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Minutes WYCOMBE LOCAL COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE WYCOMBE LOCAL COMMITTEE HELD ON THURSDAY 19 APRIL 2007 IN SCHOOL, MERTON ROAD, PRINCES RISBOROUGH, COMMENCING AT 6.04 PM AND CONCLUDING AT 8.15 PM

MEMBERS PRESENT

Representative Council, Organisation or Society

Mr D Watson (Chairman) Buckinghamshire County Council Mr Z Mohammed (Vice-Chairman) Mrs V Letheren Mr R Pushman Mr P Rogerson

Mr J Herschel Parish Council Mr J Hambly Parish Council Mr S Appleby Great and Little Hampden Parish Council Mrs S Henson Parish Council Mr R Thomas Group of Advanced Motorists Mr D Davies Hughenden Parish Council Mr P Pilkington Parish Council Mrs S Wright Lane End Parish Council Mr G O'Neill Parish Council Ms H Reed Parish Council Mr L A Benifer Princes Risborough Town Council Mrs E Clifford Princes Risborough Town Council Mr A Turner Princes Risborough Town Council Mrs M A Wooster Princes Risborough Town Council Mrs S Storey Piddington and Parish Council Mr J Hughes RACA Mr M Penny Parish Council Mr M Coffey Thames Valley Probation Mr D Callaghan Parish Council Ms V Smith West Wycombe Parish Council

Officers

Mr I Reed Buckinghamshire County Council Mr M Averill Mrs S Khan Mr J Stevens Mr D Divall Mrs K Jones

Ms L Huby Council Ms J Fowler Wycombe District Council Mr S Tinnelly Jacobs Babtie

1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE / CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP

Apologies were received from Lesley Clarke and Dennis Green, Buckinghamshire County Council, Bill Bendyshe-Brown and Gary Hall Princes Risborough Town Council.

2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None were declared.

3 MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 25 January 2007 were confirmed after the following changes had been made: • Mr J Herschel Chepping Wycombe Parish Council had been added to the list of attendees. • The sentence on street lights be revised as follows: A member asked if all the street lights were to be completely removed from i.e. for 24 hours 7 days a week.

4 MATTERS ARISING

• Mark Averill reported that Colin Price would be joining Buckinghamshire County Council as a Local Area Technician for the Princes Risborough area in May. This was noted and welcomed. • A member asked for guidance on how Parish Councils should contact Highways on Call. Mark Averill replied that the Parish Clerks would be notified of the contact details for the Local Area Technicians. He recommended that the Public telephone Highways on Call. • Ian Reed reported that a Public meeting had been arranged by the residents of Little Kimble about local bus services. At the Princes Risborough cluster meeting held on 12 April members had been provided with an update and unanimously supported the request to support the residents’ request for the bus route to be reinstated. The lead officer Jackie Yates Interim Head of Finance had also agreed to pursue this with John Hodgkins. Members were advised that the cluster meeting had requested that the Local committee supports them in this request. During a discussion a member explained that in his opinion there was a need for a clear definition of the role of cluster meetings and for the Terms of Reference to be clearly identified. It was also noted that there was no guidance on how matters requiring action were handled and it was agreed that this be clarified. The Cabinet Member for Transportation replied that BCC is responsible for general issues such as gritting and bus routes and that the clusters discuss more specific and local matters. Ian Reed acknowledged that clusters were still evolving and that clusters would discuss matters as they arise.

The discussion concluded with agreement on the following:

• Rural transport is on the agenda for a future meeting • Terms of Engagement of the Clusters be clarified • Results were essential in order for the cluster meetings to succeed.

5 QUESTIONS

(a) Petitions

(i) Mr Andy Rackstraw of Saddle Safari, Marlow - re Proposed Cycle Route, Marlow “The undersigned are requesting a cycle route in Marlow” Reply Darren Divall, Team Leader, Cycling and Walking will attend the meeting to report on the work being carried out by the County Council to meet the demand for cycle routes in Marlow.

(ii) Ellesborough Parish Council have submitted a petition from the residents in Lane - re Speed Limit Reviews in Ellesborough Area “We, the residents of North Lee Lane, wish to inform you that a SID speed check took place on the road on 6 July 2006 from 4.15pm to 6.30pm, and following the results wish action to be taken in relation to the speed traffic is allowed to travel on this road. Approximately 186 vehicles travelled the road at that time – of those: • 30 travelled at 50 – 54mph • 43 travelled at 55 – 59mph • 16 travelled at 60+mph • 1 car and 1 motorbike did not register because they were travelling over 70mph • The remainder were travelling mid to high 40s.” Reply

The above petition will be taken into consideration by the Area 5 Speed Limit Review Working Group at its next meeting, which is likely to take place in early Summer 2007.

The Working Group consists of all County Councillors within Area 5; a District Council representative; Traffic Management Officer; Bucks County Council spee d limit review and traffic management officers and Local Area Co-Coordinator. The Area Group Manager may also attend some meetings.

The Working Group will evaluate all the new speed limits introduced in April 2006, (to include a review of public feedback, speed measurements and crash records), and decide whether to recommend any modifications or additions to these speed limits in the light of this information/requests.

Any changes recommended by the Working Group would then need to go through the legally required public consultation process, which includes advertising Public Notices in local papers, and on site, before any new speed limits can be put in place.

It may be possible for installation of any subsequent new limits in Area 5 to be put in by March 2008. However, at the time of writing, it has not been decided whether Speed Limit Review Areas 3-7 should receive their 'extra' speed limit modifications before Areas 8-14 have received their initial speed limit changes , or for these to be put in place only after the initial review has been completed countywide. To put this in context, Areas 8 & 9 are timetabled for new speed limits by March 2008- the last Area (Area 14) is currently scheduled to have its new speed limits by 2010.

(iii)Mr F J Smith on behalf of Carver Hill Residents Against the Salting Stoppage (CHRASS) – Re the Withdrawal of Winter Maintenance Schedule from the Poets Corner Estate, High Wycombe “We the undersigned residents and users of the roads on the Poets Corner Estate, High Wycombe wish to register our outrage at the decision by Buckinghamshire County Council to withdraw the Winter Maintenance Schedule of preventative road salting from our estate due to recent budget cuts.

As there are only two access roads onto the estate, both of which are very steep and lead directly onto two of the towns busiest roads, Marlow Hill Dual Carriageway and Desborough Avenue, the withdrawal of this vital service has left residents of almost 400 homes and potentially 1000 car owners without a safe route to or from the estate in the adverse weather conditions.

We therefore formally request that Buckinghamshire County Council: • Revisit their decision to withdraw the Winter Maintenance Schedule as a matter of the utmost urgency and, • Reinstate the service with immediate effect on the Poets Corner Estate, in the interests of public safety and the Council’s duty of care to it’s residents. Signatures from over 275 properties across the estate are presented on the following pages…”

Reply Please see attached report

(iv) Terry Mackintosh, Chairman of Magnum (Marsh Action Group) - Speed and Volume of Traffic in Marsh Area “I present to you a petition signed by over a hundred residents and friends of Marsh, over 98% of the residents of Marsh have put their name to this petition to express their deep concern over the increase in speed and volume of traffic now using this quiet backwater as a commuter rat run. Over the past 5 years we have been active in campaigning not only to reduce the speed limit through our village to 30mph but to also restrict volume.

Our campaign is supported by our local representatives of Wycombe District Council, Buckinghamshire County Council and the local Parish Council all of whom recognise the need to deal with this problem quickly and decisively to avoid the situation becoming intolerable. Our hopes of a further reduction of the speed limit to 30mph or possibly 20mph were firmly pinned to the Tranquil project that was to be the vehicle to help communities such as ours, this we now understand has been shelved with no plans to introduce at a later date. This we feel is a loss of an ideal opportunity!!

Our request is simple, a 30mph would help the people of Marsh to live the life they have chosen in peace and safety and although they recognise there will always be the few who will flout the law the majority will abide by it, in doing so they will be helping not only Marsh but many other communities and themselves enjoy the benefits of the countryside in safety.

Reply

The above petition will be taken into consideration by the Area 5 Speed Limit Review Working Group at its next meeting, which is likely to take place in early summer 2007.

The Working Group consists of all County Councillors within Area 5; a District Council representative; Thames Valley Police Traffic Management Officer; Bucks County Council speed limit review and traffic management officers and Local Area Co-ordinator. The Area Group Manager may also attend some meetings.

The Working Group will evaluate all the new speed limits introduced in April 2006, (to include a review of public feedback , speed measurements and crash records), and decide whether to recommend any modifications or additions to these speed limits in the light of this information/requests.

Any changes recommended by the Working Group would then need to go through the legally required public consultation process, which includes advertising Public Notices in local papers, and on site, before any new speed limits can be put in place.

It may be possible for installation of any subsequent new limits in Area 5 to be put in by March 2008. However, at the time of writing, it has not been decided whether Speed Limit Review Areas 3-7 should receive their 'extra' speed limit modifications before Areas 8-14 have received their initial speed limit changes, or for these to be put in place only after the initial review has been completed countywide. To put this in context, Areas 8 & 9 are timetabled for new speed limits by March 2008- the last Area (Area 14) is currently scheduled to have its new speed limits by 2010.

(b) Questions Lynne Turner, Clerk of Hughenden Parish Council asks: “We have long had an agreement with the County Council that gates will be placed at entrances to our villages, some under the Tranquil Project and some separate from that. Although we finalised all the details last June with Mike Knight and Sue Nightingale nothing has happened and now we have been notified that we are getting three, all in Hughenden Valley, but there is no indication as to when the others will be placed.”

Reply Si Khan, Local Area Coordinator has contacted the Clerk of Hughenden Parish Council who has previously provided us with a list of locations for the Village Entry Treat ment gates outside the Tranquil project. Hughenden Parish Council have been asked to re-submit the list prioritising the locations, funding will then be applied for through the Scheme Assessment Matrix (SAM)/Local Committee Delegated Budget 2008/2009, no guarantee can be given for the success of the application.

The Chairman invited responses as follows:

• Darren Divall welcomed the petition on the proposed cycle route in Marlow and he explained that a meeting with Marlow Town Council had been postponed. At a recent meeting with Andy Rackstraw and the Wycombe Cycle Steering Group it had been agreed that a feasibility study is undertaken and that information would be distributed when available. • The Chairman of Ellesborough Parish Council explained that there were a number of issues with speeding in the area. A member recommended that measures should be put in place to reduce speeds in the Tranquil project. This was noted. • A resident responded to the reply on Carver Hill by suggesting that the revised criteria may contain flaws identified at the previous meeting. He reported that a written reply was still outstanding to the concerns raised at the meeting on 25 January. Members were advised that 25% of the residents of Carver Hill would not receive precautionary gritting if the new criteria were used. • Members were advised that residents in the Marsh Area were very concerned about the volume of traffic in their area. A request was made for the introduction of a 30mph speed limit and for roads to be marked if they were unsuitable for HGVs. It was suggested that the increase in the use of HGVs on roads has been the cause of the road surface becoming extremely damaged. Ian Reed noted the request for HGV enforcement. A representative from Hughenden Parish Council reported that a request had been made for gates in Hughenden, North Dene Valley and area. He requested a meeting with the officers and this was agreed.

6 REVIEW OF WINTER MAINTENANCE

Mark Averill referred to the report and explained that £100k had been secured for winter maintenance for 2007/8. There will be an additional 4 spreaders enabling the capacity to spread over an additional 200km. Members were asked to notify Tim Fowler by 30 June if there were any additional roads that they considered need spreading. The aim was to provide an update to members on the review at the next meeting on 19 July.

In response to a question members were advised that all A and B roads were spread as of right. Consultation takes place before a decision is taken on other areas with reference to traffic flows, gradients and route efficiency.

Val Letheren reported that in 2006 there had been an increase in the number of roads gritted and that this had increased satisfaction in the service. In 2006/7 £200k had been removed from the budget and the general response from the public was that they were very upset and concerned. In response to feedback about local routes an additional £100k had been recovered as described above. It was noted that 2006/7 had been a very mild winter and that more problems had been caused by the rain such as an increase in potholes and gullies.

A member observed with concern that the RAF headquarters had not been included. This was noted. A member noted that Hambledon Parish Council had requested that the roads be reinstated on the salting route because it was the main route for the school coaches and that this had still not taken place. This was noted.

A member suggested that the officers were not familiar with the roads in the area and that consequently there were flaws in the areas identified for salting. Mark Averill acknowledged this and reported that an officer with extensive knowledge of the roads had been reemployed. A member suggested that a new schedule be prepared. This was agreed. Val Letheren replied that in her opinion the current list should be retained allowing flexibility to reconsider local bids.

7 REVIEW OF RURAL GRASS CUTTING

Mark Averill explained that consideration was being given to reducing the service and that the proposals were outlined in page 20 of the report.

A member asked if the proposal to devolve services was only applicable to Quality parishes. This was confirmed. The Chairman of West Wycombe Parish Council explained that they wished to network with other local parishes. Following a discussion it was agreed that the Quality parishes attend a meeting with Steve Orchard in the near future. This was agreed.

A lengthy discussion took place on the future status of quality parishes and it was suggested that this may need to be revisited. A member noted that the original intention was that quality councils are able to bid for funding and that a second criteria was that the clerk had undergone the training.

A member commended those parishes that have achieved quality status and she noted that there were issues surrounding attracting people to become a parish councillor and that on occasions some parish councils had difficulty in securing a quorum. This was noted.

In response to a question members were advised that a list of the proposed changes to the service would be published on the website. It was suggested that if grass were kept longer that the rat run would be reduced. Mark Averill replied that it had been proved that if visibility is reduced speeds will also be reduced. He acknowledged that it may be necessary to look at where the problems are. In response to a question regarding hedges it was noted that generally the majority are owned by the adjacent landowner.

8 NEWSLETTER

The Committee received the Spring Newsletter. A member congratulated officers on the publication.

The following were suggested as items for the July meeting: Waste, HGVs and quiet lanes.

During a discussion on quiet lanes Val Letheren explained that there was a no win situation. Following consultation it was not possible to impose restrictions that had been rejected by the DfT. Residents have concluded that they prefer the current situation than what is being offered to them. A member noted that in his opinion the Princes Risborough Cluster meeting in Longwick had successfully secured the rejection of the proposals because they did not want a deregulation sign with a quiet lane sign below it. Members were advised that a meeting was to take place with David Lidington at which a request would be made to lobby Parliament. Mark Averill reported that work had not yet commenced on the Culverton crossroads and that it was expected to start in late June/July.

9 RISBOROUGH AREA COMMUNITY ACTION (RACA) VISITOR PROJECT (MARKET TOWN INITIATIVE)

The Chairman welcomed John Hughes from Risborough Area Community Action (RACA) to the meeting.

John Hughes explained that the proposals were the result of a healthcheck in 2004. The key objectives were the development of local trade and transport. The aim was to exploit daily visitors and to attract a higher number of visitors to the town.

The strategy was to maximise the potential of the unique local environment. The aim was to restore Princes Risborough on the map and to make the town fit for a prince. This involved seeking to improve signage, informing education users and developing the town as a key regional player. Initially the profile of the town will be raised, the local economy will be boosted and this will result in benefits to the community.

In January 2007 RACA was awarded £40k and the current value of funds is £89k. A grant of £6k has been awarded by the Chilterns Conservation Board. New local businesses in the town include Hypnos and Marks and Spencer. In addition marquees have been provided for the weekly market.

John Hughes thanked Malcolm Godwin from BCC, Cheryl Hewitt from Wycombe District Council and Heather Brown the RACA Programme Manager for their support with the Project. He invited those with an interest in community and the environment and transport to help develop the project.

The Chairman thanked John Hughes for his presentation and noted that this was a good success story.

10 DELEGATED BUDGET 06/07 AND 07/08

Ian Reed reported that the lighting scheme in Desborough Road had not yet been completed and that a request for £4k had been received. He thanked the Local Coordinator Si Khan for her hard work and he noted that this represented a good example of work with the parishes.

A member reported that he had been approached by parents who were keen to introduce a crocodile walk to school route on the A4128 in . He explained that a survey had been conducted to establish the full width of the path and that his understanding was that a more modest scheme had been agreed. Mark Averill suggested that the scheme be reviewed to meet the requirements of the local member and the Parish Council.

A member from Princes Risborough Town Council expressed disappointment that the parking scheme in Station Road, Princes Risborough had been rejected and he asked that the Town Clerk is kept informed as it was to be considered again for 200 7/8. A member of the public raised an objection to grass cutting on Station Road. It was agreed that this be considered outside the meeting.

A member reported that that there were ongoing issues with residents parking in Princes Risborough. He asked if the £125k was for each of the 4 districts. In his opinion there should be a minimum of £25k allocated to each cluster. Another member noted that since £125k was originally allocated to local committees the size of projects has increased and he recommended that more powers be given to local committees to make them reflect the current situation. This was noted.

A member noted the reference to Marlow cluster and she asked if a meeting had ever taken place because she had not been informed. Ian Reed replied that the clerks would be meeting in late June and that it was anticipated that the first meeting would be in the autumn.

A member reported that the Post Office at Stokenchurch would be reinstated and that this would result in an increase in traffic/parked vehicles and that the A40/B482 junction scheme would need to be reviewed in the light of the new developments. It was agreed that the Cabinet Member for Transportation be asked to approve the schemes as set out in the report. This was noted and it was agreed that the matter would be revisited.

11 MILTON KEYNES, OXFORD AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE IMPROVEMENT PARTNERSHIP - IMPROVING COUNCIL SERVICES THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Ian Reed referred to the report on the Milton Keynes, Oxford and BCC Improvement Partnership and explained that this was supported by the IDA.

Jo Fowler, from Wycombe District Council reported that the project ran between April 2007 and April 2008 and aimed to secure effective engagement with young people as follows:

1 Citizens Participation – students in years 5 and 6 will ask the town and district to work on a citizenship programme. They will be invited to discuss how the community responds to the issues affecting them.

2 Princes Risborough Youth Council runs in Princes Risborough School and works with Princes Risborough Town Council and focuses on how to improve the local community. The Youth Town Council is linked with the Wycombe area council.

3 Monthly focus group provides and opportunity to speak.

The aim is for young people to understand what the Town Council does. A report will be prepared and will focus on the views of students in years 5 and 6.

A member asked if the report contained any information about social responsibility. Members were advised that the citizenship programme addresses how individuals’ actions affect the local community. This enables them to demonstrate concern for the environment.

John Hughes from RACA congratulated the Princes Risborough Town Council on including the Youth Council in their meetings and encouraging them to feel that they were participating. A member from Princes Risborough Town Council explained that in his opinion 98% of the young people in the Town Council’s area were law abiding and that there will always be a problem with the minority. He added that the NAGs have helped.

Members requested that the schools in the Princes Risborough area are invited to participate and that this is revisited by a future meeting of the local committee. This was agreed.

12 COMMUNITY SERVICE (NOW KNOWN AS COMMUNITY PUNISHMENT)

The Chairman welcomed Mike Coffey, Scheme Manager Thames Valley Probation Area to the meeting. Ian Reed explained that Mike Coffey had attended the Chepping Wye Valley cluster meeting and that his presentation had been well received.

Mike Coffey gave a presentation during which he made the following points:

• He is the Scheme Manager for Bucks Unpaid Work and that individuals are required to complete 40 – 300 hours of physically demanding work within a year. • Unpaid work is 1 of 12 requirements that the court can make when issuing a community order. • 65% of people work in supervised groups and 35% work in unsupervised groups. • In Buckinghamshire approximately 600 offenders complete about 4,000 hours of work each week. • The changes were initiated by Government and are linked with NAGs. • Members were advised that a free labour force was being provided and that this was generally unskilled people. • The aim was to manage the risk in the community and this provided an opportunity to effect changes to an offender. • A member asked if there was an opportunity to be integrated into a team. This was confirmed. Generally groups were of 6 people. • A member explained that in his opinion clearing rubbish was an ideal project for a group. • Mike Coffey explained that whilst he would be happy to work with communities on projects such as clearing graffiti they would not consider responsibility for jobs such as managing rubbish clearance. This was noted. • In response to a question members were advised that the group is aged 16 – 71. • A member requested a copy of the current list of jobs being completed. This was agreed.

13 LOCAL DELIVERY PLAN

The Committee received the Local Delivery Plan and noted the contents.

14 DATE OF NEXT AND FUTURE MEETINGS

Thursday 19 July 2007 at 6.00pm, in the General Higginson Room, Court Garden, Marlow.

CHAIRMAN