Category: More News

THAME’S Town Cerk, Graham Hunt, told a jam packed public meeting that there is ‘no magic wand’ for providing more doctors and other, extra infrastructure needed to cope with all the extra homes Thame has had to provide.

Mr Hunt was responding to a question from a resident of College Close at the annual Thame Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 27: “In the light of the increased development, what are the plans for more doctors’ surgeries etc?” he asked. County Councillor, Nick Carter, responded that in his opinion, such provision had so far been ‘distressingly piece-meal’ in the town where 1000 new homes were being completed.’

The Town Clerk was quick to intercept Cllr Carter, explaining that because of the current system of ‘Section 106′ (Developers’ contributions towards facilities and infrastructure necessitated by their development) funds only come after the houses are built. Thame Town Council was doing all it could, he said, having provided more burial space, contributed to improved sports facilities and working with other stakeholders towards providing ‘Health Hubs’ in the town.

“These things do not happen over-night,” he said. “There is no magic wand. The system is slow. Discussions with many different agencies have to take place before decisions can be made, We know there are shortfalls in the town but we are doing our best.”

Cllr Carter said that the infrastructure the questioner was talking about was not within the county council’s remit but one for the NHS. He took the opportunity to relate the situation to his favoured remedy for many such conundrums, one large ‘Unitary’ council dealing with everything, from Health to roads. Such a change was currently being ‘deliberated’ he said.

LATEST – During an intervention in parliament yesterday (28/03), Thame’s MP John Howell, claimed that access to GPs in his constituencey was: “…. almost instantaneous provided that people did not specify the GP they wanted to see.”  http://www.johnhowellmp.com/news/intervention-in-debate-on-gps/1223  

** WHAT’S your experience getting to see a doctor in Thame? Email – editor@thame.net

THAMES Valley Police have urgently requested any information about who may be supplying a tranquilliser drug to youths in Thame.

In a tweet, the force stated: “We have received several reports in the Thame area recently of youths taking Xanax which is a form of tranquilliser. Anybody with information about who may be supplying the drug to youths, can call TVP on 101, or alternatively you can contact crimestoppers anonymously HERE   Quote: #C6795

Xanax is particularly dangerous when taken with alcohol can lead to life-threatening respiratory depression and coma. Long term effects of the drug can lead to:

Mood disorders.
Increased risk for accidents and aggression.
Interpersonal problems.
Noticeable declines in school or work performance.
Memory loss.
Shallow breathing.
Anoxic brain injury from repeated episodes of respiratory arrest.
Lower blood pressure.
Faint heart beat.
Liver cancer.
Cirrhosis.
Alcoholic hepatitis.
Cardiomyopathy.
Arrhythmia.
Stroke.
Mouth and throat cancer.
Breast cancer.
Pancreatitis.
Increased risk of suicide.

‘Deadly’ fake Xanax 

More information from drugabuse.com

FOLLOWING what has been the harshest winter for many years, the South Oxfordshire and The Vale areas ‘Mr Pot-holes’, Keith Stenning, has described the pothole repair situation in the area as ‘an utter nightmare’.

Speaking at the annual Thame Town Meeting in a packed town hall, Mr Stennng explained how his team of 23 men, had a backlog of 5,000 pothole repairs – mostly reported by the public via the ‘Fix My Street‘ website (See full list of reports of potholes in Thame and Chinnor), and running over budget by £300,000. He explained how this winter had been one of freeze, thaw, freeze thaw – the main cause of the breakdown of Tarmac surfaces, and the various methods used to repair potholes, from the quick-fix and most used method of dobbing tarmac into a hole, to sawcutting and sealing – used only on A and B roads.

Government money not enough

Although Oxfordshire had received £1 million from the government in one tranch, and £1.6million recently, this money only covered minor repairs for six weeks, far from the Hundeds of millions needed to maintain all the road in Oxfordshire to the highest standard.

Promises for Park Street residents

In response to questions from residents, Mr Stenning explained that the planned repairs to the road next to the Rugby Club had been postponed because of wet weather, and that the work was now planned for mid-April. Regarding the state of Park Street, which has been the focus of much concern from residents, he said that repairs to the road and the pavement were planned for late Spring or early summer. As an example of the costs for repairs, the pavement repairs to Park Street will cost £60,000 and the road repairs, £75,000.

Water and sewage in Oxford Road

The matter of potholes dominated the meeting, with comments from a local motorcyclist concerned about safety to him and other motorcyclists, and residents and users of Oxford Road, where a photographs of a huge hole that had recently appeared there by Upper School, were handed to Mr Stenning. Descriptions of sewage water bubbling from a drain cover and water streaming from elsewhere in the area were met with a promise from him that he would look into the matter the following day and get it fixed. Other roads of concern brought up by residents included Lambert Walk, Wellington Street, Rooks Lane, the entrance to Lord Williams’s Upper School, and East Street.

A matter of balance

In conclusion, Mr Stenning admitted that road repairs all over the country was using ‘a sticking plaster approach’ and that the system he has to work under is complicated. It was his job to balance budgets, road use, resources and safety within national regulations.

County Councillor, Nick Carter, said that the authorities were looking at some way of introducing ‘routing agreements’ for developers with the potential to penalise them for their construction vehicles using inappropriate routes, and that there was scope to perhaps look at ways for developers to contribute towards paying for road damage.

THAME Town Council is asking residents to make their voices heard against a planning proposal that it fears will turn Thame into ‘yet another dormitory/commuter town with no heart’.

Developers, Angle Property, have already received planning permission to transform the main ex DAF buildings into 42 apartments using the Government’s Permitted Development Rights legislation, despite the Town Council opposing the plans and pointing out that such rights didn’t apply. The Planning Authority, South Oxfordshire District Council, went ahead and gave permission anyway.

Now, Angle Property wants to build a Care Home on what is currently the employment parking area on the site, and is carrying out a survey seeking community approval for the plan, which the town council is against.

Against the Neighbourhood Plan

In its latest Newsletter, Thame Town Council states: “Again the Town Council vehemently oppose this, as it would restrict employment land further, and is potentially another tool to establish residential use of the entire site. It is clearly in contravention to the adopted Thame Neighbourhood Plan and the district Local Plan. If additional care home facilities are required in Thame (which is not yet proven), then it is up to the community of Thame to decide the best site, via a revised, community led Neighbourhood Plan. Government guidance supports us in this.”

Developers, don’t tell Thame what it needs !

The statement continues: “We do not want developers telling us what Thame needs, with the ultimate aim of maximising their investment to the detriment of Thame. The last thing Thame needs is more employment land being converted to residential, or Thame will become yet another dormitory / commuter town with no heart – adding to an ever increasing list of such towns in England. Please complete your survey forms appropriately.”

THAME Town Awards is celebrating its tenth year in 2018, and nominations are currently open for an individual, group or business for a Town Award this year.

If you’re reading this, chances are you know someone who either works, lives, studies or contributes to life in Thame. If you think they are worthy of a Town Award, why not nominate them? You don’t have to live in Thame to make a nomination, just make sure the person or group you are nominating has a connection to Thame. It could be someone who has achieved something extraordinary, or an ordinary person who has made a real difference to the lives of others in Thame.

There are five categories in which you can make a nomination: Lifetime Achievement, Sporting Achievement, Creative Arts Achievement, Service with a Smile, and Volunteer of the Year.

You only have until next Thursday, March 29, at 5pm to submit your nomination, which can be done online at www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/town-awards or in person at the Town Hall.

Help celebrate Thame’s amazing people and the tenth year of the Thame Town Awards!

IN spite of the freezing weather in Thame over the weekend, nearly 70 people turned out to clear litter from the town on Saturday, March 17, and dozens of Moreton residents for the parallel, Muck Out Moreton.

Organiser of Thame Tidy, Rosemary Bryant, said: “The phoenix trail and the approaches to the town were in a particularly bad way and the volunteers did a fantastic job of making it look ‘spick and span’. ASM were a great help driving around picking up the bags and the Thame and District Lions club did a fine job all day, handing out litter pickers, maps and bags to everyone who turned up.

“A lot of the litter is what is blown around from bins but most of it was litter dumped by inconsiderate people who just don’t respect where they live.”

SUSTRANS’ Greener Greenways group were out in force on the Phoenix Trail on Saturday, one of them skillfully scything the long grass in the snow! Watch the video HERE. A spokesperson for the group explained: “As well as litter picking we undertook a little meadow management, cutting the grass, raking up the arisings and sowing some wildflower seed.” The sustainable transport charity is planning on re-igniting the Phoenix Trail volunteer group to carry out regular litter picks and conservation work along the trail, so if you love your local route, watch out for opportunities to get involved.

Volunteer, Helen Fisher, posted on social media: “Really great to see the Phoenix Trail in Thame looking so much better after great litter picking by the hardiest of volunteers on Saturday. This photo doesn’t capture horizontal snow – what doesn’t kill you makes your stronger! Good day, thank you.”

A group from Cornerstones Church in Thame, were due to go out on the following day, Sunday, to contribute to the great tidy up in the town too.

Rosemary Bryant summed up the spirit of all those who were involved with Thame Tidy Day, when she posted on the Thame Tidy 2018 facebook page: “When a community comes together for the good of everyone, you know you live somewhere special.”

THE establishment of the pilot scheme for the Health Hub at Thame Hospital almost a year ago,  means that, for the first time in years, the League of Friends of Thame Community Hospital says that it is feeling ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the future of their hospital. Indeed, the league believes that ‘there is growing enthusiasm for the project in the wider Thame community’.

Previous ‘fear of the place being closed altogether’

In a statement today, Sarah Taylor, of Rycote Park, near Thame, Chair of the League explained: “The hospital had always been associated with beds, originally used for a mixture of respite and patients needing overnight monitoring. Over the years, the number of beds had dwindled to a level that was not financially viable and the small number of beds meant that, more often than not, they were occupied by patients from outside Thame: they couldn’t be kept free on the off chance that a Thame patient might need one. Although there was a lot of activity at the hospital, we lived in constant fear of the place being closed altogether.”

‘A new lease of life’ for Thame hospital

“The growing consensus that frail elderly patients should be kept out of hospital,” continued Sarah, “and at home for as long as possible has in fact potentially given our hospital a new lease of life. What we want is a hospital that is there for the people of Thame and surrounding areas and is, in modern parlance, sustainable. That is, it should have a role that is genuinely useful and affordable for the long term.

“The current pilot scheme offers the vision of just such a role, combining as it does: the excellent CATS (community ambulatory treatment service) which assesses vulnerable patients and provides solutions to keep them at home and prevent admission to A&E; the existing physiotherapy service; the Day Hospital providing rehabilitation and preventative treatments; an increased number of clinics provided by consultants and other healthcare professionals coming from Stoke Mandeville and the John Radcliffe Hospital; input from the voluntary sector such as Carers Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire; support from the neighbouring GP practices; more diagnostic services in the community; facilities for the Day Centre. The Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust that runs the Hospital is working closely with stakeholder groups to adapt to local needs and break down barriers between Hospital and the Community.”

‘The hospital needs more investment’

Sarah continued: “Of course, these are early days and all is by no means perfect. We must work hard to ensure that all the GPs in the locality use the services to help make them viable and that patients are aware of what is on offer and push to be referred to the hospital rather than have to go further afield for assessment and treatment. The hospital needs investment in better IT and better equipment. Recruiting staff in an area where housing is so expensive remains a perennial problem. The GPs next door are bursting at the seams and need bigger premises. The transition between healthcare and social care is desperately short of the mark. Keeping people at home only works if there is support for them and their carers. We all must work towards finding solutions to these problems.”

She concluded: “We have been given a commitment that, should the pilot fail, the beds will be restored and the hospital returned to what it was. However, we all know that that is not viable in the long run. Therefore, as a League, we are keen for the pilot to be successful and to be confirmed as the policy for the future.”

AN engineer and TV presenter on BBC’s Robot Wars is launching a nationwide club of “makers” in Birmingham on March 16, to help grow Britain’s craft industries into an industry worth more than its current annual value of £250 million.

Dr Lucy Rogers, a professional maker and founder of The Guild of Makers, wants to drive the “maker movement” in the UK forward, using her new guild as a focal point.

Lucy, who lives is Haddenham, explained: “I was looking to join a professional membership organisation for Makers but there wasn’t one – so I founded it myself. Cottage industries almost died with the industrial revolution, but they are now returning as the Maker industry, and it needs formal organisation.”

Beginning in the US, where the maker craze has grown into an industry worth billions of dollars, more hobbyists are turning professional. From knitting to electronics, wood carving to welding, and increasingly in digital skills like coding and applying electronics to craft-made products, makers are turning their creative hobbies into their professions.

Maker Faire UK in Newcastle, the main expo for makers, has over 300 exhibitors this year and expects to get 10,000 visitors. World Maker Faire New York, the global flagship event, has grown in seven years to 900+ makers and 95,000 attendees. Thirty-four larger scale Maker Faires take place in cities including Berlin, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and Shenzhen.

Some estimates place the value of the whole UK craft industry much higher. In 2014, the Crafts Council claimed it had calculated the value of craft skills to the UK economy at £3.4 billion.

Dr Rogers believes that in Britain people tend to underestimate the power of small, creative businesses that support jobs but also teach highly useful skills. In 2017, there were 5.7 million businesses in the UK. 5.5 million, or 96 per cent, of these were micro-businesses, employing just 0-9 people.

Micro-businesses accounted for 33% of employment and 22% of turnover. “These days, if you ask someone ‘what do you make?’, the reply will tend to be about money and bonuses,” continued Lucy. It’s becoming increasingly important – against the tide of digitalisation, virtual experiences, quick-fix solutions, and suspicion of hard-won expertise – to celebrate the making of things, with care, with love and with a deep understanding of materials.”

Lucy has secured some high profile support for the Guild. Speakers at the launch event in Birmingham on March 16, will include:

Andy Stanford-Clark, CTO UK and Ireland, IBM
Pete Wood, Head Technology Evangelist, RS Components
Rebecca Steiner, School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University

Sir Christopher Frayling, former Rector of the Royal College of Art, and author of On Craftsmanship, said: “This new Guild is a welcome initiative, bringing together Makers from various disciplines, raising their profile and providing them with visibility and a voice. We want people to reply to the questions – ‘What do you make?’ with ‘I make things’.”

Agenda and more info: http://www.guildofmakers.org

The Guild of Makers – Launch Event – Friday March 16, 2018 – Birmingham, UK.
Tickets: £39 members / £79 non-members – https://webcollect.org.uk/guildofmakers