Agenda item

a)     Covid 19 Recovery Resilience & Regeneration

b)     Local Infrastructure

c)     Community Cohesion

d)     Mental Health & Community

e)     Environment & Climate Change

Covid 19 Recovery Resilience & Regeneration

Councillor Knight informed Members that there had been 3 main areas of work which included. (i) Voluntary Sector work during lockdown and the good practice and positive work that was ongoing during the pandemic. (ii) Making the town centre a positive place for people which included support to local businesses during the restrictions. (iii) Recognising the markets in High Wycombe as a focal point to encourage activity in the town centre.

Councillor Knight went on to explain the answers to some of the many questions which had been received in advance of the meeting. These would be circulated separately with the minutes.

Local Infrastructure

In the absence of the Chairman, Councillor Hashmi outlined the main plan for the forthcoming 6 month period. Issues to be considered would include: (i) speeding in the town of High Wycombe. This piece of work would include working closely with Thames Valley Police. (ii) Parking issues and problems with displaced parking. Also looking at the shortage of wardens and parking controls as part of the review. (iii) Junction protection and footpath maintenance. Accessibility to footpaths was especially relevant in the current situation with a need to encourage more people to walk/ cycle, and to generally manage the reduced capacity on public transport and the reduction in car use.

Questions received in advance of the meeting would be circulated separately

Community Cohesion 

Councillor R Raja explained that one of the main pieces of work within this sub group had included (i) the provision of information in community languages in order to get the Covid prevention message across, together with a planned ESOL course in obesity and healthy living. (ii) Black history month. A talk was expected to take place to educate people in the different forms of racism. (iii) keeping streets clean and tidy exercise.

Mental Health & Community

Councillor Wassell summarised the main headings within the remit of this sub group. It included (i) suicide prevention, (ii) BAME and mental health support, (iii) Respite care and (iv) youth homelessness.

Councillor Wassell emphasised that mental health was a very large subject indeed and that the first priority had to be suicide prevention awareness. This would involve close collaboration with the Samaritans and it was emphasised that young men and those in their middle years were particularly susceptible.

World Mental Health day would be held on 10 October.

BAME & Mental Health Support. It was emphasised that black men were 4 times more likely than any other community group to be held within secure units.  It was the intention to set up a support group in order to provide continuous care for both carers and survivors to help support each other.

Youth Homelessness

It was necessary to demonstrate to the youths how housing could be accessed, and provide an explanation as to their rights. It was essential to provide a level of optimism in Wycombe and the correct advice and guidance.

People were requested to contact Councillor Wassell directly with regard to any of these issues.

Environment & Climate Change 

Councillor S Raja gave a brief description of the two main areas of work to be undertaken. (i) Community litter picks.  This would include work with organisations to promote facebook groups, and schools would be involved in poster competitions.  (ii)  increasing biodiversity. Work would include tree planting in Frogmoor and cleaning up the River Wye. (iii) Flytipping further education on the matter was required.

People were encouraged to make direct contact with the sub groups should they have any ideas or views to bring forward. Contact details for sub group Chairmen could be found in the Action Plan which was part of the Agenda reports pack.