27/02/13…..Thame Neighbourhood Plan ? Moving Around ? Parking

FOLLOWING the Examination meeting for the Thame Neighbourhood Plan on February 19, and to record this historic occasion in Planning history, ThameNews.Net has been publishing notes from the meeting in instalments. This last report covers the section on ‘Moving Around’ and specifically, Parking.

Lucy Murfitt, for SODC, referred to the rural nature of the area and its dependence on the car. She was asked by the Examiner, Mr Nigel McGurk, whether the policy on Parking in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan (TNP) met with the criteria of Sustainability. She answered that, as well as wanting to preserve parking in the town, it was intended to promote a shift to walking, cycling and public transport. In her view the TNP safeguarded parking at the Cattlemarket. The scope for parking ?was limited? she said, because of access to land and that priority was given to new homes, retail etc.

Ms Murfitt said that parking in Thame, with its wide, generous High Street and free parking, was not ‘a major issue’ compared to other towns and that ?the plan does what it can.?

The next speaker was Mr Roger Williams from Brill Parish Council who explained that the residents of Brill were largely dependent on the car and looked to Thame for shopping etc. He was asked by Mr McGurk why he considered that the TNP policy on parking did not meet the ?Basic Conditions.? He replied: ?I do not believe that we can be sanguine about parking in Thame. I see abuse of parking on the street and in car parks. The evidence is quite clear that there is already a parking problem in Thame.?

He added that despite the forecaste increase in parking demands because of future developments, and although the Plan says that ?adequate parking will be provided?, no additional parking has been provided for. ?The Core Strategy says ?adopt a comprehensive approach to car parking aimed at improving the attraction of our towns and villages?, said Mr Williams. He added: ?That objective is ignored in the Plan. It is clear,? he said, ?that the TNP does not comply with the Core Strategy regarding parking.?

Mr Williams concluded that there was a need for a review of town centre parking, where there was great concern about inadequacies, to ensure the vitality of the town centre.

Sue Rowlands, for Thame Town Council, was asked by the Examiner to say why she felt the parking policy did meet the required ?Basic Condition?. She replied: ?We realise that car parking in the town centre is important for vitality. Clearly new development will bring car parking there but the plan is to encourage a modal shift to walking, cycling and buses. We cannot address all problems but (the plan) contains the ability to look in the future. There is no reason why a more detailed study couldn?t be undertaken as part of the plan.?

She concluded: ?To ?improve? doesn?t necessarily mean ?more? car parking.?

THE SECTION ON A COMMUNITY CENTRE AND THE CATTLEMARKET HAS ALREADY BEEN COVERED HERE and half way down HERE

THE final section discussed at the Examination was item Eight, ‘Other Matters’. Here the Examiner asked Sue Rowlands, for the town council, about Policy 7A P3:

Review delivery of Land at The Elms, Up to 45 dwellings are allocated on land at The Elms. Which reads:

?Should a planning approval be granted for fewer than 45 dwellings, the balance shall either: be added to the Lord Williams?s Lower School allocation; or be added to Reserve Site F.?

In reply to Mr McGurk?s question, she confirmed that should the need arise for those extra houses, they be allocated to the school site first and only to Site F, if the Lower school site does NOT become available.

The Examiner?s final question was about the site names. He wanted to know if the Site names C, D and F, were a part of the process and was it important that those names were retained as they had been consulted on? (I?m afraid I didn?t catch the answer to that question but it was mentioned that they complied with SODC?s naming of the various sites.)

Mr McGurk thanked everyone in the area for their participation and observation of the process, and especially thanked SODC for ?their exceptional? organisational skills, especially Tom Rise. He concluded that his report was imminent and that the involvement of all present was fundamental to the Neighbourhood Plan.