Council prepares for first ever Neighbourhood Plan retail ‘Call in’ request
On 03/02/2016 At 7:36 pm
Category : Missed a ThameNews story?, More News, Thame news
Responses : 19 Comments
THAME Town Council is preparing to defend the town’s ground-breaking Neighbourhood Plan, against the supermarket giant, Tesco, which wants to build a store on the outskirts of the town.
The town council has already told the planning authority, South Oxfordshire District Council, that it is against giving planning approval for the plans which include a supermarket, employment building and petrol station on what is currently the DAF site, as the plans do not comply with policies in the TNP.
But at last night’s meeting of the town council, Cllr Mike Dyer said: “The Town Clerk is getting no comfort from what the Planning Officer in the case is saying to him,” which councillors fear, demonstrates that the Officer is of a mind to recommend approval of the plans to SODC’s Planning Committee (it is expected to meet on March 9 to consider the Tesco application).
‘Last chance saloon’
Cllr Paul Cowell told the meeting: “This is ‘the last-chance saloon’ for us. We have to be committed to take this all the way.” Cllr Mike Dyer added: “We spent a lot of money pioneering our Neighbourhood Plan. If we do not defend it against this first, serious threat, I could not show my face on this council.”
After much discussion about how far along the legal road the council would be willing and able to go – particularly how much public money they could ‘reasonably and justifiably’ spend on legal fees etc, the council voted to delegate to a small Working Group, the task of preparing for the eventuality of the Tesco Plans being recommended for approval, or if it is rejected by SODC’s Planning Committee and Tesco goes to appeal, and to research which approach the council should take to whatever situation arises.
Secretary of State to be asked to intervene
In the meantime, the town council voted to ask the Secretary of State to ‘Call in’ the Tesco Plans, taking the decision out of the hands of South Oxfordshire District Council, the timing depending on what recommendation is put to the Planning Committee by their Planning Officer.
The Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, said: “The public would expect us to carry through with this. We are in unknown territory here as no Neighbourhood Plan community has asked for a retail planning application to be called in.”
What does ‘Call in’ a planning decision mean?
‘Calling-in’ of a planning application refers to the power of the Secretary of State to take the decision making power on a particular planning application out of the hands of the local planning authority for his/her own determination. This can be done at any time during the planning application process, up to the point at which the local planning authority actually makes the decision.
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So many people harp on about how Tesco will solve the parking problem in the Town Centre. I must admit I agree here – there will be plenty of parking in the Town Centre once Tesco is on the bypass, as no-one will visit the Town Centre anymore. While on the subject of parking, I have yet to battle to find a parking at the cattle market, so I’m not sure what all the fuss is about.
Sainbury’s and the Co-Op are very affordable, so that argument doesn’t stand up either.
You’re wrong. A ‘pro Tesco’ tweet was retweeted just four hours ago – take a look. LINK TO TWITTER and see Tony Rushforth’s tweet. I can’t be on twitter 24 hrs a day – I do have a life, but retweet as many Thame-related tweets as I can.
Don’t underestimate the damage a huge store like this will have on the town. It’s too late once the decision has been made! The scale of this will have a huge impact on the high street – it’s been proven so many times where a huge convenience store kills the high street as people will change their shopping habits and over time the essence of Thame will be lost. Having lived somewhere this happened to, would hate to see it happen again to such a thriving place. #
All emails are checked for authenticity. I have been in contact with ‘Hugh’ and I am satisfied he is a local person.
Funny how the anti tesco comments get tweeted and the pro tesco ones don’t. ……
But they don’t have to do it in their own name! Sounds sensible to me.
We do not moderate against people just because they have an unconventional email address. Everyone with a point of view is allowed to express it here, as long as it is neither abusive nor unlawful.
Well Mr “Hugh Jarse” (well done on the moderation there editor!) Try addressing: the parking problems we have now; the problem of where all the people from all the new houses are going to park. What about all the less well off people who lose out because of the lack of affordable shopping. The NIMTS (Not in my towners) need to wake up and smell the coffee. Change happens and guess what it’s for the best! Let’s move Thame in to the 21st century!
Firstly to James – bringing a Tesco to Thame will certainly accelerate the arrival of the poundshops when the Town centre businesses start to close down and to S. Foster, If there was a Tesco in Thame you wouldn’t browse the rest of Thame, you would be in and out of Tesco on the bypass.
Anyone who thinks that having a Tesco on the bypass would be of any benefit to Thame, or bring in money to anyone other than Tesco is severely deluded.
Move in to the 21st century Thame please. Where on earth are all the people from all the new houses supposed to shop. How many have tried and failed to find a parking space in town so gone elsewhere for big shop? How many times worse will it be when there are hundreds more people trying to use the facilities in Thame. Thame needs a big superstore be it Tesco’s or Asda or a bigger Sainsburys. Just wait until the pound shops start opening!
Tesco needed. If there was a Tesco in thame I would be able to browse the rest of thame. Currently travelling out of thame for shopping despite living there so thame isn’t getting any of my money currently.. And I suspect many others too.
There is no need for a large out of town supermarket for thame, as the movement to dot com shopping continues to grow. However there is a need for a low cost shopping option to help the less well off in our thriving market town. The thought of an Aldi in the elms, a Lidl on the cricket pitch and converting the town hall to a tesco express (need to find a use for the place) seems to me to be the ideal solution!
Whilst I am not anti supermarket, I am anti-Tesco.
The thought of having this awful supermarket in our beautiful town is very depressing. Surely we are deserving of a more upmarket establishment, such as a larger Waitrose or Sainsbury.
I also shudder to think how many £’s will be wiped from the value of my detached home when we get know as TescoThame
The only positive to a Tesco is the hope that it may remove some of the free-loading coffee drinking riff-raff that currently frequent Waitrose.
I would suggest that the council is against having a Tresco in Thame as the majority of the people in Thame are against it as well. The council are doing what they have been elected to do and what the electorate expects them to do, which is represent the people of Thame. In evidence of this check the number of people who signed the various petitions. I know the come back on this will be that the anti-tesco lobby backed by local businesses had their petition in a lot of the stores with vested interests in stopping Tesco, however the pro-tesco lobby were very vocal in going around the houses and knocking on doors. One could say they were more pro-active, however they still received far less votes.
I don’t understand why the council is against having a Tesco in Thame, it’s been crying out for something like this for years. Embrace change its for the better, people wouldn’t have to go to other larger towns for a proper shop if it’s right on their doorstep and as for local businesses suffering as a result, that’s rubbish! They are already suffering through people going out of town for their shopping so what difference does it make? I’ll tell you! Less pollution in the air and less congestion on the roads more money to be spent in the community! Don’t be silly the town is on a winner with Tesco!
I think that the opposition to Tesco is pure snobbery. Comments like “last chance saloon” and “I could not show my face in the council” are pure hyperbole. I also think that the cherished TNP is a fudge dictated by the needs of Henley. What do we have in the Town centre? Hairdressers, cafes, charity shops, estate agents. Hundreds of new homes are being built with no change in the Town’s infrastructure. There is already a problem with parking and that is not going to improve. If the Planning Office recommends approval spending more time and money is a complete waste.
Thame is a thriving, growing town – yet the shopping options are poor and expensive. A massive amount of people go to Wheatley/Aylesbury to shop or do online shopping. Tesco is very much needed here, do the right thing SODC. APPROVE tesco
We love to come to thame and support the local shops and market butcher’s. I live in Watlington and we mannage thame is bigger with more shops I wouldn’t have to go to asda if I lived in thame . I don’t welcome a big Tesco I think thame would loose its atmosphere. And local businesses would suffer. Rember they have families to support to.
I shop at ASDA Wheatley every week, as I couldn’t do a comlpleat weekly shop in thame I would really welcome a Tesco in thame