Could Thame become ‘a dormitory town’?

FEARS that a lack of enough employment land in Thame could mean the town becoming ‘a dormitory’ town, have been expressed by some town councillors.

Speaking at a recent meeting of Thame Town Council to discuss a planning application for up to 180,000 sq ft of commercial buildings on land North of Rycote Lane, near Thame, Cllr Mike Dyer said that Thame had traditionally had a high number of people living and working in the town, but if the growing gap of suitable employment land within the town was not filled, such a destiny for Thame could not be avoided.

Flats converted from offices at the old Angus Fire Armour building in Thame, by Rectory Homes, under Permitted Development regulations

He said that it was his opinion that approval for such speculative development as that being applied for at the Rycote Lane site, should be delayed until public consultation for, and the development of, the revised Thame Neighbourhood Plan. He admitted that this was ‘not likely’.

‘Parasites’

Cllr Bob Austin called such speculative development ‘parasitical’ adding that it makes the management of the Neighbourhood Plan difficult, because the council would be ‘guessing at what might happen around the town and in neighbouring parishes’. “We need robust employment analysis,” he added.

Cllr Ann Midwinter said that it was Permitted Development that had caused the problem; turning offices, like those at the old Angus Fire Armour building, into flats. Goodson’s Yard in Wellington Street, Thame, she added, was waiting to be developed for housing and that the employment sites there were not being taken up. Cllr Helena Fickling wondered how long the Government was going to allow Permitted Development to go on. She feared that the logic would be that Employment development would be allowed and then, at some point in the future, developers could use Permitted Development rights to build houses there!

Permitted Development ‘collateral damage’ says MP

Cllr Mike Dyer said that there was no indication that the government would change Permitted Development rules. In fact, he added, Thame’s MP, John Howell, when challenged at a recent meeting, had said that ‘the impact on Market Towns of Permitted Development, was: “collateral damage!”

Cllr David Bretherton said that it was possible for planning authorities to issue an ‘Article 4 direction’ on a new build, removing Permitted Development rights, thereby requiring planning permission for any change in the future.

At the end of the meeting, Councillors agreed that their collated comments should be sent to the District Planning Officer at South Oxfordshire District Council.