15/10/10…..Housing consultation ‘too little, too late’
Dear Editor, I am appalled to hear that Thame Town Council have chosen to simply dump 500+ houses, a hotel, and a new school on one site ? a huge development – with no regard to the views of the people of Thame.
Furthermore, they tried to deny our chance to comment by failing or choosing not (?) to make the news public. None of this would have come to light but for a chance conversation by a neighbour, just a week ago. This prompted SODC to send just 30 or so letters to our immediate neighbours. Then only after repeated requests for information, the Town Council has finally offered some information, and an 11th hour public meeting.
It?s too little, too late ? with a deadline of 29th October.
WHY? Thamenews.net published an article based on a press release from SODC on 1st October. Thame Council would have had this information well before this date, but chose to sit on it and keep it for discussion behind closed doors.
WHY? Were just a handful of representatives of residents committees invited to comment- none of these from the affected area?
WHY? In just 4 months has there been a complete reversal of the decision to build on Site D? This previous, balanced, well discussed decision was based on information from many in-depth, expensive surveys and reports assessing the pros and cons of all the various sites. Has the ?sweetener? of the offer of a small piece of land to LWS clouded their judgement? In the current climate, there will be no money to build a new school for up to 20yrs. It will remain an empty site for years, if it is not then used for more housing.
This development, as proposed, would change Thame forever. The prominence of so many houses, & a hotel on this raised site will be a Blot on The Landscape. Thame will no more be ?An Historic Market Town?, but ?Milton Keynes- on Thame?.
My 16yr old daughter took one look at the plan and immediately said, ?That will look awful?. Why can she see that and Town Councillors cannot?
Liz Wiles.
Oxford Road
Thame
