Agenda and minutes

Venue: This meeting is being held on MS Teams. Please note that this meeting will be recorded and will subsequently be available to view via the Buckinghamshire Council website.

Contact: Jackie Binning (Community Board Co-ordinator)  Sally Taylor (Democratic Services Meeting Support)

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Welcome/Introductions/Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and advised that the meeting would be recorded and available online.  Apologies were received from Marcus Angell.  [It was clarified after the meeting that Marcus Angell was not a West Wycombe Parish Councillor as stated by Jackie Binning, Community Board Co-ordinator].

 

Councillor Bill Bendyshe-Brown had a prior appointment and needed to leave the Community Board at 7.00 pm.  Therefore, Item 5 - Funding was discussed before Item 4 – Priorities – Update from the subgroups.

2.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

3.

Notes of the last meeting pdf icon PDF 454 KB

To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2020 and review any actions.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  The minutes of the meeting held on 30 September 2020 were AGREED as an accurate record.

4.

Priorities - Update from the Subgroups pdf icon PDF 358 KB

Representative from each subgroup to provide an update on progress.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee Members had received the subgroup reports, appended to the minutes, and the Chairman of each subgroup provided an update.

 

Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour – Jackie Binning, on behalf of Councillor Bill Bendyshe-Brown, reported that one meeting had taken place since the last Community Board (CB) meeting; a number of local residents, Transitions UK, Thames Valley Police (TVP) and 7Roadlight had attended in addition to the subgroup members.    Transitions UK and 7Roadlight were able to offer solutions which could help young people who at were risk of offending and/or criminal activities and would present a combined proposal at the next subgroup meeting on 25 November 2020.  The Neighbourhood Officer from TVP was interested in working with the CB on delivering Cop Cards to year 6 children.

 

Economic Regeneration – Councillor Teif Jones stated that since the last CB meeting the subgroup had held discussions with Jacqueline Ford, Economic Development Officer, Buckinghamshire Council (BC) and Philippa Batting, Chief Executive Officer, Bucks Business First (BBF).  It had been agreed that more information was required on the needs of local businesses and that a survey would be carried out.   The next meeting would consider what information was needed to create and build a database.

 

Environmental and Climate Change – Councillor David Knights advised that the subgroup had thought about what could be carried out locally to make a difference and had approved the project proposed by Chiltern Rangers which consisted of 15 different schemes across the area.  The group would also consider how it could join up with other groups to support or fund economic development and transport schemes.  In response to a query on whether the subgroup had been in contact with the Chilterns Conservation Board regarding the Chalk, Cherries and Chairs Project; D Knights stated he was aware of the project and that Chiltern Rangers were involved in delivering the project.  However, it was not part of the funding bid from Chiltern Rangers as the Chalk, Cherries and Chairs project was funded by the Lottery.    Councillor Steven Broadbent highlighted that the Chiltern Society had recently held an online ‘Cleaner Greener Chilterns’ conference and the report emphasised the need to increase carbon literacy.  It was agreed that the subgroup would look into the possibility of educating residents on carbon literacy.

 

Traffic and Road Issues – Jim Stevens, on behalf of Councillor Bill Bendyshe-Brown, reported that the subgroup had met once since the last meeting.  The group had made good progress and agreed two new objectives:

 

·     Cycling and Cycle ways

·     Carbon Emissions Reduction (from transport – i.e. looking at how transport contributed, through exhaust gases, to climate change and local air quality)

 

The work on carbon emissions could be worked on jointly with the Environmental and Climate Change subgroup.   As detailed in the report, appended to the minutes, a range of issues had been discussed including two strategic issues:

 

·     A potential draft strategy for the A4010 had been agreed by the subgroup.  The blue light services used the A4010 and it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Funding pdf icon PDF 390 KB

To review funding reports.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Jackie Binning, Community Board Co-ordinator advised that the funding reports, appended to the minutes, had been circulated to the CB members.  J Binning ran through the reports; the transport related schemes were all pre-existing Local Area Forum applications. 

 

Red Kite Radio – Support for Red Kite Radio following Covid 19 - £2,000 (a new application). 

Chiltern Rangers – Young People, Environmental Conservation Wellbeing Project £16,900 (a new application).

Lacey Green PC - Lacey Green Parking Restrictions – £10,124.83 (The total cost of the project was approximately £20,000.  The work started last year, the Local Area Forum did not contribute any funding, therefore the CB would provide match funding of approximately £5,000 plus the remaining £5,000.  Lacey Green Parish Council paid just under £5,000 in October 2019 and were providing £5,000 match funding this year).

Bledlow cum Saunderton PC - Saunderton Vale Parking Scheme - £5,566.90.

Princes Risborough Town Council - Whiteleaf Road Markings – £5,160.

Downley PC - Junction Protection Markings – £2507.64.

 

A number of Downley residents attended the meeting; Alwen Mann stated that she could not understand why the junction protection markings at Mines Close had been rejected by Downley Parish Council (PC).  The junction was a risk; visibility was obstructed by vehicles parking on the pavement, restricting access for residents and other vehicles.  Parking along Plomer Green Lane blocked vision and provided a hazard.      Councillor Bendyshe-Brown explained that Mines Close had been presented to the subgroup but Downley PC had not supported the Mines Close application as Councillor Mallen had not formally put in the request to Downley PC at that time and the CB protocol was that funding could not be approved without parish council agreement.   Councillor Moyra Lazenby, Chairman of Downley PC, added that Councillor Mallen had not received the previous emails requesting she attend the Downley PC meetings.  However, Councillor Mallen had recently submitted the formal request and Mines Close would be on the agenda at the meeting on Tuesday 24 November 2020.  If Downley PC supported the request, it would be referred back to the sub-group and would be included in next year’s funding application.

 

After a discussion on the project initiation document and whether the CB was being asked to agree an item which did not have match funding agreement from the PC; the Chairman clarified that the funding report did not include Mines Close and on that basis, the funding report was agreed.

 

RESOLVED:  All the funding applications mentioned above were AGREED.

6.

Community Matters pdf icon PDF 353 KB

Covid Update: Covid update/Procedure for Cllr Crisis Fund.

Consultations: Review of Countywide and local.

Question Time: To respond to any questions received.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Jackie Binning provided a presentation on the Councillor Crisis Fund, appended to the minutes.  The following key points were highlighted:

 

Covid Update

  • 879 Buckinghamshire residents tested positive for coronavirus, which represented a weekly rate of 161.6 cases per 100,000 residents
  • Cases had increased by 11% compared to the previous week.
  • Case numbers in the former district areas were as follows:

Ø   272 cases in the former Aylesbury Vale district area

Ø   119 cases in the former Chiltern district area

Ø   151 cases in the former South Bucks district area

Ø   337 cases in the former Wycombe district area

  • The 30-44 age group had the highest number of cases at 240.
  • Hospital admissions had increased in the Frimley Health (Wexham Park Hospital) area and in Milton Keynes. 
  • It was estimated that only 1 in 5 people nationally followed the self-isolation rules.
  • There were mobile testing sites at Buckingham Rugby Club, Princes Risborough School, High Wycombe Park and Ride, Marlow Rugby Club and Gerrards Cross.

 

Councillor Crisis Fund – The funding procedure was sent to all board members on 10 November 2020.  Any board member, community group, Town and Parish Council or local organisation could put forward a request by email to the Community Board Crisis Fund, but should have an initial discussion with the board co-ordinator, Chairman or Vice Chairman before submitting to avoid unnecessary duplication.  Once agreed that the request was viable, the board co-ordinator would send on behalf of the Chairman and Vice Chairman, an email to all community board members who would be given 48 hours to respond if they were against the funding being granted.

 

Examples of what could be supported were provided e.g. food, petrol, community transport initiatives to support local deliveries, set up and communication of local support and delivery schemes, emergency repairs, on-line initiatives to reduce social isolation and/or increase community cohesion. 

 

The scheme did not cover initiatives where it would create an on-going financial commitment; pay individuals; a repeat application for the same group within a month; for sponsorship of people for fund raising projects or where funding was the responsibility of Buckinghamshire Council.

 

J Binning confirmed that the presentation would be circulated to the CB members.

ACTION:  J Binning

 

Consultations – The Consultation and Engagement Activities document, appended to the minutes, had been circulated to the CB members for information.

 

Public Questions – no public questions had been received.

7.

Date of the next meeting

Thursday 11 March 2021.

Minutes:

Thursday 11 March 2021 at 6.30 pm.