Category: More News

FINDING an affordable home in Thame is a challenge for young people who wish to remain in the town, because of high market costs for new builds and unaffordable rents, and Community Land Trusts are proving an increasingly attractive idea for local people themselves to find funding and other resources to provide truly affordable starter homes in their area.

Following a very positive reaction to a public presentation on Tuesday (15/08) explaining how a community can organise to provide affordable homes itself, Thame Town Council is to move forward and consider the next steps for Thame.

Catherine Harrington, from the National Community Land Trusts Network, explained to councillors and members of the public present how CLTs can be set up and how they are working for other communities all over the country. She showed several examples of CLTs, including those in East Cambridgeshire, Streatham and Wilburton, St Minver and Cumbria who each have there own business model eg Self-build scheme, crowd funded or support from local authorities and/or government grant schemes. The main point is, as Catherine pointed out, that a CLT is a community-lead project to meet the local need, aimed at delivering truly affordable homes at less than market value, that – importantly – remain affordable.

Most homes provided through local CLTs are either shared ownership, or available to buy at a cost around one third of the local market value, and remain affordable by the selling on of the property, not exceeding one third of the current market value. The idea is that homes are provided as homes, and not as an investment for the tenant.

The CLT Network can provide a start-up fund and loans that are repayable once the homes are build and money starts to be paid for either rental or sale of the homes. The government’s Affordable Homes Programme and it’s Community Housing Fund (funded through taxes on second homes) are other sources of possible funding as are bridging loans from developers and grants from local authorities.

Cllr Bob Austin pointed out that SODC has £850,000 in Section 106 money (contributions from developers towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure, the need for which has arisen as a result of a new development taking place) – a fund likely to grow as more sites are developed around the town.

Charlie Fisher, from the Oxfordshire Community Land Trust, which offers support to Oxfordshire CLTs, was also at the presentation to explain how his organisation is there to help CLTs with set-up and delivery.  He mentioned a CLT in the Vale of White Horse which wants to provide 26 affordable homes in an old Victorian School.

A member of the public asked Catherine Harrington how a CLT in Thame would be able to compete with the market and how would it relate to the Local Plan. She replied: “You have got a number of sites already planned where there is an obligation to deliver a percentage of affordable homes. If you cannot compete, they will need to supply those homes. Your competition is more likely to come from Housing Associations.”

Cllr Bob Austen interjected, adding: “I won’t be easy to convince SODC to include CLTs in their Affordable Homes policy. But if we don’t make a start, we are never going to be able to keep young people in Thame. If we don’t try, we will never succeed. So far, only 6% has been allocated to local people through social housing. This is not sufficient! We have got to try and do our best for the local population.”

One of Thame’s County Councillors, Nick Carter, told the meeting that SODC seems to be mostly concentrating its attentions on affordable homes in Didcot, and that the subject was on the county council’s Scrutiny agenda. He asked Catherine Harrington how Crowd Funding etc had worked for some CLTs. She replied that Some CLTs used Crowd Funding for capital costs and set up costs (Ed. Lewisham-based RUSS CLT ) and others had used Community Share Issues . Some CLTs, she explained, lease land from a land owner.

A member of the public asked what happens when a tenant needs to make the leap to a bigger home, which could be an issue as families grow. Cllr Bob Austin replied that he saw CLTs as being dynamic and that he saw no reason why, as time went on, bigger homes could be built using the same model. Money created by the sale of homes could be invested into more homes he suggested.

“Our prime motivation is to help young people. There is a pausity of two-bed, affordable homes in Thame. The high price for three-bed homes are 8-10 times average earnings!” he added.

Another questioner asked what the allocation process would be; what would be the criteria for selection? That would be up to the CLT to establish, was the reply, but the main criteria usually includes people who have a local connection, people who are involved locally and they must be able to afford it!

Owen Davies, from the public gallery, asked about the costs of setting up a CLT. Caroline Harrington explained that it costs about £50,000 to get a scheme to the Planning stage.

THE wait is finally over and the students at Lord Williams’s School have much to celebrate. They have achieved outstanding results in their A Level examinations. The pass rate was 99% with 48% of passes at A*/A and B grades.

Acting Heads of Sixth Form, Penny Lowe and Lesley McPherson, commented: “We wish to congratulate our Year 13 students on achieving such excellent results. We are extremely proud of all of our students’ achievements and these results are a product of their talents and hard work. Despite the significant challenges faced by both staff and students with regards to the new A Level courses and examinations, these results are testament to the fantastic work ethic shown by the students and the unstinting teaching and support from all staff who have guided them through the last two years. They have a bright and exciting future ahead of them and we know they are going to make a big impression wherever the next stage of their journey takes them.”

Headteacher David Wybron added: “These results are very impressive and students should feel very proud of their achievements, as a result of their abilities and hard work and the dedicated input of curriculum and pastoral staff, whatever their starting points.”

The following students achieved A* or A grades in three or more subjects: Oliver Carlile, Conor Fleming, Emma Fotherby, Juliette Frontier, Isabel Hambly, Jack Higgins, Joel Kandiah, Graham Kemp, William Kendall, Heather Knight, Rachael Knight, Gabe Locke, Anna Macdougall, Daniel Patey, Matthew Shaw, Angel Strachan, Tilly Stubbs, Matthew Wallis and Benjamin Williams.

SOURCE: Press release

THE man who took the booking from the organisation responsible for the controversial ‘Light and Life’ Gipsy Chuch convention on Thame Show Ground last week, has received death threats, it was revealed at last night’s Thame Town Council Meeting (15/08)

This news came during the answer to a question from Cllr Peter Lambert, to Cllr Ann Midwinter, who is a Director of the Thame and District Agricultural Association who own the land. The Mayor, Cllr Tom Wyse, had just thanked the police for doing ‘an excellent job with limited resources’ when Cllr Peter Lambert asked Cllr Midwinter: “Can we expect an apology from the TAA to the people of Thame who were affected?”

She replied: “The booking was taken in all good faith two months before the event and the elder of the church had been in touch the police as well. So all seemed above board; so the police too were ‘caught on the hop’. Nobody could have known just how big the influx would be; people came from all over, including France and Spain. The problems caused have been hysterical and exaggerated, and Chris Parker, TAA’s Secretary has been the subject of much verbal abuse on social media and has even received death threats. That is unacceptable.”

‘God-fearing people’

“The difficulties started on the Friday (August 4) with traffic jams, when the Sheep Fair farmers were all trying to leave the site as the travellers were trying to get in,” she explained. “As I became aware of the reported incidents, I personally went over to the show ground because I felt guilty, and met one of their elders, Mr Stevens. These were God-fearing people though he admitted that some there were not; some of the trouble-makers were not attached to the Convention he told me, but parked somewhere else and were ‘just taking the micky’.

“A ‘Billy Graham’ type minister came three times to preach at the convention and I’m sure that our church ministers would be delighted if their services were that full! As promised they did leave the site very tidy, though it’s very muddy.”

Thame businesses have benefited

Cllr Midwinter said that the takings of Thame businesses, the shops and the hotels etc, went up while the visitors were in town. “I was told that thousands of pounds worth of stuff had been stolen so I went round to the shops, including the Esso garage and asked. Not true!”

She added: “This booking was taken in good faith and I see no reason why our Chairman, Andew Duffey, should have to apologise.

‘No smoke without fire’

Cllr Lambert responded: ” He’s the Chairman. It’s his responsibility. Once the numbers became apparent, someone should have thought ‘we need more security; we need more toilets. The driving was particularly appalling. As for local businesses, the kebab van was shaken backwards and forwards and closed for safety reasons. I had to lock my pub door and lost £1,000 in revenue. There’s ‘no smoke without fire’ and people were scared to go out. I personally got verbally abused on my way to this very council chamber last Tuesday. There was definitely an element that were not ‘God-fearing’.

“We want a simple apology whether or not the booking was taken in good faith and the TAA taken by surprise.”

Vice Chair says ‘sorry’

Cllr Midwinter then asked Cllr David Bretherton, who is Vice Chair of the TAA, whether he had been over to see what what going on and whether he was going to apologise. He replied that he did not visit the site, and was sorry about what happened over there. “There has been a lot of hysteria,” he said. “A lot did not happened but some did, and I will talk with the Chairman. But nothing could have been done in preparation.”

‘No signs of mayhem’

Cllr Helena Fickling then spoke of her experience. “I came into Thame and I saw no signs of mayhem. I do know about the complaints about the showers at the Thame Leisure Centre, but what happened up there is inevitable when you have a lot of people camping. I don’t think you can blame the people organising the event.”

Cllr Dyer concluded the discussion with: “It’s all over now. Thame is back to normal. I accept that there were problems with gate-crashers. We believed that we lived in nice community, but the levels of intolerance and prejudice was appalling. So an equal apology needs to come from those feeding the prejudices.”

HIDDEN away in a corner of Waterperry Garden Centre is a small community of artist-craft workers, among them a unique talent, keeping alive the venerable tradition of maritime carving. Thame.net’s summer intern, Gabby Smith, recently visited the workshop of Andy Peters, who created Maritima Woodcarving back in 1990. Here she writes about the experience and the unforgettable impressions the visit left her with: (more…)

GUNS, riot shields, tazers and IEDs were just some of equipment on display today as hundreds of families gathered at the Southern Road Recreation ground in Thame, to enjoy the sunshine and to find out about the work of the emergency services.

The 2017 Thame Emergency Services Day was co-ordinated by PCSO James Hopkin, a member of the Thame neighbourhood police team, with the support of Thame Town Council. Visitors were able to learn about the different roles in the police force, including the firearms section, the Public Order team and the Traffic Division. There were plenty of activities for children including exploring the inside of emergency vehicles like ambulances, fire engines and even an army rescue helicoptor. There were stalls with information about working for the emergency services and anyone could have a go at learning how to do CPR, seeing how remote-controlled ‘robots’ operate to help bomb disposal experts examine and render safe explosive devices, without putting themselves in danger.

Oxfordshire Lowland Search and Rescue were also there, showing off their equipment and techniques, with their rescue canoes attracting particular attention from the younger children. The various Thame cadet organisations were represented too chatting to potential new sign-ups about the great fun and challenges that they enjoy as members.

Second only to the long queue to see inside the helicopter, was that for the ice-cream van – just as popular among the emergency services staff as with the children !

More pictures HERE (click on the icon, top right, of a rectangle with arrow in the centre, and view as a slide show) PLEASE NOTE – all these images are copyright of Sonja Francis. Please ASK if you want to reproduce them elsewhere or download them.

THE rain on Tuesday (August 8), failed to dampen the spirits of Thame Farmers’ Market traders who celebrated their 18th birthday with balloons, cake and drink.

The Mayor of Thame, Cllr Tom Wyse, joined the celebration to cut the cake, which was topped with miniature decorations of some of the produce you can find at the Farmers’ Market including fruit and vegetables, meat and cheese. Visitors to the market were treated to a slice of cake too. The cake was handmade by Little Flower Cakes who are based in Thame.

Speaking after he’d eaten his cake, the Mayor said: “I was very pleased to be asked to cut the lovely cake to celebrate the 18th birthday of the Farmers Market on Tuesday. It was a shame about the wet weather and the fact that part of the Mayor’ Regalia is being updated. I am sure we all appreciate the additional fresh produce that the Farmers Market brings into our great town and I’m sure it will do for many more years to come!”

Stay up to date with Thame Farmers’ Market on Facebook HERE, follow them on twitter HERE and check out their new Instagram too!

THE project to install a unique bench in memory of 17 year-old Megan Biddle, from Thame, is moving forward, and is it hoped that it will be installed at the Southern Road Recreation Ground in the town, by November 1, the date of Megan’s birth.

The project, which is being overseen by David Bretherton, was started by a group of Megan’s close friends, who raised over £ 10,000 towards the bench, which will be based on an original design which will be both a bench and a piece of art, along the lines of a long board, shaped into a semi-circle with four wheels that spin at the end.

The money was raised through activities such as Tombolas, music nights and friends having their hair shaved off ! You can read more about the project by visiting the website http://thatbidkid.com/

Thame Town Council will pay for the galvanised steel and painted bench to be transported from the manufacturer, its maintenance and insurance, as well as for two litter bins close by.

PROFESSIONAL golfer, Adam Wootton, recently hosted a Golf Day in memory of his friend Johnny Stevens. Johnny from Horspath, Oxford, died in a tragic road traffic accident in July 2016, and raised over £10,000, for the local activity centre for children with special needs, Thomley, near Thame.

Adam and another of Johnny’s friends, Craig Disley, wanted to do something positive to mark the first anniversary of Johnny’s death. As Johnny was a keen golfer and member of the Oxford Golf Club they choose to organise a golf day there, to raise funds for local charity Thomley. Thomley, based in Worminghall, Bucks, helps over 7,500 disabled people and their families every year. This charity was close to Johnny’s heart as his nephew is a regular visitor there and has benefitted greatly from the unique & vital services they provide.

Laura, Johnny’s sister, saif of Thomley: “It is a special place we go to regularly to spend time as a family. Not only does it offer a wealth of fun activities for our children to take part in, but it is also a place where we feel comfortable and accepted. The staff at Thomley are amazing and always on hand for support. We really value what the charity provides for us, and so many other families.”

The golf day attracted a huge amount of support with over 200 players taking part with fabulous prizes donated by a range of supporters. The event raised £10,880 which will be spent on the purchase and installation of a play train at Thomley in memory of Johnny.

Adam himself explained: “The golf day Craig and I organised for Johnny was a phenomenal success; the money raised in aid of Thomley went past all of our expectations. We are extremely thankful to everyone who kindly donated prizes and gifts for the day. Everyone who uses Thomley will benefit from what we have achieved.”

Warren Koehler, CEO of Thomley thanked Adam and Craig: “On behalf of Thomley, I would like to thank Adam and Craig for all their efforts in organising a golfing event that led to this very generous donation towards our work here. We are delighted that Johnny’s family have chosen a piece of play equipment that will provide ongoing fun and enjoyment to all our visitors and a fitting tribute to Johnny’s memory.

“Johnny’s parents, Ally & Mark Stevens, fondly remember their son as ‘A lovely, caring, thoughtful, funny and very loving man’. The efforts of his friends and the support they received is a fantastic tribute to the love for Johnny and his family.”

To find out more about the services which Thomley offer, or how you could support Thomley, vsit www.thomley.org.uk

THAMES Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a serious injury collision in Great Kimble, on Friday, August 4.

At about 3.35pm on Friday (4/8) a black Volkswagen Golf, which was travelling from the direction of Aylesbury towards Princes Risborough, was involved in a collision with a toddler in Lower Icknield Way, the B4009, near the Swan public house.

The driver of the Volkswagen remained on the scene. The two-year-old boy who was hit, was taken to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and was later transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he remains in a critical condition.

The road was closed in the area while emergency services were in attendance and officers from the Joint Operations Unit for Roads Policing began an investigation. The road was re-opened by 6.15pm.

Investigating officer Police Constable Nigel Rosier, from Roads Policing based in Amersham police station, said: “It is very important that anyone who witnessed the collision who has not already spoken to police comes forward with any details as this may help the investigation. The child involved has sadly suffered serious injuries as a result of the collision and specialist officers are supporting the family through this difficult time.”

If you have any information relating to this case, call 101 quoting reference ‘URN 964 4/8’, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

THAME Town council has today issued the following statement regarding the Christian caravan gathering on Thame Show Ground:

“The Town Council shares the concerns of many in the community with regard to a current event at Thame Showground. As always it is difficult to separate fact from fiction. Opinions expressed range from outright support to outright indignation. We have been assured by the Police that they are doing all they can to monitor and control the current situation, based on the factual knowledge they have.

“They are the right organisation to deal with anything that is reported. The Town Council’s position is that that we will provide support if requested by Category 1 responders (which includes the Police), in line with our emergency response plan. Our advice to residents (and agreed with the Police) is to always call 999 in an emergency i.e. if you see a crime is being committed, there’s a risk of injury, or there’s a risk of serious damage to property.That gives the best chance of the perpetrators being apprehended. If it is after the event then it is also critical to report, so that the true picture can be established by the police, and they can allocate available resources accordingly.

“After the event, if you’ve witnessed the aftermath, then you should use the police non-emergency system – 101 or on-line at https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/contact-us/report-crime-or-incident/

“Let’s all hope that not many reports need to be made. Thank you for your support, which will help reduce both the reality and the perception, and make us all feel a little safer.”

New statement from Thame Agricultural Association

The Thame Agricultural Association have issued a second statement, rowing back on some of the accusations included in the first statement. The revised statement reads: “”Further to lots of posts in social media we would like to put the record straight on a few points.

“As previously stated yes, the showground was booked and fully paid for by the “Darlington Christian Fellowship Group”.

“There were background checks done on the group and all checked out and passed, they paid in full plus a deposit, they hired and paid for two large roll on roll off rubbish skips, they hired and paid for Biffa bins and also toilets.

“This booking was taken in ‘good faith’ by the TAA, there is no one person to blame it was as far as TAA believed a normal showground hiring and nothing more.”

“Cutting down of trees did not occur.”

The statement concluded: “We would ask the people of Thame to just try to let this religious group have their get together and hopefully there will be nothing major reported, and unless individuals have seen things with their own eyes then please don’t start with rumours or Chinese whispers, that’s how things get blown up out of proportion.”