Planners to decide on The Elms proposal, Thame

DATE CORRECTED: THE long-awaited consideration of the controversial planning application to build 37 homes on land at The Elms, in Thame, is to happen next Wednesday, JULY 22, at 6pm.

Meadow land at ‘The Elms’ where a development of 37 new homes is proposed

The application, whilst being recommended for approval by South Oxfordshire District Council’s Planning Officer, Emily Hamerton, has received hundreds of objections from local people, including 1048 neighbours, and over 2,000 signatures via the ‘Save The Elms Petition Group’. (See recent letter from the group to the local press) https://www.thame.net/archives/21276

The main objections from neighbours are: Development contravenes the Thame Neighbourhood Plan and where housing is permitted on the site; Protection of trees in the conservation area has been ignored; Object to the three storey design of the houses which is not in accordance with the Thame Neighbourhood Plan; Concern about traffic on Nelson Street – ‘there have not been sufficient traffic studies undertaken to consider the volume of development holistically’.

For more detailed reports submitted by the planning officer to the committee, including other those objections from the Forestry Officer and English Heritage, as well as those more positive reports from the ‘Urban Design Officer’ (the same person as the Conservation Officer) and the Environment Agency) link here: LINK 

Thame Town Council is apposed to the development on the following grounds: Overdevelopment; Development too close to the listed building; Three storey as opposed to 2.5 storey; Traffic generation, parking and safety – particularly during construction phase; Level of harm to the Page 6 Conservation Area and insufficient affordable housing.

You can read all the other relevant appendices here: LINK

The meeting will be held at THE AUDITORIUM, THE CORNERSTONE, DIDCOT, OX11 7NE at 6pm.

Information about speaking yourself at planning meetings, can be found here: LINK