Thame Footpath changes proposed

A plan to re-route a long-established footpath that crosses a proposed development across Cotmore Wells Farm, Thame, has been recommended for approval by Thame Town Council.  At a meeting last night (14/10) Councillors expressed their ‘delight’ at the proposed changes because, they said, ‘It doesn’t go anywhere at the moment’.

CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) howevfer, has expressed its concerns about the footpath to the planning authority, South Oxfordshire District Council, in a submission commenting on the planning application for the units. Changes to the footpath are being proposed to accommodate two large, new industrial units on the land, with associated landscaping and carparking, which are currently awaiting planning permission.

In its response, CPRE states:

“As the public rights of way network east of Thame is very sparse and we have always considered it essential that additional public rights of way be created in the area to give residents of the town a greater variety of country walks accessible on foot from their homes, we are concerned that Section 2.7 of the Landscape & Visual Impact Appraisal states that ´this route could be stopped up without any impact on pedestrians`. We therefore wish to urge your Council to insist that this path be retained as part of any permission you may grant and be extended (a) to the eastern boundary of the development site (where an extension might, in due course, be created to Towersey) and (b) to link with the Phoenix Trail in order to retain the possibility of it forming part of future improvements of the rights of way network around Thame.”

The full ‘Pre Order Consultation’ document can be read here: http://www.thametowncouncil.gov.uk/images/7._Public_Path_Pre-Order_Consultation.pdf

The planning proposal for these new industrial units, was recentlly recommended for approval by Thame Town Council, even though the footprint of the proposed units is larger than allowed for in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan. The justification for this decision can be read in a letter from the Town Clerk to Thame.Net here: https://www.thame.net/archives/16686

A letter from a Thame resident, regretting the development, can also be read here: https://www.thame.net/archives/16562