Did you know that ‘Section 106 agreements’ are put in place with developers to raise money for infrastructure to support new housing developments? They are drawn up by South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) before they grant planning permission, so that the developer is legally bound to deliver the infrastructure agreed. Money is collected from the developer once the planning permission is implemented and when certain points in the agreement have been met. Included in this funding is money that is restricted to be spent on certain areas, and one of these is Public Art.
Thame Town Council decided to develop a Public Art Strategy [Word Document] with the aim of ensuring that this money was used in a way that met needs identified in the community as well as providing something beautiful to look at. A Working Group was formed that included interested members of the community alongside Thame Town Councillors and an Arts Officer from SODC. The resulting strategy included a proposal of 10 initial projects to focus on.
We are currently underway with the first of these projects and in the weeks ahead we will bring you details of how the project has developed, revealing the progress so far, and the ambitions for the future.
