Agenda and minutes

Welcome from Cllr David Anthony, Chairman of the Beeches Community Board

The Chairman welcomed the members and guests to the Beeches Community Board meeting. It was noted that Andy Chapman had taken up the role as the Beeches Community Board Coordinator.

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 28 October 2021 as an accurate record.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 28 October 2021 were agreed as an accurate record.

None.

To receive an update on Council-wide matters of interest from the Director of Education, Simon James

Andy Chapman, Beeches Coordinator, presented this item on behalf of Simon James, Service Director for Education. Members were informed of 2 public consultations made available on the Your Voice Bucks website. The first of these was for the Local Plan for Buckinghamshire. This would outline where new development would be created and what areas should be protected. The plan would also identify the challenges for residents such as affordable housing, commuting journeys, and finding local employment opportunities. On a more county-wide scope, the plan would explore topics including climate change and the local economy. This consultation was open until Friday 11 February 2022.

The second consultation was regarding the Local Government Boundary Commission. Members and residents were asked to share their views on potential boundaries, such as which communities should be in the same ward, shared facilities (parks, leisure centres), or to identify strong boundaries (roads, rivers, railways). After this initial survey, a 12-week consultation would be conducted and then the proposals taken to Parliament in Spring 2023.

Members noted the Health on the Move vaccination van, providing first, second, and booster jabs. Details of this could be found on the Clinical Commissioning Group website and Members were requested to promote this initiative locally.

Regarding electric vehicle charging points, it was noted that in the last year, Buckinghamshire Council provided charging points had increased from 38 to 70. These could be found in council-owned car parks or in some residential areas. Parish Councils were invited to bid for funding from the Office of 0 Emissions to install charging points on land they own. For more information, please contact Andy Chapman on: andy.chapman@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

The Community Board noted the Service Review presented by Simon Garwood, Localism Manager. Mr Garwood explained that the end of the economic year was a time to look back and reflect on the Community Board, to review how it works and what to improve. It was agreed that the board should focus on community engagements and development, working in partnership to allocate funds on key local priorities. Regarding the enquiry into a local youth council, it was explained that this would be a project the Community Board would develop further going forward.

The feedback from Members on the service review was positive, as it would grant the boards greater freedom to identify and work on local priorities. It was mentioned that it would be beneficial for the budget to roll over into the next financial year and to have greater officer support. It was suggested that there should be scope for greater cross-Community Board working. It was agreed that the Community Board should identify set goals and be more proactive in reaching out to partners in the community. Andy Chapman explained that this level of community engagement had previously been limited by COVID-19.

a)      Infrastructure & Highways

b)      Supporting Economic Development

c)      Improving Our Environment

d)      Wellbeing

a)      Infrastructure & Highways

Councillor Ralph Bagge updated the Community Board on the Infrastructure and Highways action group. A meeting had been arranged for Wednesday 9 February 2022 to review the project initiation documents from Transport for Bucks (TfB) in response to the requests from Parish Councils. The proposals would be discussed to see whether they meet the needs of the commissioning councils and whether it fits in with the budget. Members noted the schemes that had been recently put forward including:

·       Bids from Dorney Parish Council, Taplow Parish Council, and Stoke Poges Parish Council for extended barriers on footpaths outside of schools.

·       Bid from Burnham Parish Council for bike racks.

It was agreed that a list of all current applications would be appended to these minutes.

Councillor George Sandy later called for the speed limit restrictions in Marsh Lane, Taplow to be reinstated. It was also suggested that the group consider speed restrictions for the junction by Taplow Common Road and Clifton Road.

b)      Supporting Economic Development

Councillor George Sandy presented the update for the Supporting Economic Development action group. Members were informed of the following points:

·       The action group had received a presentation from Buckinghamshire Business First on how to encourage economic development and get people engaged with businesses.

·       The group was still exploring the possibility of reviewing parking charges to allow for half-an-hour free parking to support retailers in Burnham.

·       The advantage card scheme had been revitalised, with an updated website showing the new offers available. As of this meeting, there was 15 retailers displaying window stickers and posters were displayed on the Highstreet.

·       Councillor Thomas Hogg discussed the possibility of a coworking space and it was agreed that this would be a planning matter.

c)      Improving Our Environment

Councillor Dev Dhillon presented an update for the Improving Our Environment action group. The following points were raised:

·       The action group were looking at the possibility of community water fountains and bike racks in Farnham Royal.

·       The highways pilot project in Taplow to promote recycling.

·       The solar panel initiative in High Wycombe.

·       An application for bike racks in Burnham.

·       Issues with complaints being responded to in a timely manner. It was suggested that these be escalated directly to the relevant cabinet members and deputy cabinet members.

In the discussion that followed, it was noted that the Burnham area was having difficulties with household collections taking small electrical items. Councillor Nick Naylor, Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Regulatory Services, informed the Community Board that this had been raised with the responsible Cabinet Member and was awaiting a response.

George Chapman, Burnham Rotary Club, supported the recommendation for funding water taps in Burnham. The benefits of this was noted as reducing plastic waste and littering. Mr Chapman suggested monitoring the success of this initiative and to look at spreading the initiative more widely in the county.

d)      Wellbeing

 Councillor Trevor Egleton updated the Members on the Wellbeing Action Group. The group had met twice since the last Beeches  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Andy Chapman, Community Board Coordinator, presented this item. Members noted the revised budget of £195,757 as of November 2021. As of this meeting, the board had committed to spend £109,082, which equated to 56% of the total budget. This left £86,675 of the budget remaining. Mr Chapman explained that there were still projects in the pipeline, totalling to £59,411. If agreed, this would decrease the total remaining budget to £27,000. The following projects were noted as agreed:

·       Hope Café

·       Dementia Friendly Gentle Exercise Classes

·       Eco Church

·       CHAT Charity

The Board was informed of pending projects in the pipeline including:

·       Intergenerational project

·       Active in the Community

·       Water fountain installations in Burnham

·       Rogers Lane Aldridge Place Fencing

·       MVAS Taplow Parish Council

·       MVAS Dorney Parish Council

·       Refresh – a cross-board application to fund the creation of a reuse, repair and repurpose scheme and development of the former Wycombe Resource Zone.

To receive any questions from members of the public

There were no questions from the public for this item.

The Community Board noted that work was going towards developing the action plan and would be ready for discussion at the next meeting on Tuesday 26 April 2022.

Tuesday, 26 April 2022 at 6pm

Tuesday 26 April 2022 at 6pm.