Author: Sonja Francis

THAME United Football Club are to seek planning permission to build additional facilities.
The club would like to build two additional pitches, changing facilities and referees accommodation at Blackditch Farm, Thame.
Addressing Thame Town Council’s Planning committee on Tuesday, a spokesman for Thame United claimed that it was acknowledged by both Oxfordshire County Council and the Sports Council that Thame has below the recommended threshold for the number of pitches per head of population.
He added that the club has only one pitch at their ground in Windmill Road, Thame, and that the 15 boys teams used two pitches on the Church Farm site, as well as those at the Recreational Ground in Southern Road, where there are no changing facilities.
The Club was asking for the town council’s support for their proposal, which will be discussed by the council at a future meeting.

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road accident in which a woman died.

The accident happened on the B4011 between Thame and the A41 near Bicester, at 4.30pm yesterday, (8/12).

Three pedestrians were apparently walking along the road about a mile from Bullingdon Prison towards the A41, when one collided with a silver Ford Ka and a blue Fiat Seicento.

One of the pedestrians, a woman in her sixties, died as a result of her injuries. She has not yet been formally identified. No one else was injured.

The road was closed until 9.20pm to allow for accident investigators to assess the scene.

Anyone who saw the three pedestrians prior to the crash should contact PC Dave Mitchell at Bicester Roads Policing via 0845 8 505, or pass the information on anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A CONSERVATION Board for the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is being launched at a special event at Blenheim Palace near Oxford, on Tuesday, December 14.

The Chilterns is one of 41 AONBs across England and Wales which, together with National Parks, represent the UK?s finest landscapes.

The Conservation Board will be the first of its kind and the creation is a milestone in the management of AONBs. It results from the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act which, in 2000, gave the go-ahead for a new type of organisation to care for AONBs.

The Conservation Board replaces the shadow Chilterns Conservation Board which has been conserving and enhancing the AONB since 2001.

It is intended that the new Conservation Board will have an independent voice, will be able to make its own decisions, and its members will have a responsibility to consider the widest possible interests of the AONB, nationally and locally. It will consist of 29 members – 15 nominated by local authorities, six by parish councils and eight appointed by the Government.

The Chilterns Conservation Board?s role is:

? to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB

? to increase the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the AONB, ensuring that these complement the conservation and enhancement of the area.

Steve Rodrick, Chief Officer of the Chilterns Conservation Board, says:

?Acquiring a Conservation Board represents a new and exciting era for the Chilterns AONB. There are significant benefits in having a Board:

? it will give the Chilterns a special status and a more powerful and influential voice ? helping to secure the best possible future for its landscapes and the people who live and work here;

? it has a duty to increase understanding and enjoyment of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and can therefore help to develop a better appreciation of the qualities of this fantastic landscape;

? it is a strong local advocate for the AONB ? nearly three quarters of Board members are either parish or local councillors;

? its independence makes it easier to secure funding from new sources, attract investment into the area and strengthen the local economy.?

THE owner of a house on the corner of Cromwell Avenue with the Thame by-pass, returned home on Friday night to find his front garden devastated.
According to neighbours, a car appears to have slid along the grass verge, destroyed three trees and a road sign, before ending upside down in the front garden of the house.
According to witnesses, the driver was taken to hospital but his or her condition is not known at this time.
Further information from Thame Valley Police is awaited.

THE Auction of Thame’s Giant Scarf, presented at Thame’s Big Christmas event on Friday night, has been delayed for a couple of days while the organisers await the receipt of photographs showing it in all its glory, hanging in swags from a third floor window in the town centre.
The scarf had earlier been wrapped around the necks of the Mayor or Thame, David Dodds, his deputy, Cllr Nigel Champkin Woods, and Cllr Don Butler, who, as MC, did a magnificent job holding the whole stage show together.
The final length of this phenomenal community work of art, was over 320 feet, and it is hoped to raise hundreds of pounds for charity by auctioning it over the internet, on the ebay site.
regular bulletins of the bidding will be reported on Thamenews.net.
A record crowd gathered outside the town hall on Friday, (December 3), to enjoy the festivities which culminated in the turning on of the Christmas ‘Tree of Hope’, by Bee Gee, Robin Gibb, who arrived hot-foot from appearing live on The Richard and Judy Show.
Robin was assisted by young Sam Baker, whom Robin presented with a family ticket to the Pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, currently to be seen at the Civic Centre, Aylesbury. Beautiful Snow White and her fellow cast members appeared on stage, as did Thame’s very own Thame Players, currently performing The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, at the Players Theatre, Thame.

THAME Police would like information on any of the following recent incidents in the town:-
Overnight November 24/25, (Wed/Thurs) between 6pm and 7.30am, thieves broke into Honniball & Co, 98 High Street, after climbing scaffolding and entering the building. Stole computer equipment.

Between 4/6 November, Horseshoes Place, Thame, criminal damage to a vehicle’s off-side door and rear panel, by scratching a ‘V’ shaped line with a sharp instrument.

Between 8pm November 23 and 8am November 24 (Tues/Wed)in Croft Road, headlight glass smashed.
Anyone with any information should contact either the Police Enquiry Line 0845 8505505, or Crimestoppers anonymously, 0800 555111

A RUMOUR that the now empty, Cook’s Chemist building in Thame High Street, is to become either a KFC, or a MacDonald’s restaurant, was being spread by workmen in the buidling today.
However, this is unlikely since no planning application for change of use has been discussed at either town council or district council level.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!

Neighbourhood Watch can help you to make
a difference to the area in which you live.

Neighbourhood Watch aims to:
? Reduce the fear of crime
? Build up a community spirit
? To work in partnership with the police and other authorities to resolve issues in your area

What Neighbourhood Watch can do for you:
? Inform you of any increase of crime which may effect you
? Send you newsletters and crime prevention information
? Invite you to meetings with local officers and discuss any local issues or problems
? After completion of a form, give you messages from our ringmaster system, which is a fast and effective way for the police to communicate with communities about local crimes and warnings of crimes in your area.

YOU MAY ALSO BE ENTITLED TO DISCOUNT ON YOUR HOUSE INSURANCE

There are currently 36 Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in Thame and enquiries have already been received for new schemes to be set-up in the New Year.
If you are interested in joining Neighbourhood Watch and want to find out more, please contact your Regional Watch Administrator, Carol Rudd at Abingdon Police Station on 01235 556957 or E-Mail: carol.rudd@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk