15 July 2025 – Agenda
SUMMONS TO ATTEND A MEETING
TO: All Members of the Environment & Assets Committee
Cllrs M Baines, D Bretherton, P Cowell, A Dite, H Dollman, L Emery, C Jones (Chairman), H Richards (Deputy Chairman), P Swan and A Wainwright
Ex Officio (Voting) Members – A Gilbert (Town Mayor) and D Dawson (Deputy Mayor)
To all other Members for information
You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the Environment & Assets Committee on Tuesday 15 July 2025 at 6:30pm (maximum two hours) in the Upper Chamber (Thame Town Hall) for the transaction of business as set out on the attached agenda.
Mandy Sturdy
Clerk of the Council
Date: Wednesday 9 July 2025
AGENDA
1) Apologies for Absence
To receive, note and agree apologies for absence.
2) Declarations of Interest and Dispensations
To notify of any items that appear in the agenda in which there may be an interest that has not been recorded in the Member’s Register of Interest, and confirmation of any relevant dispensations.
3) Public Participation and Public Questions
To consider applications from members of the public to address the Committee (5 minutes maximum), in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. Applications to speak must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 5pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
To consider questions from members of the public (who live, work, or run a business in the Parish). Written questions must have been received by the Town Clerk no later than 4pm on the last working day preceding the meeting.
4) Thame Barns Centre – Photovoltaic Panels
To agree in principle to the installation of solar panels on two sides of the roof of Thame Barns Centre with all costs to be met by The Barns Centre Charity.
4. Report – Thame Barns Centre – Photovoltaic Panels [PDF]
4b. NPCO Advice on Planning Permission for Thame Barns Centre Solar Panels 4.7.25 [PDF]
5) Oxfordshire County Council’s Countryside and Tree Services
To receive a presentation (10 minutes) from Oxfordshire County Council’s Tree Officer regarding vandalism to an Oak Tree in Thame and the action being taken.
6) Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve – Scrape Fencing, Educational Signage Project and Funding
To receive a report and approve the recommended actions.
6. Report – Cuttle Brook Scrape Fencing Project – Version 2 [PDF]
6a. Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve – Management Plan 2025-2029 [PDF]
7) Minutes
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 28 January 2025.
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 13 May 2025.
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Open Spaces Sub-Committee Meeting held on 6 February 2024.
Minutes (OSSC) – 6 February 2024
8) Budget Summary
To monitor actual income and expenditure against estimates.
8. Environment & Assets Budgetary Figures to May 2025 [PDF]
9) Asset Management Working Group
To receive an update following the meetings on 12 March 2025 and 19 June 2025.
9a. Asset Management WG Notes 250312 [PDF]
9b. Asset Management WG Notes 250619 [PDF]
10) Green Living Plan Working Group
To receive an update following the meetings since the last committee meeting.
10. Report – Green Living Plan update – July 2025 [PDF]
11) Public Art Working Group
To receive an update following the first meeting of the Public Art Working Group and to approve Terms of Reference for the Public Art Working Group.
To approve the updated Public Art Strategy 2025-2030.
To receive an update on upcoming Public Art projects.
To note that a complaint was received in relation to the health and safety risk of a recent public art installation on Lea Park. Following a risk assessment of the installation and legal advice, no further action was required.
11. Report – Public Art Working Group [PDF]
11a. Appendix A – Public Art Strategy – 2025-30 [PDF]
12) Town Hall
To receive a verbal report and consider any relevant actions.
To note two quotations have been received for acoustic panelling in the Upper Chamber and (subject to information being ready) to approve the expenditure set out in the report so that the Operations Manager can progress installation with the preferred company.
To receive the fire risk assessment and note remedial action taken.
12. Report – Town Hall Acoustics [PDF]
12. FRA – Thame-Town-Council-Town-Hall-03-04-2025 [PDF]
13) Depot
To receive a verbal update on progress towards replacing the roof.
To receive the fire risk assessment and note remedial action taken.
13. FRA – Thame-Town-Council-Maintenance-depot-03-04-2025 [PDF]
14) Iseki SXG 326+ Mower
To receive a report and agree next steps regarding entering into a new lease agreement or purchasing the current mower.
14. Report – Iseki Cut & Collect Mower [PDF]
15) Maintenance Report
To note the report of the Maintenance Team’s work.
15. Maintenance Report – July 2025 [PDF]
16) Thame Museum
To note the carbon reduction report.
16. Carbon Reduction Recommendations Report for Thame Museum [PDF]
17) Sycamore Rise Allotments
To note the first inspection with a view to Practical and Final Completion of the allotments and community orchard took place on 10 June 2025. Minor issues were raised and the developer is working to resolve them.
A further meeting will take place before the legal transfer of the allotments and orchard takes place.
18) Trees
To note that a purchase order has been raised to fell two dead oak trees in Elms Park. The felled trees will be removed from site and stored on a farm near to Thame. The Public Art Working Group will progress the project to design public art from the felled wood in due course.
To note the large lime tree closest to the Changing Rooms on Southern Road Recreation Ground will need to be felled as part of the Community Youth Centre development. It is hoped the wood can be used to produce items for sale / public art but for internal display rather than external due to the nature of the wood.
19) Land Disposal – 28 Pickenfield
To note that the resident has recently contacted the Town Council to advise they are now able to purchase the land. The Operations Manager will progress this in line with policy and the sale price agreed for the land at the Policy & Resources Committee on 22 April 2022.