Have your say about a new Community centre in Thame

FOLLOWING years of discussion and lobbying for a large Community Centre-type facility in Thame, the town council has formed a Community Facilities Working Group which is set to meet for the first time, with the public participating, on December 14.

For many years discussions went on between Thame CMAG (Cattle Market Action Group) and Developer Bob Williams on behalf of the current occupiers of the Thame Cattle Market site, Thame Farmers Auction Mart, SODC and Thame Town Council, with the aim of ensuring that when the lease for the site ends in 2021, and the site vacated, ‘the needs of the people of Thame for an excellent, multi-purpose community development is kept high on the agenda of any discussion on the future use of the site’ (quote: CMAG website).

Flash back to a previous public meeting at Thame Town Hall

The current Cattle Market, which has operated on the site since 1951, has approval to move to a new site next to the Showground site on the edge of town, but other potential sites have been put forward, some already evaluated, and are being looked at by the Workiing Group.

In a Press Release today, Thame Town Council states: “The time has now come to establish concrete plans for the way forward… to assist the community to work together towards the best solution. To ensure that the best solution is found, we first need to ensure that we are working to satisfy current and future requirements.

“A first formal meeting for the Community Facilities Working Group has therefore been set at 7pm on Wednesday, December 14, at the Town Hall. The agenda will include provision of some background information, with an opportunity for everyone to state their latest thinking on the requirements, hopefully leading to an agreement on how we can identify community facility needs via analysis of all the relevant data and information available.” (See pages 38-39 of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan)

To help the council, anyone intending to go to the meeting is asked to confirm their attendance by emailing: info@thametowncouncil.gov.uk or by calling Jane on 01844 212833. The Town Clerk is also happy to answer any questions in the meantime.

Until the agenda and the background information becomes available, you can read the Terms of Reference of the CFWG on the council’s website HERE 

You can read previous news reports on this subject HERE