Agenda item

Community Safety TS

Sustainability Action Group JC

Infrastructure & Highways JR/DB

Health & Wellbeing ID

Community Safety – Cllr Tony Shinner – Chairman

Sustainability- Cllr Jane Chamberlain- Chairman

Infrastructure and Highways – Cllr Des Bray- Vice Chairman

Health & Wellbeing – Cllr Isobel Darby – Chairman

MEMO TO       Liz Charter & Members of the Community Board

FROM             Tony Shinner (Cllr Chalfont St Peter Parish Council)

DATE              13.07.2023

RE                   Acton Group: Community Safety

1          My apologies to those attending for my being unable to take part in Tuesday’s Community Board meeting due to IT problems.(I had been using internet throughout the day without problem but had trouble logging into MSTeams, then found neither video nor microphone would work, nor could I use the chatbox. I did listen to most of the meeting however and this is what I intended to say ref Community Safety

2          I have discussed this prevliousy with Liz Charter as coordinator and we generated a short list of issues we think merit most attention. Mindful of the limited funding we should look for other actions his action group can recommend

3          A significantly increasing problem concerns Fraud, and how we as smaller communities can help challenge it. I include in this cold calling especially to garner house and garden repairs; but internet and telephone activity is reaching serious levels

            These activities cross over with ID theft and other criminal activity. Sadly the profile of the victims tends to be the more vulnerable in the community,

            The issue is often in getting advice to those sectors of the community, and providing them with the knowledge to resist scams. A number of organisations already provide this sort of service (eg Help The Aged). It would be helpful to find out what advice is available in the different communities this board services

4          Of concern to residents in the SL9 area in particular is the Pony Trap racing on the A413. We hope to receive an update of the work Bucks Council and Thames Valley Police have been investing in by way of partnership. This is an extreme example of several Public Order issues which need to be compared from community to community

5          In two previous years we have discussed CCTV and we were asked by Buckinghamshire Council to think twice about investing in new systems and/or software whilst they agreed a uniform approach across the county.           

6          CCTV goes hand in hand with another issue: Fly Tipping. Again an exchange of information between communities can be helpful as much of this activity takes place along country lanes between communities

7          Speeding and Parking issues continue to irritate members of the public. In some communities (eg ChStPeter) inconsistent enforcement leads to abuse of free parking facilities, yet one hour free parking is often the make or break for survival of many small businesses. What is your experience?. Should the larger T&PC’s be allowed to contribute towards the cost of additional enforcement. Chalfont St Peter have been asking for this for at least three years

Tony Shinner (cllr. Chalfont St Peter)