Thame council to conjure The four horsemen of the Apocalypse

THAME Town Council has roundly rejected the preferred site for a new housing development, questioning the “soundness” of the draft plan that will determine future housing provision.

In a very lengthy and detailed response to South Oxfordshire District Council, who are currently consulting on the development of a Core Strategy for the district up to the year 2026, the town council expresses particulary strong objections relating to the level and distribution of proposed housing for Thame and questions basically the whole evidence base of the whole CS in respect of housing growth. TTC suggests that more homes should be build in the larger villages.

After telling councillors at there meeting on Tuesday (16/06/09) that there is a view that the town council does not listen, the Town Clerk, Helen Stewart, proposed that Thame Town Council form a working group made up of the Chiltern Vale Residents Association, Cattlemarket Action Group CMAG, Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve Volunteers, a District Councillor (Ann Midwinter), Heads and Governors of schools, a Morton residents representative, Thame First, Thame Health Centre and five town councillors, in order to “present a cohesive view to South Oxfordshire District Council,” about what Thame wants.

Town and District Cllr Mike Welply said: “We need SODC to know that the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are coming upon them from Thame.”

In its written response to SODC, the town council also stated that SODC should “fundamentally review” the whole strategy.

Some of the concerns expressed by local residents about the so-called ‘preferred option’ site, farm land between Cuttle Brook and Moreton, are that the reserve itself could be damaged and that there would be increased flooding in the area.

At a previous council meeting, Caroline Emery, speaking for SODC, said that her and her team were constrained by the South East draft plan when it came to the number of new homes needed to be built in the region and that they were currently refining the options as a result of consultations, including liaising with infrastructure agencies.

It was explained that option D was chosen after carrying out full appraisals including bio diversity and education, and that the site has good access to the town centre which it is thought, would be more likely to encourage people to walk and cycle to town.

It was also explained that there was no intention to build right up to the Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve but to create landscaping to form a recreation area or extension to it.

Image: Cllr Mike Welply leads in The Four horses of the Apocalypse 🙂