Agenda and draft minutes

The Chairman welcomed attendees to the meeting and highlighted the purpose of the Community Board.

Apologies were received from John Hatton, Ross Massey, James Baldby, Colin Mcgreogor, Julian Ingram and Cllr Andrew Wood.

There were none.

The minutes of the meeting held 16 November were agreed as an accurate record.

Simon James, Service Director Education

Simon James, Service Director for Education, Buckinghamshire Council provided an update on Council matters. The update was appended to these minutes and the following points were highlighted:

• The Local Heritage List had been developed with further details available online https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/buckinghamshire.
• The Council had secured funding for electric vehicle charge points and welcomed suggestions for locations from Community Boards.
• Following a call for further potential sites, areas for development as part of the Local Plan would be published.
• The Tourism Survey closed on the 17th February and the findings would be published soon. The survey would contribute to the Council’s Visitor Economy Strategy which seeks to promote growth and opportunities in the county.
• All consultations were available to view online Your Voice Bucks - Citizen Space. 
• The Local cycling and walking infrastructure plans would be fedback to the Community Board once available.
• Any school related updates were welcomed particularly any schools which had undergone an Ofsted inspection to feedback how it went.
• There was a school’s competition to design a crown for the King’s coronation in May. The winner would receive a prize on behalf of the Council judged by one of the Buckinghamshire Swans. Board members were encouraged to promote the competition and the prize would be awarded at an awards ceremony in June.

Following queries at the last meeting members were encouraged to contact Naomi Batson, Head of South Waste and Street Scene Service with any major waste issues.

It was clarified the On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS) would be funded by a grant from central government.

Members were asked for the feedback regarding the Council’s infrastructure survey as part of a wider call for views. Members of the Board had submitted suggestions particularly around rights of way and improving connectivity in the area.

Questions from members of the public can be submitted in advance of the meeting to denhamgxchalfonts@Buckinghamshire.gov.uk 

Tilehouse Lane Petition

Presentation of report, Neil O’Leary

Neil O’Leary, Network Safety Team Leader provided an update on the Tilehouse Lane petition for traffic calming. The report was appended to these minutes. The residents of Tilehouse Lane south in Denham requested the Council consider traffic calming measures to reduce speeding at the junction with Tilehouse Way. The recommendations from the report supported the deployment of MVAS and the implementation of the Community Speed Watch in conjunction with Thames Valley Police. It was highlighted this area did not meet the Council’s criteria for funding for traffic calming however, it supported the engagement of the Parish Council and Thames Valley Police. Potential developer funding from HS2 would be explored.

Gary Calder a resident of Tilehouse Lane highlighted the speeding issues on the road with over 300 cars using the road during peak hours. Residents were liaising with the Parish Council to install the MVAS equipment and there were nine residents seeking to join the Community Speed Watch. There was a particular issue with motorists joining Tilehouse Lane from the A412 and not reducing their speed.

Cllr Sharon Williams, Denham Paris Council advised discussions were underway with Buckinghamhsire Council for the installation of the MVAS and it was hoped this would be installed in the next few weeks. 

The Thames Valley Police Neigbourhood Policing Newsletter was appended to these minutes. Further updates were included on the TVP social media accounts  https://twitter.com/@tvp_southbucks and TVP South Buckinghamshire - Home | Facebook. The pony and trap issue alongside road safety was highlighted, with Liz Charter scheduled to attend a stakeholder meeting with the police inspector and Buckinghamshire Council Community Safety team on Monday. The Community Board was limited in action it could take to address this issue however, they would co-ordinate and facilitate further discussions.

Members of the Board highlighted the pony and trap issue was very important to the community and expressed disappointment a solution had not been implemented sooner. It was discussed that enforcement was challenging and the police might seek a wider injunction for the road to prevent racing. Injunctions had been successful in preventing the issue on other roads and it was noted it could be useful to contact the Council’s legal team for further information.  

Summary

The Chairman provided a Community Board update and review of the previous financial year. The following points were highlighted:

• The total value of projects supported by the Board to date is £268,000 in 2022-23 supporting local projects which benefited the community.
• The Board engagement event in 2022 held at Colston Hall, Gerrards Cross was well attended and a similar event was planned for this year.
• The Board engaged with key partners including regular meetings with Town and Parish Councils and Board Chairmen. There was collaboration with organisations in Buckinghamshire who had similar outlooks working within the community. The Board newsletter highlighted the key projects and achievements over the past few months.
• In terms of lessons learnt from the past year, further contact with local schools and young people was needed. It was highlighted whilst funding projects was part of the Board’s function it was not its only aim. There was the potential to provide funding in tranches with the majority of funding allocated at the start of the financial year.

There would be a great focus on staying in touch with funding recipients to see if they required further help and to showcase projects to the community. The action groups would be publicised further to attract greater participation from residents and local communities.

CSG Playground Jane Chamberlain

Denham Memory Café Sharon Williams

Liz Charter, Community Board Manager highlighted a number of recent projects which focused on the cost of living crisis. There was a multi-Board project to provide disadvantaged families with food hampers over the Christmas period which had been very successful. A number of community buildings were operating as warm spaces over the winter period for residents. St Mark’s Church in Denham would be open every Wednesday

afternoon until the end of March for residents to use.

Cllr Jane Chamberlain, Chalfont St Giles Parish Council provided an update on the playground project in the village.

• The playground was situated on Pheasant Hill playing fields in the heart of the village adjacent to a popular duck pond and the village green.
• Local residents advised via a survey they were in favour of refurbishing the playground. As the HS2 tunnel passed directly under the playground they agreed to fund half of the project if the Parish Council matched this. The Community Board have provided funds alongside the Parish Council.
• The project was put out for tender before Christmas with HAGs the chosen supplier. The HAGs design was fully inclusive of all children and had a woodland feel to blend aesthetically into the village.
• The playground would be completed by June 2023 and a celebration event would be held in June with all interested parties invited. The progress of the project would be included in the local newsletter and on social media.
• Chalfont St Giles Parish Council expressed their thanks to the Community Board for funding and supporting this project.

Sharon Williams provided an update on Denham Memory Café. The café is held monthly and is a welcoming space for all residents and their carers. The January café included a free session on chair yoga which was accessible for all attending. It was requested to let Liz Charter know all future dates for the café which so they could be added to the Community Board’s newsletter. 

Priority review

Feedback from survey (Areas of focus for the year ahead)

Action Groups

Liz Charter and the Chairman presented the item on looking ahead for the next year.

The following points regarding the budget, priorities looking forward and the Community Board survey were highlighted:

• A budget setting meeting was held on 26^th January to review the funds spent to date and remaining funds.
• The Board had spent £105,602 by the 21^st February with £8603 remaining spend. There was £10,000 funding currently going through the process however, not all projects would be supported this financial year.
•  The full list of projects the Board had funded and those in process were listed on the slides.
• The aims of the Board were listed with the top priorities for the year 2022/23 including the environment, health and wellbeing, community safety and highways and economic regeneration.

• A breakdown of spending by priority area was highlighted with 57% of funding going to community building and health and wellbeing focused projects. It was noted there were no economic regeneration projects funded this year.
• A breakdown of the Community Board survey was provided with the questions on the survey coming from the corporate and existing Board priorities, as well as input from services.
• In terms of the survey respondents there was a proportionate response from all areas in the Board with the majority residing in the area. The demographic of respondents was largely white British males and females over sixty years old. The profiles of the Board area compared to Buckinghamshire was highlighted.
• A Member of the Board queried the mandate for priority setting based on a sample of Board members. It was advised the survey provided the Board with a flavour of the important issues for Board members. There was also a query regarding the transport statistics for the Board area with a lower proportion of residents not having access to a car compared to the whole of Buckinghamshire. It was highlighted this did not address the issues with public transport access in the Board area with a greater emphasis on community transport needed.
• The priorities for 2023-24 were confirmed as community safety, infrastructure and highways, sustainability, health and wellbeing. A member of the Board commented on the importance of sustainability including better public transport for residents. Health and wellbeing was also important to focus on preventing diseases and illnesses in the community.   
• There would be a greater focus on action groups to relate to each priority and explore specific issues. Members should have an active interest and be knowledgeable on the action group priority. 
• The presentation featured a list of the current and proposed Chairs and Vice Chairs for the action groups. It was noted Cllr Guy Hollis would be Vice-Chair for health and wellbeing action group and Cllr Jane Chamberlain Chair for sustainability.
• The Community Board aspirations were listed. The Board was essential in promoting local connections and was not just focused on funding local projects.                               

A Member of the Board queried the arrangements for street parties for the Kings coronation in May. It was noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

12^th July 6pm via MS Teams