
LINDA Emery, Thame’s Deputy Mayor, has urged residents, businesses and organisations from Thame to go along to the district council’s drop-in session at Thame Town Hall, tomorrow (February 5), to learn more and have a say on the draft Local Plan 2034.
This plan is important for the district as a whole, including Thame, as it sets out South Oxfordshire District Council’s vision for planning and development in South Oxfordshire for the next 15 years.
Linda explained: “Thame and its local community will be affected by SODC’s draft Local Plan 2034. By spending just 15 minutes at the exhibition, you could find out what is being proposed for your town for the next 15 years and have a meaningful say on a range of plans from housing targets to health services; from roads to retail.
“I, along with Councillor Helena Fickling, will be there to listen to people’s views, which I will include in my feedback to SODC’s consultation on the Local Plan 2034.
“South Oxfordshire and Thame will continue to change. But you can influence what that change will look like. This is your last chance to make constructive comments, which will be submitted with the Local Plan to the government for inspection.”
SODC is hosting the Local Plan 2034 drop-in event at Thame Town Hall on Tuesday, February 5, from 10am to 2pm. Plans for infrastructure, car parking and the Health Hub will also feature. The exhibition will then remain on display from 2pm to 6pm. For those unable to visit, information on the plan and advice on how to comment can be found by clicking on the link www.southoxon.gov.uk
The formal public consultation will end on Monday, February 18, at 5pm. The inspection of the plan by an independent government inspector is anticipated in the summer.
THE Rotary Club of Thame & District are appealing to the public to come up with four more teams for seventh Thame Swimathon, the annual fun and fundraising event.
Barley Hill school’s Team Barracudas, pictured after Thame Swimathon 2018
Marius Ciortan, Chairman of the Thame Swimathon steering group, said: “Thame Swimathon is a great event for families, school friends and work colleagues to raise funds for charity, swim for one hour and have fun. To enter is as easy as 1-2-3: get a team of 4-6 together; download the Team Entry Form from www.thame.rotary1090.org, fill in the form and then email it to thame.swimathon@btintenet.com“
The organisers hope that the four team slots will be filled in quickly before the start of the schools’ half term holidays on February 16.
The Swimathon will be held at Thame Leisure Centre on Sunday, March 3, between 11am and 3pm, and all participants will receive a medal awarded by Cllr Ann Midwinter, Mayor of Thame.
Teams have the option to allocate 50% of their money raised towards their charity of choice, or 100% towards Rotary’s charities, which are ROSY (Respite Nursing for Oxfordshire’s Sick Youngsters) and Thomley. In both cases all monies will be collected by Rotary Club of Thame District which will apply for Gift Aid as appropriate. Once this process is completed, the club will make a donation towards the charity of the team’s choice, should this option be taken.
Marius explained: “The event is possible due to generous local sponsors who kindly cover the swimming pool hiring costs: Thame Leisure Centre, Haddenham Beer Festivals Trust, and Aston Hearing. Most of the medals to be given to participants were engraved by Neil Merritt of Ignite Sport who sadly passed away in 2018.”
Volunteers from Thame and District Lions Club, Thame Inner Wheel and Wheatley Park Interact Club, will be supporting Thame and District Rotarians with the counting of lengths swum by teams.
Five teams for Barley Hill School, Thame, will be participating, raising funds for the school’s PTFA. Jo Sackett, Barley Hill PTFA Trustee, said: “We are so thrilled to be involved in the Thame Swimathon again this year; a wonderful event that the Barley Hill children thoroughly enjoy and we raise a pound or two for charity at the same time, fantastic!”
There will be five teams from Thame Swimming Club, Team Ice Cream of John Hampden School, Thame, and Wheatley Park Interact Club will be participating again this year. A new team, called Team 50, which includes the family of Thame Rotary President’s family, will celebrate 50 years of Rotary in Thame and neighbouring villages.
The teams would appreciate any support via online donations. The My Donate links can be found on the Thame Swimathon page of the Rotary Club of Thame & District’s website www.thame.rotary1090.org, and on Facebook via www.facebook.com/thamerotary
A THAME constituent has written an open letter to John Howell MP, asking him to explain his voting following the various Brexit ‘deal’ amendments debated in Parliament last Tuesday, January 29.
Roy Motteram
Roy Motteram, of Cheshire Road, Thame, wrote:
“Dear John Howell, I note that on 29th January you voted against a number of amendments that would have ruled out leaving the EU without a deal.
“I note that at the same time, you also voted against a number of amendments that would have required the government to seek an extension to the Article 50 deadline in the case that Parliament had not come to an agreement over the form of our withdrawal from the EU.
“You also voted against amendments that would have given Parliament the chance to explore options that might prove acceptable, both to Parliament & the EU.
John Howell MP, pictured at Thame Cricket Club’s new club house recently
“Finally you voted for an amendment that instructed the government to return to the negotiating table to identify an “alternative arrangement” that could replace the backstop in the existing Withdrawal Agreement. Since the UK government, its civil servants, the EU negotiators & their technical advisors have been looking for such “alternative arrangements” for over 2 years, I fail to understand why you expect our Prime Minister to succeed in that task within the next 2 weeks. You appear to have voted for an amendment that does nothing other than waste another 2 weeks & further erode whatever goodwill we might have remaining in the European capitals.
“I’m sure that you must have had your reasons for such a counter-intuitive set of voting choices, but they escape me. I sincerely hope it wasn’t just because you’d been told to vote that way.
“Your job is, of course, to use your judgement to vote in what you see to be the best interest of the nation & your constituents in particular. I hope you take the time to explain your rationale in your next e-briefing, to avoid us jumping to conclusions.”
