24 June 2014 – Minutes

THAME TOWN COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting of Thame Town Council held on 24 June 2014 at 6.30pm in the Upper Chamber, Thame Town Hall
 
 
Present:
Cllr D Bretherton, A Dite, N Dixon (Deputy Mayor), D Dodds, M Dyer, L Emery,

H Fickling, V Humphries, P Lambert, D Laver, J Matelot Green (Town Mayor),

M Stiles and M Welply.

Officers

H Stewart, Town Clerk

A Oughton, Committee Services Officer

 
1 Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Butler (Personal) and Champken-Woods (Holiday).

 
2 Declarations of Interest

Cllr Dodds declared an interest in Item 7 in that he was related to the owner of the land and left the meeting after item 6.

 
3 Public Participation

There were no applications to address the Council.

 
4 Minutes

The minutes of the Council meetings held on 13 May 2014 and 10 June 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

The minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 13 May 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

 
5 Internal Auditor’s Report

There were no matters for concern and the report confirmed that the Council operated a good system of internal control.

RESOLVED that:

i)             The Internal Auditor’s Report for 2013-2014 be duly received.

 
6 External Audit – Annual Statement

Members received the financial statement (un-audited) for the year ended 31 March 2014 and the Annual Return for 2013-2014.

Having reviewed the figures in Section 1 of the Annual Return and agreed the responses to the internal control objectives in Section 4 the form was duly completed.

RESOLVED that:

i)             The financial statements (unaudited) ending 31 March 2014 be approved.

ii)            The Annual Return for the year ending 31 March 2014 be signed and submitted for audit.

 
7 P14/S1619/O – Land East of Thame Park Road

Councillors received a report from Mr Collinge, Planning Consultant to the Town Council.  Following discussion it was agreed that a recommendation of refusal be sent to the District Council detailing the following reasons for the recommendation:

An objection be raised to the detail contained in Element A of the application in respect of the following:

  • The proposed housing mix would fail to provide an appropriate mix of units, especially in respect of the private units and did not demonstrably follow a Thame-specific study, contrary to the requirements of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.
  • The layout, form and design of the proposed scheme failed to create a development that reinforced the locally distinctive layout and design qualities of Thame.
  • The affordable housing mix should be ‘peppered’ across the whole site.

In addition, the following required further examination and consideration and gave rise to a holding objection until such matters were resolved:

  • The routes to be provided through the controlled publicly accessible open space to the south of Element B.
  • Further interpretative material to demonstrate how building form, design, layout and enclosure on Element B would reinforce the distinctive design qualities of Thame.
  • Pedestrian and cycleway improvements to Dormer Road/Chinnor Road.
  • Biodiversity improvements along the fully accessible open space adjacent to Cuttle Brook.
  • The provision of burial space on Site C.
  • Information in respect of ground conditions on Element B that ensured strip foundations were suitable and that development was thus acceptable in terms of the relationship with regard to the pipeline that ran through the site.

RESOLVED that:

i)             The planning application P14/S1619/O – Land East of Thame Park Road be refused.

Cllr Laver entered the meeting during this item.

 
The meeting concluded at 7.10pm

Signed ………………………….

Chairman, 22 July 2014