Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Wendy Matthews, welcomed the Community Board to the meeting.

Apologies had been received from Cllr Ralph Bagge, Paula Carter, Cllr Paul Griffin, Debbie Valman, Cerys Williams, Tim L’Angellier, Graham Young and Joyce Young.

There were no declarations of interest.

The notes of the meeting held on 21 November 2022 were agreed as an accurate record. 

It was noted that all the actions set out in the action notes had been carried out.  The Community Board thanked Liz Charter (Community Manager) and Makyla Devlin (Senior Community Manager)for supporting the Community Board over the last few weeks.

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

Petition - Iverdale Close, Iver

Following the discussion of the above petition at the Community Board’s last meeting on 21 November (further details can be found in the notes from that meeting), Councillor Sullivan contacted Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB).

In response to the Community Board’s question regarding whether fixed visibility mirrors to aid exit from Iverdale Close would be useful, Councillor Sullivan was advised that current TfB guidance on the installation of a mirror was as follows:

“TfB cannot permit, and does not install, mirrors on the highway. Although installing a mirror where visibility is restricted does seem a reasonable solution, there are a number of issues that the installation of a mirror may introduce, which could impact negatively on road safety. These include;

• Distortion of reflected image, glare from sunlight or headlamps affecting the driver’s vision.

• Visibility issues during bad weather (rain, snow, frost).

• Difficulty judging speed of an approaching vehicle from the mirror image.

• Maintenance issues – mirrors could be prone to vandalism and maintenance of their alignment and cleanliness is critical; therefore there is an ongoing associated maintenance cost.

• Reliance on the mirror’s restricted image may compromise the safety of other road users (pedestrians and cyclists) who do not appear in the mirror.

However, should a resident wish to site a mirror appropriately and safely on private land, TfB would not seek to remove it unless complaints of problems similar to those outlined above are made. However, planning permission may be required.

In addition, when placing a highway mirror on private property consideration must be given to public liability implications and risk assessment in the event that the mirror is cited as a contributory factor in a road traffic accident. Should Transport for Buckinghamshire ascertain that road safety is being compromised as a result of a mirror being placed not in but near to the highway, the mirror would be removed.”

The Community Board noted that there were also a number of issues that TfB had raised relating to the potential use of signage.

Taking all this into account and as there had been no further follow up from the petitioner, the Community Board agreed to take no further action on this issue.

a)      Presentations from recipients of funding

i)        Debbie Valman, Programme Manager (Thames Valley) Groundwork South

ii)      Tim L’Angellier, Group Scout Leader

iii)    Delaford Colts

iv)    Iver Parish Council (Jem Day Deputy Clerk)

v)      Wexham Parish Council, George Green Juniors Football Club, Storage shed (Geoffrey Spring)

The Community Board received presentations from the following recipients of funding:

i) Circular Walks Green Enhancement - Groundwork South

Stuart Pomeroy set out the aims of the project and how these had been met:

1. Improve the Environment and Protect Buckinghamshire’s Green Space:

·       Two new Colne Valley Circular Walks (Iver and Langley) had been designed and two new information boards for Iver have been commissioned. 

·       Work was scheduled for February 2023 to improve the walks on the ground with a walk round by contractor and Groundwork staff, litter picking, cutting back overgrowth and making improvements as necessary for walkers.

·       Four free sessions at Iver Environment Centre had been offered to Iver Primary Schools. 

·       Permission was being sought to plant wildflower strips along the circular walk routes.

2. Contribute to the Buckinghamshire’s post covid economic regeneration efforts:

·       The post covid effect had hampered the recruitment of staff to deliver this aim. Despite going to market three times, a manager and leader to run a ‘Green Team’ could not be found.  However, Groundwork South was able to ensure that another project, which happened late last year and involved trainees, was directed to delivering improvements to the Langley Circular Walk and in particular the Slough Arm of the canal. 

·       Ambitions for the ‘Green Team’ element of the project continued and GroundWork South had now recruited a management team.  Whilst they would not start in time for this project, they would be following up with other teams of trainees in the area and had agreements with contractors that those trainees would get guaranteed interviews following their courses.

3. To carry out key green infrastructural improvement of walkways across the target areas:

·       Groundwork South had made directional roundels for the walks which would be put up on the routes.

·       The two Colne Valley Circular walks leaflets had been reprinted and would be delivered to the Parish Council offices for giving out to the public and would be made available in the Colne Valley Park Visitor Centre as well as other County Parks. It was also available on the website.

·       Contractors were repairing the small bridge over a ditch near the River Colne at Little Britain and the bench on that stretch. They would also be doing a walk and repair along the length of each walk.

4. To map out opportunities for Biodiversity Enhancement:

·       A local led initiative was underway to map the Ivers using GIS and to produce maps that incorporate layers of information taken from a range of sources such as historic OS maps, Magic Maps, local knowledge and biological records. 

In the discussion which followed, Stuart explained that the mapping project involved the mapping of wildlife in the area and was looking at what opportunities there were for biodiversity enhancement.  This could then be used as evidence for funding applications and would also help inform restoration works.

In response to a question about river pollution, Stuart explained that there were issues with water quality in local rivers due to the dumping of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Chairman – Cllr Wendy Matthews

Councillor Wendy Matthews provided the Community Board with an overview of all the projects, which the Community Board supported during 2021-2022.  The Community Board’s contribution to these projects totalled £120,245.86.  The total scheme value, taking into account voluntary contributions, was £153,076.21.

More information on the projects could be found on pages 15-54 of the agenda pack.

[Post meeting note - the following project overview reports were attached to these notes;

·       The Defibrillator and New Entrance Door Project at Iver Village Hall;

·       Iver & Stoke Poges Dementia Friendly Gentle Exercise Class;

·       The Iver Heath Village Hall Car Park Refurbishment;

·       The Kingfisher Gardens Project;

·       The Ivers Good Neighbour Scheme Social Exclusion Grant Activity Report; and

·       A Bridge to a Growing Adventure Project at Iver Environment Centre.]

As part of the overview, Ann Mayling also provided an update on the Ivers Hive, which was a community support group run by volunteers that supported families across the Ivers.

The Community Board were pleased to note the successes of all the projects, which had received funding, and the positive impact they had made to the lives of those who lived in Wexham and The Ivers.   

Senior Community Manager Makyla Devlin

Makyla Devlin (Senior Community Manager) provided an update on the Community Board budget position. The following points were raised:

·         £55,146.29 of the £90,475.00 budget for 2022/23 had been spent to date (as of 20 February 2023).  The total scheme value, taking into account voluntary contributions, was £67,440.29.

·         Funding allocated or potential projects to date totalled £8,285.00 (as of 9 February 2023).

·         There was £27,043.71 remaining for 2022-23 (as of 9 February 2023).

·         Funding applications that had been received and reviewed as part of the funding process between 1 April 2022 to 9 February 2023 were as follows:

Applications approved:

§  Cllr Wendy Matthews - Ivers Parking Scheme: £36,729.89

§  1^st Iver Heath Scouts - Scouts Outdoor Equipment: £990.00

§  Iver Community Association - ICA Replacement Doors: £1,265.00

§  Richings Park Residents Association - Richings Christmas: £800.00

§  Black Park Model Boat Club - Facilities Improvement and Promotion: £1,359.00 (£200 contributory funding)

§  Orchard Park Residents Association - New Notice Board: £720.00

§  Mehiel Foundation - Christmas Sacks of Hope: £1,358.00 (£500 contributory funding) 

Applications going through the due diligence process:

§  Richings Players - Richings Players Storage: £7,690.00 (£2,309.00 contributory funding) - application pending

§  Iver Heath Bowls Club - Bowls Club Gazebos: £595.00 – application pending

Pipeline Highways – required reserved:

§  Wexham Parish Council - Wexham Fencing: £12,923.82 (£1,000 contributory funding) - approved reserved.

In the discussion which followed, it was noted that applications for this financial year were now closed and therefore any applications, which were submitted, would now be considered for the next financial year. In response to a question, Makyla confirmed that the underspend from 2022/23 would be carried forward to next year’s budget. 

In response to a question regarding a reduction in the 2023/24 budget, Makyla confirmed that whilst there was a reduction in the 2023/24 budget, the underspend from 2022/23, which was being carried over, would top up the budget for 2023/24. 

Following a question regarding the status of Wexham Parish Council’s fencing application, the Chairman advised that the application had been approved and would be delivered in the next financial year. The Chairman explained that the work had been handed over to the Council’s new contractor. 

In response to a comment about how the 2022/23 priorities were displayed on the Council’s website, Makyla said she would check the website to ensure that the priorities were displayed correctly.  Action: Makyla Devlin

The Community Board thanked Makyla for the update.

Action group updates 

Review of existing priorities

Discussion on future priorities

An update was provided on the following Priority Action Groups:

·       Air Quality

§  The Community Board’s kit was ready and would shortly be given to the Community Board to use.

§  A meeting would be arranged once the kit was received to discuss how to use the kit and carry the work out.

§  The Group would be receiving an update on the action plan.

§  A concern was raised that Iver was not getting as much support on air quality as other areas in Buckinghamshire such as Marlow. It was noted that air quality was still a big issue for Iver and there was a need for effective action.

·       HGV’s

§  A document had been circulated to the Group for completion to record where the main issues were and where the main focus of the work should be. This would help to prioritise the work to be carried out. Members of the Group were encouraged to complete the document as soon as possible.

·       Active Travel

§  A meeting would be set up to discuss the routes which had been identified and to look at how to spend the funding.

§  The importance of moving forward with this work was highlighted.

·       Youth Provision

§  The action notes from the last meeting would be circulated shortly. 

§  The Group were looking into carrying out a piece of work which would involve speaking to young people (12-16 year olds) to gain a better understanding of the issues they were facing to help inform future provision. 

The Community Board thanked Andy Chapman (Community Board Manager) and Caroline Green (Community Group Manager) for supporting the Groups over the last few weeks.

Following a discussion, Members of the Community Board agreed that they were happy to continue with the current priorities, as these were still very relevant to the Community Board area.   With regard to the Working Groups, the Chairman advised that they were looking for more representation from the Wexham area to sit on the Action Groups. A Member of the Community Board raised a concern that there was an issue with HGVs, especially tipper trucks, in Wexham and therefore it was noted that the HGV Action Group would be especially relevant.   

A Member of the Community Board made a suggestion for two possible future priorities, which were ‘the regeneration of the high street’ and ‘improving public transport’.  In relation to improving public transport, it was noted that the Council was piloting a ‘Pick Me Up’ Service using Carousel buses in certain areas of High Wycombe.  This service would provide flexible travel, no fixed timetable and routes that would be determined by passenger bookings.  A suggestion was made to invite James Loader (Buckinghamshire Council’s Head of Public Transport) to the next Community Board meeting to provide more information on the pilot.  Action: Aniqah Sultan

Service Director - Sarah Keyes

Sarah Keyes (Service Director for Human Resources & Organisational Development) drew attention to the document circulated with the agenda reports pack which detailed several key updates from Buckinghamshire Council. These were as follows:

·       Using government funding, the Council had developed a  Local Heritage List to protect some of the most important heritage sites in the county that contribute to the local character of Buckinghamshire.  A question was asked if sites identified in the Neighbourhood Plan had been automatically included in the list.  It was not known if this was the case, but it was noted that this could be checked against the list of heritage sites identified on the Council’s website.

·       After successfully securing £407k from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) via their On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), the Council would now be installing 128 new EV parking bays in 16 of its car parks across the county. The work should be completed by April 2023. In response to a query on the 1^st round of funding and what car parks had been selected, Sarah advised that she would send more information on the 1^st round of funding to Aniqah Sultan for circulation to the Community Board. ACTION: Sarah Keyes

The Council was now looking for other opportunities to broaden the public charging network in local town and village community car parks in Buckinghamshire.  The aim was to submit a combined bid to the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme in March 2023 to provide funding for this initiative. In response to a question regarding how sites were identified, Sarah advised that she would send more information on the process of identifying sites to Aniqah Sultan for circulation to the Community Board. Action: Sarah Keyes

·       Local Plan update – following the wider call for brownfield sites last year, a list of other sites submitted would be available in the coming weeks.  Officers had started the process of evaluating each of the sites against the criteria of suitability for their chosen use, availability and deliverability over the plan period to 2040.

·       A Visitor Economy Survey had been carried out, which would help shape the future of Buckinghamshire’s visitor economy sector.  The survey would be an important contributor to a Visitor Economy Strategy, which was currently being developed by Buckinghamshire Council and its partners. 

·       Other consultations being carried out by Council could be viewed at  https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/

The Community Board thanked Sarah for the update.

Chairman – Cllr Wendy Matthews

The Community Board noted the written policing update, which had been circulated with the agenda pack.

The Ivers Neighbourhood Plan -  It was noted that the result of the referendum was that more than half of those voting had voted in favour of Buckinghamshire Council using The Ivers Neighbourhood Plan to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area.  This means that the Plan would now be adopted as part of local planning policy to assess planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area.

TBC.