This ‘special site’ should be left alone, says anti-Elms group

THIS is part two of a report from notes taken at last Thursday’s public meeting at the Barns Centre, Thame, hosted by the ‘Save the Elms’ petition group. (LINK to part one HERE)

UKIP representatives (front row) at the Save the Elms meeting. Sam Juthani (Labour) strolls to his seat (far right)

AFTER a short break in the proceedings after a member of the audience was taken ill, those present at the public meeting held last Thursday (14/08) heard Save The Elms founder member, Richard Jeffries, mount a stout defence of leaving the park land at The Elms, undeveloped, calling it a ‘very special site’ that has been left alone for a very long time, ‘a remnant of ancient parkland’.

Richard, a former Wildlife Conservation worker, spoke of ”unique, open-form trees’ that were likely to be removed, trees that he said were over 150 years-old and unique to Thame, including an A1 condition, open-ground Horse Chestnut. There ecosystems, he said, would support everything from invertebrates all the way up the food chain and the trees serve as ‘an island’ for wildlife as does Tythrop and Rycote Parks.

“Those parks would never be built on,” he said. “So why The Elms? We are being asked to trade off all that just so that we can have access to part of an open space.” He went on to say that the Tree Removal Plan in the documents associated with the planning permission that are on display at Thame Town Hall, is ‘illegible’ and ‘ambiguous’ because the key to the trees is in red on the original document, but it has been photo-copied in black and white. It was though, he said, clear that the intention was to remove an entire tree belt from close to the boundary.

When a member of the public, recalled how, when he was young, the owner of The Elms, Leonard Purser, had a bird sanctuary there and a tree walk, Richard Jeffries responded that this was one more reason why The Elms is ‘an historical asset.’ He suggest that Thame should consider doing what Little Chalfont has done and purchase the site as a nature park. He then went on to remind those present of the cut-off dates for the consultation period on the planning applications, August 21 (today) for Elms Park (http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P14/S2310/O) and September 4, for the housing development. (See: http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P14/S2176/FUL)

NB – More information about submitted plans for associated work at The Elms, HERE  https://www.thame.net/archives/16170ERE 

Tom Marianczar urged those present to look at the plans and that if they wanted to comment and needed help, the Save The Elms group could help them understand the procedure if they would like help. He concluded: “This is a planning battle for Thame, not just for people living in the area. The question has to be asked, was submitting the planning applications during the school holidays, when many people are away, strategic on the part of the developer?”

He then went on to thank everyone for coming, including representatives from the local UKIP group and local Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Sam Juthani, as well as those town councillors who had come to the meeting, “…despite being advised by the Town Clerk not to,” he added.  Thame’s MP John Howell was away on holiday. No one representing Rectory Homes was present at the meeting.

You can read part one of this report HERE.
Please use the COMMENTS facility here to share your views whether or not you were at the meeting.