Council fights for the ‘integrity’ of Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan

YET again, Thame Town Council has been defending the Thame Neighbour Plan against developers seemingly trying to persuade the council to support new developments in the town that are contrary to the plan’s policies.

Angle Property’s Executive Director, James Good, is the latest developer representative to be told that his company’s proposals, for 129 houses (none ‘affordable’), a 68-bed care home and 1511 sqm of offices, to be build on the ex DAF site at Kingsmead Business Park, cannot be supported by Thame Town Council.

James Good, Executive Director, Angle Property

Despite suggesgting that the proposals would bring over 170 jobs to the town and provide ‘a viable future’ for the site, which he said, had shown no market demand, councillors pointed out that this site is protected as employment land in the Neighbourhood Plan and that Thame has already met its obligation to the Local Plan, in housing numbers. Also, it is pointed out in a report by the council’s Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Officer, Grahame Markland that the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group have again objected to a care home on this site as the new facility would put pressure on an already stretched primary care service.

Cllr Mike Dyer said that any increase in the housing number requirment that may come up in the future, will have to be consider at that time. Cllr Bob Austin added: “The primacy and integrity of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan must be maintained.”

You can read Grahame Markland’s full report and recommendation to the council on Thame Town Council’s website HERE (scroll down to just below item 5 on the agenda)

NB A previous planning application for this site by Tesco for a foodstore, petrol filling station and offices was refused permission in July 2016. SEE LINK