Agenda and draft minutes

Cllr Ashley Waite, Chair

Cllr Ashley Waite welcomed everyone to the meeting. Elaine Hassell gave an overview of the meeting agenda and went through housekeeping.

Elaine Hassall, Community Board Manager

The minutes of the meeting held on 14^th September 2023 were approved as a

correct record.

Elaine Hassall, Community Board Manager

None.

Elaine Hassall, Community Board Manager

Members were asked to review a Community Board priority each and explore ideas about how to drive them forward focusing on what is important to each parish.

Highlights

-       Road Safety- focus on cycleways, improved buses, driving Community Speedwatch

-       Health & Wellbeing/Cost of Living- focus on older people with specialist needs- concerns about pavements and risk of falls. Haddenham to Thame cycleway. Foodbank activity still taking place, Wednesday club in Haddenham- is there a need to do more of this type of activity? (including community transport). Cllr Ashley Waite highlighted that the Bernie Bus model can be expanded but volunteers are needed. Areas of poverty in board area- how to think about using greater resources to help people identify and get their homes insulated. Idea raised how streetlights could be run on solar power. Idea to do bike repair café.

-       Environment- Community Orchard currently taking place in Waddesdon, Berryfields looking at reducing litter, prevention of graffiti (how to work with young people through workshops etc). Opportunity to ask young people what they would want.

Action: Elaine will collate the feedback and share with all.

Action: All who have highlighted road issues to report on Fix My Street- FixMyStreet (buckinghamshire.gov.uk).

Action: All to contact Cllr Ashley Waite if interested in getting involved in an environment and cost of living/energy roadshow.  The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre has offered its space free of charge at the end of February 2024.

Action: Elaine to speak to youth team re Youth Ambassadors project.

Elaine Hassall, Community Board Manager

Elaine showcased some of the Community Board activity since the September meeting.

She attended the Haddenham Community Fair on Saturday 14^th September to promote the Community Board, this event was well attended and was a good way for the local community to publicise what it offers to new and existing residents.  One comment about starting up Walking Cricket for the over 60’s is currently being explored with a delivery partner.

Haddenham Community Greengrocers launched in October. The shop has paid and volunteer staff and moving forward is looking to source more local produce.

Haddenham Parish Council hosted the Bucks Community Energy event in October. Cllr Sue Lewis felt this event was valuable.  The Community Board environment and cost of living event will look to take the best practice from various similar events being held around the county.

Brill Village Common herd of cows won a Kings Award for voluntary service!

At the September board meeting, it was raised that more support was needed to understand the needs of older people. A Task and Finish group meeting took place to look for local ideas and Elaine has been visiting older people groups in Haddenham, Brill and Waddesdon to chat with members and find out their needs and how they are getting back to normality since Covid. A pilot project is currently being scoped.

Digital inclusion has been a big issue with older people groups – some are confident and have family members to support them and others find it a challenge when they cannot navigate services online.  Elaine is looking at how the Community Board can support this. Cllr Ashley Waite highlighted that the Communities Select Committee are also looking into this.

Action: all board members to suggest existing groups that may wish to take up digital inclusion sessions.

Elaine highlighted projects that the board has financially supported (see page 15 of presentation)

Cllr Ashley Waite, Chair

·       Buckinghamshire Council Update

·       Parish Workshops update

·       Proposal for an Energy and environmental event.

Regina Ichim, Berryfields Resident, was asked to provide some comments on her first experience of attending her local parish council meeting.

Regina fed back that communication is important, and this can be challenging.  The Parish Council (PC) are trying to promote themselves locally and reach out to all residents. Regina has a WhatsApp group with other members of her street and would like to expand this and then feedback comments to the parish council. She highlighted that a lot of Berryfields residents are new to the area and were not aware of the PC or what they were responsible for. She said Berryfields felt safe, but speeding traffic and lack of parking is an issue. The PC did investigate a welcome pack for new residents and are going to revisit how they promote what the responsibilities are of the PC and BC.  She felt notice boards were useful as another means of knowing what was happening and currently there was only 1 notice board in the whole of Berryfields.

Berryfields is a young/new area. Berryfields PC have set up a speeding/parking/traffic group to look at problems and solutions. It enables residents to be heard and to share with residents what is realistic and achievable. Engagement has so far been positive.

Rural Business- Cllr Ashley Waite highlighted his passion to support rural business- shops, pubs, garages but anyone that is operating a service (perhaps from home). Cllr Ashley Waite asked the board for their views on supporting local businesses. There were around 82 businesses on Westcott Venture Park alone.

Jane Perks from Waddesdon highlighted a business hub idea that is being developed for Waddesdon where local businesses are asked how they feel they can be supported locally. She is happy to offer support to other board members on the setting up of one.

Michael Heybrook supported the idea and its importance. Buckinghamshire exports graduates to other areas but wondered how Westcott is or could attract local graduates to retain our young people locally.

Cllr Ashley Waite highlighted that this would fit in to the Bucks Business First strategy.

The following questions were submitted in advance. 

1.      Nick Morgan – clerk to Aston Sandford Parish Council raised that the PC has received a notification that a single track, no through road into the village would be closed for 2 days in November for roadworks resulting in residents and businesses not being able to use their cars. The intended roadworks did not take place and the PC and residents were not informed.  

Elaine had obtained an initial response from the Streetworks Team that the works were cancelled, to be rescheduled owning to the amount of rainfall and that updates are provided on One Network which is the UK cloud-based map that all local authorities use to alert residents to roadworks, diversions and road closures. Nick felt this response was inadequate and that One. Network did not reflect the status of activity on the road.

Action: Elaine has gone back to the Highways Service  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Elaine Hassall, Community Board Manager

Not discussed due to time.

Thursday 15^th February 2024 at 6.30 pm at Haddenham Village Hall

TBA