A Thame organisation is pressing ahead with its proposals to build an arts centre on the town's cattle market.

The Thame CAT -- Community Arts Trust -- was formed five years ago and has been working with councils to create an arts centre for the town.

The trust hopes to use the market site in North Street. The site is leased by a consortium of farmers. They hope to move livestock sales to a new area on the edge of the town.

The North Street land is owned by South Oxfordshire District Council, which has not revealed its plans if the market moves.

Trust chairman Sarah Hayes told the group's annual meeting the aims of "educating the public in appreciating and experiencing the arts" and "to get public facilities in the town" were unchanged.

She said members wanted to build an auditorium for theatre, dance and concerts, dedicated arts and exhibition spaces, audio-visual recording facilities, a social centre and a library.

She said: "We feel the message has got through to Thame Town Council, which is helping us put pressure on the district council to include arts facilities in the future of the cattle market.

"Arts and social facilities would revitalise this dilapidated area of the town centre.

"Community arts do not happen at a distance. It's no use the district council saying the new arts centre in Didcot is for the whole district.

"We believe a centre in Thame would act as a hub, taking regular arts projects out to all our villages and attracting local people and visitors by presenting the highest quality arts from inside and outside the area."

She said the group would keep the arts on the agenda by running events in the community, pressuring the councils and investigating sources of funding.