01 December 2015 – Minutes

THAME TOWN COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of Thame Town Council held on 1 December 2015 at 6.30pm in the Upper Chamber, Thame Town Hall

Present: Cllrs B Austin, D Bretherton, P Cowell, M Deacock, N Dixon (Town Mayor),
D Dodds, M Dyer, A Midwinter, M Stiles and T Wyse.
Officers
G Hunt, Town Clerk
A Oughton, Committee Services Officer

1 Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Butler (Personal), Champken-Woods (Personal), Emery (Business), Fickling (Holiday), Jones (Unwell) and Lambert (Business).

2 Declarations of Interest and Dispensations

Cllrs Bretherton and Midwinter declared an interest in Item 5: Kimblewick Trail Hunt as members of the Thame Showground Committee and did not vote.

3 Public Participation and Public Questions

Public participation recorded at each agenda item. There were no public questions.

4 Minutes

The minutes of the Council meetings held on 27 October 2015 and 3 November 2015 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

5 Kimblewick Trail Hunt

Two representatives of the Kimblewick Hunt, Helen Jackson, Senior Master and Gerald Sumner, Huntsman and Master spoke for the proposal to allow the Kimblewick Trail Hunt to start the New Year’s Day meet in the Upper High Street Car Park.

Helen Jackson thanked the Council for the opportunity to speak and stated that the Hunt would like to meet in the Upper High Street Car Park as it had done in the past. It had been a tradition which attracted many onlookers and an appropriate setting in the heart of the town. Although the Hunt attracted a lot of followers Helen stated that there would be adequate marshalling of the event to ensure there was no danger to the public. At the moment the Hunt met on Thame Show Ground and the proposal would be to gather on the Show Ground and then parade the hounds and ride to the Upper High Street car park to commence the Trail Hunt.

Gerald Sumner said the Hunt was a good rural employer for the area and maintained close links with the farming community. A number of Hunts already met in market towns such as Chipping Norton and Stow on the Wold.

Members agreed that it had been tradition for the Hunt to meet in the centre of the Town on New Year’s Day and could see no reason why it could not take place.

RESOLVED that:

i) The Kimblewick Hunt commence their Meet in the Upper High Street car park on New Year’s Day.

6 Electoral Review

In August 2012 the Town Council agreed that Thame should become one ward of 16 councillors but no specific action was implemented. Following Cllr Champken-Woods report to Full Council in which it was mentioned it had been brought to Council for consideration.

After discussion Members felt that to make Thame one ward would greatly disadvantage any independent candidate wishing to stand for election and that the two ward system should remain in place. The growth of the town through the identified developments in the Neighbourhood Plan may in the future require consideration of the introduction of a third ward.

RESOLVED that:

i) Thame remain as two electoral wards.

7 Chinnor Rugby Club Land Charge

RESOLVED that:

i) The Land Charge, in support of the previously sealed Loan Agreement be signed and sealed.

The meeting concluded at 6.50pm

Signed ………………………..
Chairman, 22 December 2015