Thame Annual Town Meeting – Report

DESPITE the delayed start, when a town councillor accidentally locked the front door of Thame?s town hall, leaving the visiting public and speakers standing outside, this year?s Annual Town Meeting was probably the most liveliest in a long time.
Herewith, the first of two reports of the evening?s discussions.
First to take the floor on Tuesday, were the two Community Police Support Officers, Diane Jackson and Zoe Eels, who explained their role which included targeting areas where problems arose like anti-social behaviour. They explained that, whilst they do have to spread themselves thinly, because they are Thame people and people know them, they are very approachable and people do pass information on to them which they can in turn pass on the Police appropriately.
Since they had been introduced onto the streets of Thame, they felt that problems like anti-social behaviour had reduced, partly due to their gaining the respect of a certain section of the town?s youth.
Margie Barbour raised the issue of motor cycles on the Phoenix Trail with the PCSOS, saying that she did not want this to become another area of conflict. Cllr Beatrice Dobie assured her that that this matter was already being looked at by the council and the Community Safety Group, who with the police, were looking into the possibility of providing an alternative place for the young men concerned to ride their bikes safely.
Cllr Owen Davies praised the PCSOs for helping to reduce the incidence of problems arising out of town centre drunkenness.
The Mayor of Thame, David Dobbs, reported on the town council?s past year, highlighting some of the problems it had to deal with regarding the tragedy at the Jubilee pool and storm damage to the building?s structure. He summarised some of the council?s achievements including the progressing of CCTV for the town centre and the acquisition of the old Court House for a Museum. Some of the challenges for the future he indicated, included the future provision of public toilets in the town centre, for which a working party has been formed from among town councillors.
Cllr Dodds highlighted the work of the Town Council?s various committees, referring particularly to the on-going audit of play equipment in the various recreational areas around the town, which are wearing out and will need replacing in the near future.
He praised the work of the Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve Volunteers and the survey into the needs of young people in the town, carried out by Fusion.
?Some very definite markets have been put down and we shall be co-operating with them (Fusion) to bear real fruit in the near future,? he said. (The organisation is looking into the feasibility of providing a Youth Internet Caf