29/01/13….New Thame supermarket decision expected in March

A controversial plan for a large supermarket and community facility on Thame’s Cattlemarket site is expected to be considered by South Oxfordshire District Council’s Planning committee in March.

In a letter dated January 14, sent out to Thame residents addressed as ‘supporters’ encouraging them to take part in SODC’s consultation on the Thame Neighbourhood plan, Sainsbury’s stated that they expected the application to be presented to the district council for consideration as early as February.

However, Michael Moore, Major Applications Officer at SODC, told ThameNews.Net today: “Discussions between Sainsbury’s and SODC Planning Officers have been going on for some time about various technical aspects of the plan.

“The application is unlikely to be on the Planning committee Agenda for February but will probably be on that of March 13, if matters regarding an **Archaeological survey which Sainsbury’s say they are carrying out, have been sorted. At the moment I am not in a position to make a recommendation because I do have sufficient information to do so.

“There is also a question of Air quality to be resolved with the Highways authority.”

Mr Moore added: “The Thame Neighbourhood Plan is absolutely fundamental to any application. Thame has been given ‘front runner’ status by the Government in formulating its plan (Ed.under the Localism Bill) and it would be plain wrong to approve any proposal that ran counter that plan.”

Sainsbury’s plan for a supermarket and community centre was turned down unanimously by Thame Town Council last year, and the company’s evidence of the retail impact of their proposal was re-examined by an independent agency at the request of the Planning authority.

Sainsbury’s itself has stated that: “A new, larger Sainsbury?s store, in the town centre, would provide more choice locally and could act as an anchor to keep shoppers in Thame, to the benefit of the wider town centre.”

The operators of the Cattle Market own a lease on the existing site and believe that relocating the cattlemarket: “would secure the future of the Cattle Market in Thame.” Other supporters of the scheme have said that relocating to the Showground would also help to secure the future of Oxfordshire County and Thame Show which has suffered financially in recent years, often due to bad weather.

***NB A manor House, called Place House, which was once the seat of manorial power at Thame, once stood on the site of the Cattlemarket.