24/09/12…..Residents’ Association ‘not a true balance of the community’

Dear Editor, Following last Wednesday’s Thame Neighbourhood Plan, public Topic group meeting at the town hall, I would like to make the following comments:

My main concern was about the secret meetings about the various site options for new housing. It is my belief that the Residents Associations who WERE invited to the meetings, were not a true balance of the community to make observations as to where the housing was best suited, and also that housing isn?t the full issue as it also involves footpaths, parking, employment, shopping etc. I felt the Residents Associations were purely ensuring NIMBYism.

I am also bothered by the planned presentations of possible developers as I fear ‘Jo Public’ will think they have already got Planning Permissions and that their proposals are a fait accompli.

My one other concern about the Draft Neighbourhood Plan, which I have already raised, is the last-minute thought that the Town Council has to provide burial space somewhere in the town, and that it is suggesting that it goes somewhere up near Thame Park Road or in that area of the Town. This is nonsense as, unless they also build a Chapel which is unlikely, funerals will take place in the Parish Church, St Josephs or Christ Church and then have to either go through the town or around the ring road for burial. This is just not on as regardless of whether people have any sense of ?religion? of any sort they still usually feel a need to go into the Church, both at the time and for some time afterwards.

We often find people come in to St Mary?s Church just to sit and be quite and reflect. I think they get a real comfort from that. The Council really needs to identify somewhere at the Parish Church end of the Town. It?s no good once they have started to put houses on a site because they won?t be able to pull them down again.

Rosalie Gibson
Thame Resident