Trailblazing Thame
When I was wriritng Open Source Planning, the paper on which the Government's planning reforms are based, I had a firm belief that given the opportunity to shape where they live, local people would want to participate with confidence and would do so positively. What I heard on Wednesday when the planning minister, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, and I came to listen to feedback in Thame on how its Neigbourhood Plan was coming together showed just how positive people were finding the whole experience.
Neighbourhood Plans are a key component of restoring local control over the planning process. They can make a big contribution to shaping the future of a local community and in Thame's case that means not losing its market-town character. Unlike the old-style parish and town plans Neighbourhood Plans become a formal part of the planning system.
Local residents who had been involved so far recognised the need to plan for the future of the town and they were setting about doing it with enthusiasm and with a long-term view. My experience has been that the fears from some developers that such plans would be NIMBY charters and used to frustrate development are being shown to be misplaced.
My congratulations to the Town Council for organising the feedback session. I believe that all of us who were there found the experience of great assistance. Thame is amongst the first in the process of putting a Neighbourhood Plan together – what the Government calls a frontrunner. After what I heard, the town's own description of themselves as a 'trailblazer' seemed perfectly appropriate.
Constituency support
Goring Scouts 20 May 2012
Presentation of community awards to Goring Scouts
Thenford 19 May 2012
Visit with local S Oxfordshire residents to Lord Heseltine
RAL Space, Harwell 18 May 2012
Visit to see leading UK space technology
Lafarge, Sonning Eye & Dunsden 18 May 2012
Discussions re flooding
All Saints, Shirburn 13 May 2012
Conducted choir at evensong under Churches Conservation Trust
Cuddesdon fete 12 May 2012
Awarding of prizes
Tetsworth Parish Council 12 May 2012
Briefing on Neighbourhood Planning
New district councillor, Chinnor 12 May 2012
Visit to congratulate on election
Surgery, Chinnor 12 May 2012
Lewknor School 11 May 2012
Visit to the school and to school council
Visit to Cherwell District Council 11 May 2012
Meeting with Chief Executive
Music for Autism and Soundabout, Dorchester 5 May 2012
Attended charity concert
Business event, Henley 3 May 2012
Initiated and organised 'growth and skills' event
Research Autism 3 May 2012
Hosted reception in House of Commons
Thame Freedom of the Town 2 May 2012
Attended ceremony for town Freedom for RAF Halton
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RAF Benson 30 April 2012
Arranged and participated in Ministerial visit
Chalgrove flooding 27 April 2012
Meeting with Chalgrove Flood Alleviation Group
The Henley College 27 April 2012
Question time with students union
Meeting on environmental matters, Nettlebed 27 April 2012
Abbeycrest Care Home 27 April 2012
Opened Care Home
Rotherfield Peppard Annual Parish Meeting 21 April 2012
Spoke at meeting
ORCC 20 April 2012
Meeting about planning
Thames Water 20 April 2012
Meeting about Sydenham and other matters
100 Faces of Henley 20 April 2012
Photographic session
Cherwell District Council, Chairman's annual charity dinner 13 April 2012
Woodcote Annual Parish Meeting 10 April 2012
Spoke at meeting
Henley Street Surgery Tour, 30 March 2012
Headway
Henley Street Surgery Tour, 30 March 2012
Hot Gossip
Henley Street Surgery Tour, 30 March 2012
Frog cafe, Youth Centre
Henley Street Surgery Tour, 30 March 2012
D: two
Henley Street Surgery Tour, 30 March 2012
YMCA
Henley Street Surgery Tour, 30 March 2012
Leisure Centre
Meeting, Henley 30 March 2012
Meetinng about neighbourhood plan
BBC Breakfast, 27 March 2012
Broadcast on Europa School, Culham
Meeting with Chief Constable, 26 March 2012
Update and briefing on Thames Valley Police
PAWS, Pangbourne, 25 March 2012
Started off cycle ride
Heart FM meeting 23 March 2012
Monument Park surgery, Chalgrove 23 March 2012
Skatepark exhibition, Henley, 17 March 2012
Visit to campaigners outside Town Hall
Prostate Cancer event, House of Commons, 14 March 2012
Meeting constituent to talk about Prostate Cancer charity
Neighbourhood Planning event, Woodcote, 9 March 2012
Visited impressive and extremely well-attended consultation exercise
Surgery, Woodcote, 9 March 2012
Shiplake Memorial Hall, Shiplake, 8 March 2012
Launch of fund raising
Abingdon gymnastics, Berinsfield 8 March 2012
Presentation of Sport England cheque
Challenge Henley, Henley 8 March 2012
Meeting to discuss problems encountered last year from cycle race
The Henley College, Henley 8 March 2012
Engagement with 16 year olds on citizenship
Visit to CABI, Crowmarsh 8 March 2012
Meeting to hear about development plans
River and Rowing Museum, Henley 8 March 2012
Opening of Piper exhibition
HMP Huntercombe, Huntercombe, 2 March 2012
Visit to prison and to see mentoring project
Crown, Nuffield 2 March 2012
Visit to meet new landlord
Stadhampton School, 2 March 2012
Visit to school
Oxfordshire MPs meeting Bishop of Dorchester, 29 February 2012
Discussion meeting
BBC Radio Berkshire, 23 February 2012
Jack FM, 23 February 2012
BBC Oxford TV, 23 February 2012
Broadcasts on HMP Huntercombe
Chinnor Rugby Club lunch, Thame, 19 February 2012
Guest at Club lunch and speaker
Meeting Kirtlington Parish Plan, 18 February 2012
Meeting with plan leaders
Meeting with ORCC, 18 February 2012
Meeting re. community-led planning
Assistance to planning student, 18 February 2012
Help with thesis being prepared
Meeting Oxfordshire LEP, 18 February 2012
Discussion with Martin Dare Edwards
Broadcast BBC Radio Oxford, 17 February 2012
Broadcast about Woodeaton quarry
Woodeaton Quarry meeting, Beckley 16 February 2012
Public meeting about the quarry
Chiltern Railways, Banbury 16 February 2012
Meeting about Evergreens 3 project and East-West rail
Surgery, Thame 11 February 2012
Heavily subscribed surgery
Old Nags Head, Thame 3 Feruary 2012
Visit to discuss issues
Primary Designs, Thame 3 February 2012
V
isit to see business
