Agenda item

A          Business Forum – Steve Weston (Notes to follow)

B          Climate Change/Environment – Tim Butcher (Notes to follow)

C          Covid Reset and Recovery – Guy Hollis

D          Community Safety - Andrew Wood/Tony Shinner

E          Highways/Infrastructure – Jonathan Rush – Update on recommendations for transport applications that have been to the Working Group (Notes to follow)

Business Forum

A written update would be provided.

Climate Change

Cllr Tim Butcher provided an update. In particular he made reference to organising an art competition for primary schools of which some of these pictures could be used on bins in the area to raise awareness of the environment. There would be a pilot undertaken from January to Easter.

An application for funding had also been submitted by Chalfont St Peter Parish Council to plant 100 trees by 2020 in areas of environmental concern. With funding from Buckinghamshire Council 83 trees have been planted on roadside verges in the last four years. A suggestion had also been made to plant wildflowers and bulbs to help brighten village centres.

The Community Board supported the application.

Covid-19 Reset and Recovery

Cllr Guy Hollis gave an update on this Sub-Group. They had received an application from Men in Sheds and he also referred to the Community Fridge application.  He also referred to the charitable organisation linked to the South Central Ambulance Service for first responders. He would like to bring in representatives from Primary Care Networks, health and social care and Public Health into the Sub Group. Preliminary discussions had been held with health and social care. He commented that as Buckinghamshire Council was now a unitary council and covered a wide area it was important for Community Boards to act as a link for local areas.

Buckinghamshire Council were currently assessing strategic needs for residents and he reported that there would be an explosion of need for dementia care which the Council would be unable to fund on its own and may require the support of Parish Council precepts. The Chairman suggested that it would be helpful to have a presentation from the Primary Care Network at the next meeting.

Action: Aniqah Sultan

Community Safety

Andrew Wood gave an update on the Community Safety Sub Group. Six people attended the last meeting one from Chalfont St Giles, one from Chalfont St Peter and two from Gerrards Cross. Similar points were raised about the lack of police patrols and speeding in Chalfont St Peter – there had been a recent fatality and also in Gerrards Cross. In Gerrards Cross they were in the process of installing CCTV near Packhouse Road. With Buckinghamshire Council coming into existence there were further requirements such as stress testing each posts that were being used, traffic management (which would cost an extra £5,000), electric testing of every lamppost and to put in power. Fulmer Parish Council were interested in this Project. There had been discussions about changing the Sub Group to 6.30pm. Andrew Wood referred to online reporting and commented that it was important; in the summer Gerrards Cross had issues on the common and online reporting from residents had increased police patrols.

Tony Shinner would be chairing the Sub-Group in the future and would represent the Community Board on the new Police Panel. All areas in the Community Board experienced similar problems such as anti-social behaviour and speeding but dealt with these issues in slightly different ways e.g some communities used speed check, which had been stopped because of Covid-19. Chalfont St Peter would be bidding for funding for CCTV. Tony Shinner also referred to their Neighbourhood Action Group. The Sub Group allowed for a good exchange of ideas.

Highways and Infrastructure

Jonathan Rush gave an update. There had been two meetings of the Sub-Group; the second meeting was attended by Simon Garwood Localities Manager. An application had been submitted to improve signage for Mill Lane – Mill Lane bridge was very narrow and had no pedestrian footway with a sharp corner on the upper side of the bridge. The Town Council were proposing match funding. Cllr Harrold expressed surprise at the cost of signage (£30,000) but was assured that this project included other works.

The Community Board supported the application.