Former Thame Councillor Angry At Rejection Of Thame Cattlemarket Move

A FORMER District councillor has accused South Oxfordshire District Council of treating Thame in ‘a cavalier fashion’ following its rejection of a plan to move the town’s cattle market to a new site, adjacent to the Thame Show Ground.

Mr Mike Welply, who is also an ex Thame Town Councillor, told ThameNews.Net that he was barred from speaking about the application at the planning authority’s meeting to consider the application, despite having his application verbally accepted by the Committee Secretary. He realises that, as a former Councillor he should have known the procedure and filled in the appropriate form.

Mr Welply explained:”On the Wednesday morning I was telephoned by an officer of SODC to be informed that as I had not filled in a form, I was barred from speaking. I attended the meeting, and watched proceedings. It was interesting to see that local land owner, Chubb Castle had two representatives from Rectory Homes to speak, supporting refusal, and putting forward an alternative site – on Chubb Castles land!
“The District Councillor for the North Ward, David Bretherton spoke and was supposed to be supported by the other District Councillor, Richard Walker, who did not show up, although he was down to speak, allegedly supporting the application. The vote was tied and the Chairman Pearl Slatter?s casting vote, supporting the officer recommendation for refusal, won the day for SODC.”

Mr Welply continued: “Yet again we, the people of Thame have been treated in a cavalier fashion by SODC. The District Council, whilst professing to support the Market Towns like Thame, has little concept of what a true market town really is. The loss of the outline planning request to relocate the Thame Livestock market to a place adjacent to the Thame Show ground may, I believe lead to the closure of the livestock market in Thame.
“The long term future of the Thame Show is also problematic as there are new Health & Safety and bio- security regulations which require livestock to be stood on hard standing ground, because grassland is almost impossible to decontaminate. If both of these disappear, Thame would barely count as a true market town. Moreover, the SODC planning decision does not in any way support the rural economy, which the Council is always stressing it supports.”

The application was previously recommended for approval by Thame Town Council’s own Planning committee, with a proviso that a solution be found to the perceived problems that increased traffic movements on Thame by-pass, could effect the egress of the residents of Lea Park.