Category: More News

Outdoor Cinema coming to Elms Park – AN Outdoor Cinema, featuring a huge, 20′ x 11′ inflatable screen, bar and food stalls, is to be held in the summer, running for three nights on August 17, 18 and 19. Tickets will be going on sale soon, via the website, price £14 for adults, and £8 for children. Elms Park will be closed to members of the public from 5pm until 1.30am each evening.

A proportion of the money raised will go to supporting local charities, including the Red Kite Family Centre.

Town Fairs – A meeting is to be held on February 21, between Thame Town Council and The Showmen’s Guild, to discuss agreeing a three-year contract so that the fairs can go ahead in September and October 2018. Last year, 2017, the September was cancelled because no satisfactory agreement could be reached between the two parties.

Remembrance Day 2018 on the Big Screen – THIS year’s Remembrance Sunday event in Thame will be extra special, as 2018 marks 100 years since the end of the First World War. To mark this anniversary, Thame Town Council, working with with the Thame Remembers project, are planning to video the event and project it onto a large screen, and to have the names of Thame’s WW1 dead scrolling across the screen thoughout.

Towersey Festival – Full Line-up and programme out now! – Follow the LINK – Headlining, * * ‘The Proclaimers’ * *

Chance to audition for Thame Players’ next production – GO along to the Players Theatre in Nelson Street, Thame, on February 19 and 21, at 7.45pm, when auditions are being held for Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare. The play will be performed on July 10 – 14, at the Players Theatre. Every is welcome. Just turn up on either or both evenings.

To find out more about the script and the parts, click on the following links;  The first is to see the cast list and the second is to see the script

New sponsor for Thame Swimming Club – THAME Swimming Club has a new sponsor for 2018. This new deal with Sundance Pools UK Ltd, of Aylesbury, was celebrated last week at the swimming club’s annual awards evening.

Will Hard, Communications Manager of Thame Swimming Club, said: “Thame Swimming Club is delighted to announce a new sponsorship deal with Sundance Pools of Aylesbury. Sundance’s generous investment into Thame Swimming Club underpins their commitment to the local community, and will significantly contribute towards the ongoing development of our club.”

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover – THAT’S the intriguing tag line for for The Oxford Belfry’s event, when it mans the Thame Community Stall at Thame Market on Tuesday, February 13, in aid of the NSPCC. They will also be selling cakes and holding a Bottle tombola.

SHOPPERS going about their business in Thame on Saturday afternoon, February 3, were stopped in their tracks by the sound of a lone trumpeter, playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, and even more amazed to see several groups of people waving European and Union flags, emerge from different directions to join him and sing the European anthem.

The event was a ‘flash mob’ organised by ‘Thame for Europe’, a group that does not believe that the debate about our EU membership is over. The event took place outside Thame Town Hall where about 50 people from areas including London, Milton Keynes, Oxford and High Wycombe joined in despite a very cold, wet day.

“As we were gathering, we were given supportive ‘honks’ from passing cars – and one loud motorbike deliberately revving – in protest we assume!” said a Spokesperson for Thame for Europe.

The event certainly sparked a lot of discussion on local social media, with comments and opinions traded from both sypathetic Remainers and Brexiteers – not all of them in language suitable for publishing!

After the singing, the group gave out ‘It’s not a done deal’ leaflets to passers-by to encourage those unhappy about Brexit to make their position clear to their MPs and to join protests to make their voices heard.

“Details of the event were sent to many influential contacts from both sides of the EU debate to emphasise the growing support for remaining in the EU and the increasing realization of the negative impact of Brexit on our country,” added the Spokesperson.

Anti-Brexit flash mobs have been happening all over the country, including Canterbury, Newcastle, Brighton and London. A large scale event is expected in Manchester on February 10, 2018.

THAME Town Council is looking for local people to be involved in the setting up and running of a Community Land Trust (CLT) in Thame. The aim is to provide some genuinely affordable housing for people with a strong local connection to the town.

In particular, the council wants to address the difficulties experienced by first time buyers, and those struggling to afford private rents or mortgages. The sorts of people needed are those with the necessary skills, for example in architecture, planning, the building of small estates, finance, law, charity governance etc. If you have the knowledge or just the enthusiasm and passion to enable this exciting venture to become a reality, find out more or get involved by emailing: info@thametowncouncil.gov.uk

Read more about Community Land Trusts at  www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk 

And the background to Thame’s CLT project HERE

EXCITING next step for a Thame community-led housing! – THAME Town Council is to go ahead with the launch of a Community Land Trust, to provide social and/or affordable homes for local people. A potential site will now be sought and an analysis of housing needs carried out.

“We now need to get some momentum to achieve this!” said Cllr Bob Austin, speaking at a meeting of Thame Town Council last week, January 16, 2018.

Childrens’ Assessment Centre

EVER wondered what goes on in that new, large building on Chinnor Road, on your left, as you come into Thame is? Well, so did some of Thame’s town councillors. So, they invited Mr James Collins, the Children In Care Engagement Officer in charge there, to go along to a council meeting and explain.

It’s not a Childrens’ Home, explained Mr Collins, but a Childrens Assessment Centre, mainly offering support to families with young people aged 12-17 years, who are at risk, with preventative strategies, working with psychologists, family support workers, and other professionals. Most of the young people only stay for a few nights in one of six rooms with en suit facilities, as most of the work is done within the childrens’ own homes. Mr Collins explained how the young people are involved in the running of the Centre, cooking meals to share with families etc.

The young people catered for at the Centre are also encouraged to take part in outdoor activities and are given educational support. So now you know.

Searching for high risk, vulnerable people who go missing

OXFORDSHIRE Lowland Search and Rescue, known as OxSAR for short, is the group of volunteers that are called out to help the other emergency services when people who may be suicidal or have dimentia, go missing.  As a charity, OxSAR depends on raising the £15-16K it costs them the operate each year, from Corporate fund-raising, Community fund-raising and some money from Thames Valley Police.

Volunteers also raise funds by marshalling at public events such as triathlons and sponsored bike rides. But their current HQ at Thame fire station is now becoming cramped, and with no space to park their special vehicles, but on members’ own driveways, the group is in dire need of a new Headquarters, and are looking to set up a drone team with Thames Valley Police to help in searches.

To find out more about OxSAR, visit their website HERE  and follow then on twitter: @oxsar

FEARS that a lack of enough employment land in Thame could mean the town becoming ‘a dormitory’ town, have been expressed by some town councillors.

Speaking at a recent meeting of Thame Town Council to discuss a planning application for up to 180,000 sq ft of commercial buildings on land North of Rycote Lane, near Thame, Cllr Mike Dyer said that Thame had traditionally had a high number of people living and working in the town, but if the growing gap of suitable employment land within the town was not filled, such a destiny for Thame could not be avoided.

He said that it was his opinion that approval for such speculative development as that being applied for at the Rycote Lane site, should be delayed until public consultation for, and the development of, the revised Thame Neighbourhood Plan. He admitted that this was ‘not likely’.

‘Parasites’

Cllr Bob Austin called such speculative development ‘parasitical’ adding that it makes the management of the Neighbourhood Plan difficult, because the council would be ‘guessing at what might happen around the town and in neighbouring parishes’. “We need robust employment analysis,” he added.

Cllr Ann Midwinter said that it was Permitted Development that had caused the problem; turning offices, like those at the old Angus Fire Armour building, into flats. Goodson’s Yard in Wellington Street, Thame, she added, was waiting to be developed for housing and that the employment sites there were not being taken up. Cllr Helena Fickling wondered how long the Government was going to allow Permitted Development to go on. She feared that the logic would be that Employment development would be allowed and then, at some point in the future, developers could use Permitted Development rights to build houses there!

Permitted Development ‘collateral damage’ says MP

Cllr Mike Dyer said that there was no indication that the government would change Permitted Development rules. In fact, he added, Thame’s MP, John Howell, when challenged at a recent meeting, had said that ‘the impact on Market Towns of Permitted Development, was: “collateral damage!”

Cllr David Bretherton said that it was possible for planning authorities to issue an ‘Article 4 direction’ on a new build, removing Permitted Development rights, thereby requiring planning permission for any change in the future.

At the end of the meeting, Councillors agreed that their collated comments should be sent to the District Planning Officer at South Oxfordshire District Council.

TRUST for Oxfordshire’s Environment, TOE2 for short, Oxfordshire’s independent environmental funder, is seeking ‘creative, ambitious and visionary projects that will deliver real, strategic and lasting benefits to Oxfordshire’s environment’.

Since 2011,  TOE2 has provided more than £1.25million to more than 250 projects across Oxfordshire, supporting better wildlife habitats, better access to green spaces and better ways of reducing our carbon footprint.

If you have a partly developed project or even a good idea for a project, they would love to hear from you. They may be able to put you in touch with individuals or organisations to help you take your project forward.

TOE2 is also looking for biodiversity projects to offset the loss of woodland and scrub habitats associated with the electrification of the Greater West Line. The Trust is working with Network Rail to make funds available for woodland and scrub biodiversity projects in Oxfordshire, South, City and Vale, and in Berkshire (West, Reading, Wokingham, and Windsor and Maidenhead).

Stepping up to invest in a sustainable future for Oxfordshire

“With so many development pressures, this is the time to invest in a sustainable future for the county,” believes TOE2, and it is planning to expand by developing a designated Environment Fund so individuals and organisations can invest in the future of Oxfordshire’s environment. The first step will be to increase the small staff team by recruiting a part-time Development Officer; contact the Trust for further details; 01865 407003.

As a place based environmental funder, TOE2 believes that it knows about and understands local needs and priorities, and seeks to ‘secure sustainable funding for a sustainable future for Oxfordshire and its communities’. Current funders include Grundon Waste Management (through the Landfill Communities Fund), Network Rail, Whittard of Chelsea, Brakspear, Oxfordshire County Council and the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC).

Celebrating the impact of TOE2 funded projects

During 2017, TOE2 provided more than £100,000 to projects across the county. These projects give a flavour of what they support and of what local groups and communities are achieving:

• Supporting access to green spaces and the countryside – better rights of way with better access points and signage at Sydenham in the South, Buscot Estate in the Vale
and Adderbury Lakes in Cherwell. Better boardwalks along the Thames Path at Cholsey and a new access point on the River Cherwell so boat users can enjoy the
meadows at Marston Hamm.

• Supporting richer wildlife habitats – Restoring ponds at Heyford meadow near Sandford, improving wetland habitats for curlew and other waders at Balscote Quarry
in Cherwell, improving the biodiversity of limestone meadows on the edge of Oxford through fencing and grazing and supporting the RSPB’s innovative Swift City
Project in Oxford City.

The Trust has also supported BBOWT in the purchase of 113 acres of farmland to add to their Chimney Meadows nature reserve, the first nature reserve on both sides of the Thames. Here the river will be allowed to flood the area and water will be held in ponds and pools providing habitats for waders and other wildlife.

• Supporting the Low Carbon Agenda – A whole raft of energy efficiency improvements in community buildings across the county, from South Newington and Bodicote
in Cherwell to Uffington in the Vale and Wallingford and Sutton Courtenay in the South. We were delighted to work in partnership with the Low Carbon Hub to
support energy efficiency measures at the Abbey in Sutton Courtenay.

To find out more about TOE2, visit the website HERE

A Memorial Ride, hosted by Bike Life, Oxford, is to be held on August 28, 2018, on the anniversary of the death of Luke Portmouth, of Thame, whose inquest was heard today.

The inquest was told that Luke, who died when he crashed his father’s motorbike, was travelling at over 60 mph before losing control of the bike and colliding with a lamp post.

The Oxfordshire Coroner, Darren Salter, was told by 18 year-old Luke Portsmouth’s father, Tom Portsmouth, that on the day of the tragedy, August 28, 2017, his son took off on his father’s black, Kawasaki ZX series motorbike, without his permission, while he, the father, turned away to make a phone call. The two had been out riding together, before pulling into the car park of the Thame skate park.

The only witness to the crash that killed Luke, Dr Emma Montague, said that she was driving to a friend’s house along the A4129, Tythrop Way, Thame, when she saw the teenager approaching in the opposite lane and that ‘his front wheel began to wobble’. She then described how the bike was ‘thrown into the air’ and the driver thrown from the bike.

Collisions investigator, Stephen Moffatt, reported that CCTV footage indicated that Luke was travelling at between 63 and 65mph in the moments before the crash. He added that it was likely that Luke had been in too low a gear when he accelerated, causing the front wheel to lift and the motorcycle to become unstable.

While he was an experienced rider, Luke was not used to such a powerful motorcycle, said Mr Moffatt.

The Coroner recorded death by road traffic collision.