All Your Local Election Candidates Here!

WITH only three days to go before the local elections for Thame Town and South Oxfordshire District Councillors, ThameNews.Net brings together information about all the candidates, in one place, to help you make up your mind who YOU would like to be represented by.
Today we focus on the Liberal Democrats who are putting forward the following candidates:

JEANETTE GREEN (Thame North District Candidate)
Jeannette teaches information technology and business studies in Oxford and is the Assistant Principal Examiner for ICT with Edexcel.
She has worked in developing countries on World Bank and United Nations projects.
She studied architecture at university and worked in town planning and urban design for 25 years. She has worked as planning officer for a local authority.
Locally, Jeannette is a member of the Thame Partnership, which brings together local businesses and community groups. She is chairperson of the Transport Working Group, which is looking at the problems of parking in the town centre.
She is Secretary of the Thame Twinning Association, helping to organise events with our partners in Montesson, France. Jeannette is a member of a local Thame choir.
JEANNETTE SAYS
?My interests include website design and photography. I also belong to a group which meets at the Oxford Union and the Friends Meeting House striving toward world peace.?
?With my background in town planning, I am particularly concerned with planning and environmental issues and I am keen to help preserve our historic market town and to promote its future as a vibrant and flourishing centre serving the whole community?.

DAVE BRETHERTON (Thame North District Candidate)
Dave is a down to earth Lancastrian who 23 years ago with his wife Margaret chose to make Thame his home. He has three children who attended local schools and now has grandchildren who also attend school in Thame.
He has been successfully involved in the local community for many years, including the Scouts and Thame Festival. Dave has recently retired from the Civil Service and currently serves as:
? District Councillor for Thame North for 4
years
? Thame Town Councillor and Deputy Mayor
? Chairman of Thame Museum Trust
? Governor at Barley Hill School

DAVE SAYS
“My reasons for being a Councillor are?:
? Lack of housing in the town that local people
can afford. New housing development sites
should be on “brownfield sites” but must be
in keeping with the size of the town and
local facilities. I want houses built that
people can afford.
? Provision of community facilities on the
cattle market site. I will press for the
inclusion of an arts theatre in the plans.
This will be a superb opportunity for a new
civic and community centre that will serve
the town for generations.
? Continued success of Thame Museum that will
preserve and record our heritage and will
attract visitors to the area.
? Continued support for the Citizens Advice
Bureau.
“I care about the local community and will continue to work hard to ensure that Thame gets the “value-for-money” services that it merits, whilst maintaining its historic and architectural integrity.”

DAVID LAVER (Thame South District Candidate)
David has lived in Thame for 32 years. He is married to Norma, a teaching assistant, who also co-owns ?A Piece Of Cake?. They have two daughters who attended Thame Schools.
Now retired from his job as medical researcher at Oxford University, he has more time to devote to his interests, including local politics, nature conservation, walking, cycling and recycling. David?s record includes:
? Town Councillor for the last 8 years, serving
as Mayor twice. Elected to County Council
2004-2005.
? Chairperson of the Culture, Leisure and
Recreation committee in Thame.
? Thame Museum Trustee, Leisure Centre
Management and Town Twinning committees
? Governor of John Hampden School
? An active Cuttlebrook Volunteer
? Member 21st Century Thame Environment Group
DAVID SAYS:
?My objectives as Councillor are to campaign for improvements to the environment, employment and business opportunities and also community facilities within Thame. I would like to see a sensitively designed development on the Cattle Market site which benefits the community as a whole.
?Present youth facilities are inadequate. I support provision of a central meeting space for young people.
?I am keen to preserve the present historic Market Town character of Thame which originally attracted me to come here. It needs, though, to remain a thriving community with opportunities for young people to live and work locally.
?I will campaign to retain our community hospital and for improved local health facilities. I am also passionate about road safety and would like to see safer cycle walking and cycling routes within and between the Town and surrounding villages.?

PETER COCKAYNE (Thame South District Candidate)
Peter has lived in Thame for 29 years. Married to Val with two grown-up children, who were both educated at John Hampden and Lord Williams? schools.
? Works for National Trust
? Thame Town Councillor since 1999
? Culture and Recreation committee 2003-2007
(Chair and Vice Chair) and Policy and
Resources Committee
? 21st Century Thame Partnership Committee
? SUSTRANS Supporter.
ON COMMUNITY NEEDS, Peter says:
?I support the proposals for the popular Phoenix cycling trail to link up with the surrounding villages of Chinnor, Long Crendon and the train station at Haddenham.
?We need a decent size adaptable community building for the many voluntary groups that serve the town so well. The Thame Farmers that run the cattle market want to move to the Showground to allow them to expand; this would enable the old site to be redeveloped to include facilities for the young and not so young with more parking for the increasing number of visitors to the town.?
ON HOUSING NEEDS, Peter says:
?MP?s receive more letters on housing needs than almost anything else.
?Thame needs realistic affordable housing to allow local young people to get on the property ladder and be able to stay in the area. More single young people in their 20?s and 30?s have to stay put in their parents? home because of the lack of real affordable accommodation.
?South Oxfordshire District Council has the resources to do so much more to help the local housing crisis.?

PETE BARKER
Pete has two young children who attend Barley Hill School and manages the computing department for a large financial company.
PETE SAYS:
?My reasons for being a Town Councillor are to ensure that the youth centre is maintained in the town and that the new football partnership achieves its ambitions.?
?My wife Liz works in the Health Service and we are keen to protect our health services and maintain the status of Thame Community Hospital?.

OWEN DAVIES
Owen has lived in Thame since 1987, is married to Sally and has two children about to finish at University, following an excellent education at John Hampden and Lord Williams? schools. He trained originally as a chemical engineer but spent most of his working life in HR and is currently Personnel Adviser to the Zambesi Mission.
? before moving to Thame, he lived in North Kensington and was actively involved in the community including many years as a youth leader and helping start the first Notting Hill Carnival;
? is Treasurer of Thame Amnesty, drives for the Day Centre and has taken teams from St Mary?s to experience life in Calcutta;
? as Town Councillor for the past 4 years, he represents the Council on Age Concern, Citizens Advice Bureau, Leisure Centre and Welfare Trust, encouraging volunteering and youth facilities;
? wishes to play rugby for Wales.

To read the Lib Dems’ manifesto, visit Link

Photo: Top Left -Pete Barker, Peter Cockayne, Owen Davies; Bottom Left – Jeanette Green, David Laver, Dave Bretherton.