09/12/10…Council accused of hypocracy over coffee van

Dear Editor, With reference to my letter to you on the 02/11/10 that you have posted on your web site headed:” Applicant for coffee street trading consent unhappy with council.”

The letter shown was hand delivered by myself to the Town Hall reception on the 11th November 2010. Following up on the no response I have been told by a member of the Town Hall staff that it will not be answered (You can almost hear the ranks closing). In that letter you will see that I pointed out that their comments had just a hint of hypocrisy about them. Well now the Town Hall have shown recently that they have a true talent for it.

At the “rock and roll” style Christmas event held outside the Town Hall on Friday, December 3, 2010, some people may have noticed that there was a Mobile Coffee Van present, presumably booked by the Town Hall? It was very similar to the one Coffee King was refused trading rights for, as in the words of Thame Town Councillors: Baker, Bretherton, Buckland, Champken-Woods, Dixon, Dobie, Dodds, Laver, Morbey and Parker, who “unanimously agreed that there was absolutely no requirement for a mobile ?Coffee King? facility, noting that there were more than enough coffee-selling establishments in the town, including take-away.”

But there it was in all its glory, sometimes with people 10 deep in two separate queues and only yards away from Costa Coffee who was also open at the time. You couldn’t make it up!

As for Coffee King, well we are just plodding on playing the red tape game. I have placed some Freedom of Information Act questions into the Town Hall and am very excited about the outcome! Watch this space.

Yours Sincerely
Peter Butler
Glenham Road
Thame
09/12/10