High Wycombe Town Committee - Tuesday 24 March 2026, 7:00pm - Buckinghamshire Council Webcasting

High Wycombe Town Committee
Tuesday, 24th March 2026 at 7:00pm 

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  1. Cllr Ed Gemmell
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  1. Cllr Julia Wassell
  2. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  3. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
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  1. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  2. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
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  1. Cllr Julia Wassell
  2. Cllr Ed Gemmell
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  1. Jacqueline Ford
  2. Susan Hynard (HWBIDCo)
  3. Gemma Hughes
  4. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  5. Cllr Arman Alam
  6. Gemma Hughes
  7. Cllr Arman Alam
  8. Gemma Hughes
  9. Cllr Chris Chilton
  10. Gemma Hughes
  11. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  12. Cllr Chris Chilton
  13. Gemma Hughes
  14. Cllr Chris Chilton
  15. Jacqueline Ford
  16. Cllr Chris Chilton
  17. Jacqueline Ford
  18. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  19. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  20. Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP
  21. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  22. Susan Hynard (HWBIDCo)
  23. Gemma Hughes
  24. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  25. Susan Hynard (HWBIDCo)
  26. Gemma Hughes
  27. Cllr Ed Gemmell
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  1. Ms. Sophie Payne
  2. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  3. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  4. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  5. Cllr Majid Hussain
  6. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  7. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  8. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  9. Cllr Julia Wassell
  10. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  11. Cllr Julia Wassell
  12. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  13. Cllr Julia Wassell
  14. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  15. Cllr Catherine Oliver
  16. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  17. Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP
  18. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  19. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  20. Cllr Arman Alam
  21. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  22. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  23. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  24. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  25. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  26. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  27. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  28. Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP
  29. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  30. Cllr Mohammed Ayub
  31. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  32. Cllr Julia Wassell
  33. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  34. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  35. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  36. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  37. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  38. Cllr Julia Wassell
  39. Mrs Elly Cook
  40. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  41. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  42. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  43. Cllr Catherine Oliver
  44. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  45. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  46. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  47. Cllr Julia Wassell
  48. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  49. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  50. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  51. Cllr Julia Wassell
  52. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  53. Cllr Julia Wassell
  54. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  55. Cllr Julia Wassell
  56. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  57. Cllr Arman Alam
  58. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  59. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  60. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  61. Ms. Sophie Payne
  62. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  63. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  64. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  65. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  66. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  67. Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP
  68. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  69. Cllr Julia Wassell
  70. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  71. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  72. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  73. Cllr Ed Gemmell
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  1. Mr David Harvey
  2. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  3. Mr David Harvey
  4. Cllr Ed Gemmell
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  1. Ms. Joanna Horton
  2. Cllr Chris Chilton
  3. Ms. Joanna Horton
  4. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  5. Ms. Joanna Horton
  6. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  7. Cllr Chris Chilton
  8. Ms. Joanna Horton
  9. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  10. Ms. Joanna Horton
  11. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  12. Ms. Joanna Horton
  13. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  14. Ms. Joanna Horton
  15. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  16. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  17. Ms. Joanna Horton
  18. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  19. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  20. Ms. Joanna Horton
  21. Cllr Ed Gemmell
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  1. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
  2. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  3. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
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  5. Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
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  1. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  2. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  3. Cllr Trevor Snaith
  4. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  5. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  6. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  7. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE
  8. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  9. Cllr Catherine Oliver
  10. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  11. Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
  12. Cllr Ed Gemmell
  13. Ms. Sophie Payne
  14. Cllr Chris Chilton
  15. Cllr Ed Gemmell
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  1. Webcast Finished

1 Apologies

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:00:00
Thank you.
Welcome members. Thanks very
much. Welcome members, welcome
members of the public and those
that are watching online to the
High Wycombe town committee
meeting today on the 24th of
March.
Okay. So moving to item one,
are there any apologies for
today, please?
I've not received any
Apologies for absent chair.
Right.
Julia, go ahead.
Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:00:35
Imran Hussain.
Thank you.
Khalil Ahmed.
Trill's not coming or he'll be late.
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:00:44
Your guess is as good as mine, but let's put his apologies in.
OK, so apologies if he's not here anyway. OK, thank you.
So, Lesley?
Maz Hussein.
And Maz Hussein. Apology for Maz Hussein.
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 0:00:54
Okay and as far as we know Saf's gonna be late. Okay right fine any declarations of

2 Declarations of interest

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:01:07
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 0:01:11
interest that we haven't had declared before? Okay thank you. Okay we have the
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:01:21
in your pack we've got the minutes from our last meeting held on the 20th of

3 Minutes

January. Does anybody have any amendments or mistakes that are in those minutes?
Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:01:33
Thank you. We don't have matters arising but the canister bins are in place which
very good news. The under the issue of the neighbourhood plan, it was said that individual
wards would be able to feed into the plan and that would be featured in the plan and
therefore I'd like that included. And I'll stop there.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:02:15
And I think the comment would be so a member commented that it would be appreciated if individual wards could feed into the plan
Yeah, okay anybody else?
Nope, right. Thank you very much. So are the minutes then noted if you could all nod or share your agreement, please
The minutes be noted
Thank you very much

4 Chairmans Update

Right now moving on to the chairman's update. Hi my boob. Nice to see you
Right, I just wanted to – the first thing I'd like to say, I mean, a big thank you
to everybody for how we've been acting throughout this committee as we're moving forward.
It's been brilliantly nonpartisan, non -party, and it's very clear everybody is working
for the best they can for the people of Wycombe.
We have come through a period of understanding, I think, with our role with Bucks Council
as well over this period, and I think we're now into a much better place and able to be
to move a lot of things forward. Through the discussions with a number of members over
the course of the last month or two, but actually really over the past eight or nine months,
I think it's come out regularly that in order to be able to make the best decisions for
what we're doing moving forward, we need to have a plan of where we're going. There's
then been a slight understanding with our role within Bucks Council as being advisory
is to how that would operate within Bucks Council. We have brought out a draught
vision at the beginning and then not being able to take that forward partly
because of the discussions at Bucks Council. Now we seem to have a method of
taking that forward, it's been discussed with Democratic Services and the idea of
the vision of course is to give us some direction and that direction for us to
be recommending through to cabinet and to the full council such that it is a
accepted by them has input by them changed by them but also fits with the
Buckinghamshire council strategic plan and with the economic growth plan so
we'll move forward the vision assuming members are happy and I have spoken to
plenty of you informally about this as we've come along and where we will
revisit the draught vision, look at it in light of the priorities, which we're going to talk
about extensively later on, and come forward then with and align the headings, let's say,
and the areas of importance within our plan with those that are within the Buckinghamshire
plan and the economic growth plan. And then with the agreement of members, we would request
to present that rather than send it as a document and through to cabinet in
order to get input from cabinet at Bucks Council to be able to explain the
priorities as we see it and then hopefully get their let's say their
approval of it and if not get their input in it and their decision upon it
so first thing in terms of moving that forward to say the process would be
Re -look at what we were discussing and we had started work on last year
Align that with the strategic priorities and economic growth plan
Reconcult all members on it to make sure any new ideas that have come out take into account the priorities
That we've been looking at and we'll look at again today and then go back and ask to present it to cabinet
Just looking around the people in general agreement with that as a way forward to get a direction
Yeah, okay. Okay, great
In terms of what we're going to try and achieve hi -saf what we're trying to
What we're trying to achieve today. We will be moving on to the priorities in great detail and I have now more
Information on how we could move forward a neighbourhood plan, but I don't think I'll do that now
I think I'll do that when we come to the priorities and we can have a
More of a discussion about it then so that's all I wanted to do is an introduction today
I think the one other thing to mention though at this stage while I'm here is that we understand that
Claire grey will be retiring
At some point in the near future
And Claire has been a you know, huge support for this committee, but also for many other committees within the council and a
steady and calm voice sometimes in turbulent winds
So thank you Claire for everything you've done on behalf of all of us
If we don't see you again, good luck in your retirement
But I'm sure we're gonna see you on a few other meetings in between before anyway, thank you
Okay, so now we're moving on to item five so business improvement district update
being introduced by Jacqueline

5 Business Improvement District Update (Cressex and High Wycombe Bid Co)

Thank You Jim chairman
Jacqueline Ford - 0:07:10
Good evening members. I'm delighted to have Sue high Nard and Gemma Hughes with me this evening to provide the committee with a
Little update about the work that the business improvement districts have been doing
for those of you that may not be familiar with a bid these are
Business based and business informed proposals that are developed
They've got a set geographic area and they're able to raise a levy
So they pay a percentage on their business rates, which is pulled together
Can be over a five -year plan and that is used to develop
Activities to improve the trading environment
So we've got the High work in town committee in the town centre and cressex business park. This is about additionality
So this money is not for doing things that the council has a mandate to do so it's purely additional to that
They can also be a really helpful coordinated voice
for lobbying and change.
So some of the issues that we face as a council
to try and deal with some big challenges,
they can be super helpful in supporting us
and nudging central government as well
and other agencies to get change.
We have a five year cycle with this,
so the business proposals are developed
through what the businesses tell us is important
and there's a ballot process at the end.
And for High Wycombe Bid Co, this was set up in 2012.
We've had two reballets for this
and we'll be going for renewal in 2027.
So there's going to be work underway to develop
what the new proposals are gonna be for the businesses.
And for Cressex, this is the newest of the bids
that we have in Buckinghamshire.
That was established in 2022
and is also on the same timeline for renewal next year.
so we're gonna have some really interesting times in the months ahead and
Both bids come back next March to just give you an update as a courtesy on what is doing there
So as I say Sue and Gemma are going to give a short presentation
To talk about the things that they've been doing on the bid
If you have any questions, can I just ask that you make a note and we're deal with them at the end
That would be really helpful. Thank you
And I think first of all, I'm gonna hand over to Sue and just say thank you Sue and Gemma for coming
So, thank you very much
Susan Hynard (HWBIDCo) - 0:09:27
It's a pleasure to be here and thank you for inviting us.
I believe that Big Co adds great value to the way in which the town centre is perceived,
both by the businesses which trade here and by the people who visit the town.
As the person with the day -to -day leadership of the bid, my commitment to improving the town centre is steadfast.
I am delighted the council has two places on the Big Co board to act as a conduit between the businesses and the council and both Leslie Clark and Trevor Snaith are in regular conversation with me about the Big Co's priorities and work programme.
I work with Lesley and Trevor along with Jacqueline Ford to help unblock the challenges faced by businesses.
I also work with them and other council officers such as Nick Atkins in the anti -social behaviour team
and Sheena Carmen in the culture team on partnership working and projects to make sure our joint working has greater impact than just working on our own.
May I take this opportunity to thank the High Wycombe Town Committee for the funding it gives the BICCO for projects in the town centre and this is sincerely appreciated.
There is no doubt that this is a particularly difficult time for town centres generally and businesses have had to adapt if they are to survive.
We have seen town centres move from just being a place for retail to one where it encompasses a wider leisure offer such as the go -karting on the top of Primark in Eden, in addition to the normal bars and performance venues that we expect.
We continue to see well -known brands trade in the town from Sainsbury's Boots and TK Maxx,
but new premium businesses have come to High Wycombe such as Hotel Chocolat and Rituals,
as well as Ambler opening a branch in the Desborough Road. This shows a vote of confidence
in the work that we all do. As you know the bid operates under a national legislation works to
five -year bid cycle. The themes for the Highwicom bid as identified in 2022 were as follows.
Peer support and networking, discounts training, business awards and employee well -being.
Influencing local government decisions including regeneration and pedestrianisation.
Keeping the town safe and secure. Marketing the town including bunting flower baskets flags plus
the High Wycombe gift card and offering to free Town Centre Wi -Fi and the organisation
of town centre events such as Frogfest and the turning on of the Christmas lights. I
am confident High Wycombe Big Co is meeting these objects, adapting to changing circumstances
but remaining effective and offering good value to its levy payers.
Let me highlight some of the good things we have done.
Maybe we'll have a change of slide.
Yeah, here we go.
Working with the High Wycombe Community Board,
we've used community payback team to make improvements
to both the area covered by the bid and the wider town.
The community payback team this week
have been clearing the debris from around the trees
in the town centre and topping up with bark chip.
A small thing in itself, but one that people notice and makes a real difference.
The Sunday team has been working on cutting back greenery around the museum and along
Benjamin passage adjacent to the cemetery.
This team also helped prepare the pedestrian tunnel in Micklefield Road ready for painting
with the mural commissioned by the big local.
Over the last year or so the community payback team has cut back greenery alongside the railway
lines near the drive -through McDonald's and Morrison's where they unearthed a path and
a road sign which had been concealed by overgrown weeds.
They painted the railings along Totridge Road and Priory Avenue.
They helped with the preparation for the painting of the footbridge over the railway line at
to Castle Place and the tunnel connecting Gordon Road with Saffron Plat.
They cleared planters alongside Sainsbury's and Archway, where they found two blades and a microwave,
cleared graffiti and pick litter, cleared greenery in Railway Place car park and in Birdcage Walk to make that safer for people to use.
We only have funding for the team for a few more weeks, but I'm happy to accept suggestions on projects they may like to tackle before the programme comes to an end.
Despite being a market town, some of our national chains are in the top ten of the thefts from shop premises.
This is not acceptable and in 2025 the Big Co gave £30 ,000 to increase the police presence
in the town centre.
I think now that you can see a real difference to enforcement in the town and traders no
longer feel the police are not interested in pursuing retail crime.
The work by the police has been matched with Home Office funding for neighbourhood teams
and the council's anti -social behaviour team has also renewed the public space protection
orders which make a number of activities such as begging and street drinking
liable for a penalty notice and enforcement. Crime reduction in the town
centre has been a great example of the police council and businesses working
together. We recently had to revalidate our membership of the business crime
reduction partnership. We were told we exceeded the standard and feedback
highlighted exemplary organisation, exceptional leadership and a partnership operating at
a gold standard with elements of our work such as the community payback scheme and inclusive
flexible engagement recognised as best practise.
Looking forward, these are some of the things where councillors may like to consider helping
us with our work.
Many of you probably do not know it, but Binko owns the antennae on the top of Eastern Street
car park which facilitates the shortwave radio scheme used to report crime both in Highwick
and in Aylesbury. With the car park due to be demolished we will need to find a new site
for this antenna. There are very few places where it can be cited and I may be looking
to you to help me gain the necessary permissions for this to be placed on a building owned
by the council.
AMPR in White Hart Street and the pedestrianisation of Paul's Row.
There's no doubt that the new AMPR cameras in White Hart Street have had a beneficial effect on preventing antisocial parking in that part of the town centre.
However, local traders have found the system is not flexible enough to allow genuine use of the space for deliveries and waste removal.
There are council offices working on resolving this, but I want you to be aware at the moment that the system is not working as I had hoped.
I want to ensure that when the new pedestrianisation protocols are introduced to Paul's Row that they are effective but cognizant of the needs of business.
Contract renewals. I'm not a consortee when the council contracts come up for renewal,
but the terms of those contracts have a huge impact on the look of the town centre and how it operates.
I would like councillors to make it their business to understand the terms of any council contacts
as they affect the town centre to ensure that all the things we would like covered are included.
Next year the Big Co has to draw up a new business plan and ask for the consent of businesses to continue.
I will be sharing our business plan with you and the wider leadership of the Council.
But if you have thoughts on what might be included then please come and see me
over the next few weeks so that we can discuss your ideas.
So the last slide is, if I don't see you before I look forward to seeing you all again at Mayor Making and at Frogfest.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Are you going next, Gemma?
Gemma Hughes - 0:17:57
Yeah.
Okay, thank you.
Good evening, everybody.
This is different for Tuesday evening.
My name is Gemma Hughes.
I'm the business...
Sue, could you turn off your mics, please?
I am the Buckinghamshire Business Park Bid Manager, so I manage both Cressex Business
Park and Globe Business Park bids.
Gemma, pull it a little bit closer to you, I think, possibly.
Thank you.
I'm gonna sound really loud now. So Cressex Business Park you can see the
geographic area for the bid. The bid board is pretty well represented by the
various businesses on the business park. We have three new bid board members
coming from the likes of Voucherline, June Medical and RH Marr and the bid
Board is also supported by Councillor Clark and Jacqueline Ford. In terms of
Cressex Business Park it's recognised as a key strategic employment site for
Buckinghamshire. It is home to in total about 450 businesses, 300 of those are
bid member businesses and employs about 10 ,000 people. In terms of stats and
figures.
Cressex businesses generate $10 million in business rates,
and hot off the press is $550 million in GVA annually.
So it's a key contributor to our local economy.
In terms of the businesses up there,
we have a lot of engineering businesses of different types,
waste and recycling, head office functions, trade.
and I think we're kind of getting a growing number of film type businesses as well.
As Jacqueline pointed out, Cressix Business Park is a first bid, so we are delivering,
working on delivering the three theme plan. A little bit different to a high street bid,
the key themes for a business park bid are largely how can people get there,
How long do employees have to sit in traffic getting there?
How attractive is it and safe is it as a business environment?
And how also can we create a business community and support those businesses and those employees
on the business park?
Theme one, getting Cressex moving.
Anyone who drives anywhere near Cressex between 7 and 10 in the morning and 4 and 7 in the
afternoon knows that you're going to be sat in traffic basically, throw in some
services and it's a further challenge. One of the key things for this theme for
the business plan is really about lobbying, lobbying Buckinghamshire Council.
Councillor Clark has been amazing and has helped get us in touch with Emma
Reynolds who's the MP for Wickham who has also helped really massively get us in
with National Highways.
So one of the key projects we are talking to National Highways with
and the Department for Transport is funding for the A404 corridor
from the M4 to the M40
to be included in the road improvement strategy study RIS3.
They've just confirmed that there is funding aside for that study.
Obviously, there's a lot of ifs and buts and hurdles to go through,
but we'll continue to lobby for that inclusion.
Handycross roundabout is a big challenge for certainly Cressix Business Park and I would say residents and the community around it.
As soon as there's an accident on there, it has such a massive impact on business productivity.
So really there are some quick wins that national highways could do, which is what we're working on,
which would be improved signage on the approach to the roundabout from all areas.
I think one of the major problems is cars getting in the wrong lane
So that's something that we're working on
For the business park. It's key to understand data. How many people are we talking about that access cressix business park?
So the bid funds straps on the road annually to understand
Who accesses it when they access it and the figures from last year with that 22 ,000 vehicles?
access in any 24 -hour period. We've just had our straps pulled up for the surveys
done this month in March and that figure is even higher it's more like 25 ,000
vehicles and we're also clocking max speed so last year I think we got close
to 80 miles an hour as a maximum speed. I don't have the data yet for the straps
down in March and again it's kind of all about how can we make people feel safe
in an environment that you're going to work in. We are also challenged, I'm still
on the other slide, it's a big topic, we're also challenged really, really
massively by parking and antisocial behaviour and specifically antisocial
behaviour with regards to parking. No sooner that new parking enforcement
signs go up they get spray painted over so nobody can enforce parking. Again it's something
that we're working with Buckinghamshire Council to try and understand what solutions there
are to this problem. Cursix Business Park is really the product of something that was
started off in the 1930s and further developed in the 70s. There's been no structured parking
surveys done for a really long time and so I think that would be a great
solution moving forward. In terms of quick wins what the business community
has really appreciated which comes from the council are the weekly transport
updates so they can understand if there's going to be a service work on
one of the roads that they're affected and also the bid has funded reactive
of gritting on non -strategic roads.
The other key theme was creating an attractive and secure
environment for businesses on Cressex.
So again, there's been really limited investment
into Cressex for a very long time.
And one of the key bid projects was
to roll out a site -wide signage scheme.
We've just done phase one, which kind of reinforces
that you're in a business area.
there's branding, you get directed to different parts of the business park.
We've also just rolled out a lamp post banner campaign, again it just
reinforces that you're in the business park and the key themes that we're
working towards. We also have two AMPR cameras that have just gone up this month
and interestingly I've already had a request for the data because a car's
been tracked going through Cressex that's on a list. We're meeting six
weekly with different members of Buckinghamshire Council to try and
improve all of these services.
Lastly the third theme of the current business plan is really just supporting
businesses and investing in employees. And in that it's about creating a
community. So Kresnik's Business Park has a website and a LinkedIn profile with a
growing number of followers. We engage quarterly via a newsletter that goes out
to all bid member businesses. All employees have now got access to a bid
funding funded training platform called CEDAL. We regularly litter pick. The bid
pays a fairly substantial fee for litter picking. Litter is another storey. We also
run a sustainability group which requires basically its networking
between Globe Business Park and Cressex Business Park and looking at ways in
which those businesses can improve their sustainability.
Looking to the future, so really we've got 12 more months
to make a difference and to spend some bid levy funds.
There's a key project that we've just got approval
to work on and that is to upgrade some of the public realm
on Cressix on the main thoroughfare,
which is Coronation and Lancaster Road.
That's the project that the bid is starting to work on with Buckinghamshire Council and
the planning team, hopefully just to kind of green everything up a little bit.
We also are extending our Lamp Hispana campaign and we'll be promoting the businesses on the
business park by an example like that.
Lastly, we are going to be investing in more bins and Buckinghamshire Council have also
agreed to replace the current open top bins with a closed bin which will have a
massive impact because seagulls are a big problem on Cressex.
Thank you very much everybody. So happy to take some questions if anyone has
any. So before I ask anything, so members what would you like to be asking? So
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:28:03
Armin, Chris, Abub, Saf.
Okay, Armin, if you'd like to go ahead.
Thank you, Sue and Jackie.
Oh, sorry, it's Gemma.
Gemma, for the presentations.
Cllr Arman Alam - 0:28:15
My question is actually for you, Gemma.
You may want to pull your microphone towards you
so people who are online can actually hear you as well.
Yes, sure. I think I can hear you now.
As far as I understand,
BIDCO Cressex goes all the way to the end of Turnpike,
but it doesn't include the businesses at the end of New Road.
That's where Tesco is and all the businesses,
and opposite where you have Jimmy's Pizza and Quorum.
You're doing great work in terms of trying to improve the area,
improving the area for business.
But long term, it seems to me that you'll only be successful
if you include this area, the area at the turnpike, for two reasons.
One, there's a lot of businesses there,
most of them are small local businesses which need support but also because it's an access point onto
you have the other side of Lancaster Road coming on from sort of M40 roundabout but this is also
an access point leading on from Turnpike onto Lancaster Road so it seems to me that they they
they there's a link between these two areas in the future is there any consideration of actually
including this area of the Turnpike into Bidcrestix to see if you can support these businesses
Gemma Hughes - 0:29:43
and to improve the whole area. Thank you. So Turnpike is included in the
bid area. It's not, Tesco isn't included, but everything from before Tesco to the end
is. I haven't walked past Tesco but I'm happy to go and have a stroll and if there is a
change to a geographic area then it would be at the next midterm it would be wise to
do it so we'd need to carry out a consultation.
Can I just come back on that? So the side of, when we say turnpike, there's a turnpike
Cllr Arman Alam - 0:30:14
road and then there's the businesses on the lay -by on turnpike. So across the road there's
there's Jimmy's Pizza, there's Coral, is that included in it? No those two aren't
no. So it's only one side that is? Yeah it must be. I've made some clarification. I'll have a look and I'll get back to you.
Gemma Hughes - 0:30:32
Great thank you Chris. I'm going to have the same challenge of do I look at you
Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:30:45
or do I talk into my mic? So if I'm not looking at you, it's not personal. You used a phrase
which was there's been limited investment in Cressex for a very long
time and I really want to ask a question which is based upon that. I moved to High
Wickham in 2004 and I worked in Slough Trading Estate for a long time and I've
seen the contrast of how Slough Trading Estate and Cressex have developed over
the last 20 years and I just checked Slough Trading Estate is now at 63rd
biggest company in the UK with a market capitalization of over 10 billion
pounds and if you look at Cressex and the emerging local area plan there's not
a single site on the Cressex estate in the emerging local area plan
for Buckinghamshire as a new site for a business in the next 20 years. The
contrast to how Slough Trading Estate and Cressex have developed is just
incredible and you know what are we doing to learn from how Slough has been
So fantastic at attracting new businesses high -tech businesses
investment that that cressex hasn't what
How we how we going to mimic some of the success of slough trading estate?
In bringing jobs and businesses here
It's sure I don't know
Gemma Hughes - 0:32:06
The cressex business park is actually
so poor butaitbn, I might add it to my believers disabilities.
society is the same, what's going on is less
visible, the rest of it is just independent of the
jazzfig.
press Festival Yale of Samuel,
a sixth of their business park in terms of size,
and that's going to generate a lot of regeneration.
And we're already seeing it with existing stock being turned
into or with planning applications going in
to revitalise certain parts of the business park,
because ultimately it's a lot of old stock buildings that
come with restrictions.
And throw into that the fact that you've
got a bottleneck that you're surrounded
by residential roads and the Handy Cross Roundabout. So on the one hand it's this amazing site
right in the middle of a community but it has natural restrictions but I agree
the Slough Trading Estate is pretty cool.
Okay yeah sorry Chris you're very quick if you're doing a quick follow -up and then
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:33:34
I'm not sure there is a quick follow -up.
Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:33:41
I mean do you ever go and talk to the people that's trading estate?
I don't but that's not my remit as bid manager for Cressix Business Park.
Gemma Hughes - 0:33:51
My remit is to deliver the business plan and so whilst I definitely try and network,
I
Can't answer your question on that and yeah
So whose job is it to attract new high -tech Chris? Sorry Jacqueline wants to come in on this point
Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:34:11
This point as well. So we'll just take those and then we'll come back. Yeah. Thank you counsellor
I think I can help Gemma out with this. I think
Jacqueline Ford - 0:34:18
Comparing slough and crecix is an interesting question
So the the issue that you've got in slough is that you've got
ownership by one person. So Seagrove have got that and then it's easy to administer.
So we've got a lot of fractured ownership up on Cressex and that always makes negotiating
and looking at land and looking at development things a challenge.
I would say sort of within our regeneration team when we look at Buckinghamshire we've got the new economic growth plan.
and we recognise Cressex, we recognise a number of other significant business areas as strategic
business sites, and we look to other areas as part of that to see, well, what are others
doing that we could potentially adopt and do here?
And then from an inward investment point of view, when we know what the offer is, how
we would market that out to people as well.
So it's it's all part of a bigger piece
So it wouldn't necessarily fall within Jemma's remit of just looking at crests X
But certainly as a team that that I'm in we're looking bigger picture across the rest for where there's capacity to develop and grow
business opportunities
And sorry the fact the fact that there isn't any
Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:35:39
new business sites identified on crests within the emerging local area plan for the next 20 years
OK, so there's been a call for sites.
Jacqueline Ford - 0:35:51
Yeah, that's been going on in the planning team are looking at those
at the minute before they do their next consultation piece back in.
I think it's July they're releasing that, isn't there?
But you've got it is a recognised employment area,
but it's very, very constrained.
So unless you intensify and build up or look at other ways
that you can develop that small pocket of land that's there,
We can't create more by buying up houses and knocking them down.
So all of that is being factored in. So if we've got ones that are at capacity,
where else would that employment land go? And that's the challenge that the
planners are grappling with and working through at the minute.
Okay, Leslie did you want to quickly come in just on that point?
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 0:36:40
just very quickly we do have pension providers with large plots of land in
Cressix. RH Amarr sits on Railpens land and they have moved into a
purpose -built building which is brilliant it's lovely and they're then
going to knock down the rest of those buildings and move various things around
and one of the office blocks is to bring in a company with at least 600 people in
you know employees and then there's still further stuff there as well and we
have to acknowledge that this council owns an incredible amount of properties
on this site and one of the care sites there that will be going as well I think
I won't say high crest but it's not high crest but it's the special needs that's
now down to be moved so there are areas in which we will be expanding and
Gemma's done a wonderful job on getting involved with the highways agency and so
we now they understand we have a problem. Right just because time is coming short
we've got a couple of other chunky items today but this is really important as an
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:37:52
economic development so Mabou and Saf would you mind doing asking your
questions together and then we'll get them to answer them straightaway afterwards as a group just to speed things up slightly.
Thank you very much.
Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP - 0:38:04
Thank you very much. First of all, thank you very much for the presentation. I think it was wonderful and I think I
really appreciate the work you both ladies do in the and you both they're both part of our award.
My two question one is to Sue was you remember about the you mentioned about the town centre that
things are not working or as good as they should be. I don't know what you really mean.
are you talking about the CCTV's or are you talking about something else?
And same time, because the time is short, one question to Gemma is that the, I don't
know if the turn back, there was a concern because in the area of the shorter bins, I
just wonder by the shops, they, are we going to extend, put more bins, because a couple
of times I went there, they put a, these bins full up and there's no space for the, in place.
And I thought it would be a couple of bins in a different area would do better.
Thank you Saf if it's okay, if you don't mind adding your question, that'd be great
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:39:00
My question is to sue Hey Nard I
Noticed that
shops are closing
In the high street Eden, etc, etc. I don't know if that's under your roommate one
One thing comes to mind about business rates and etc etc. Does that have an effect on businesses?
Using those shops or what can we do to alleviate that?
I know it's one of those difficult things that the high street we keep on saying
the high streets dying and you know, we hop back to the
80s when it was a bustling high street
I know internet has taken over with Amazon but some of us old people still like the shops
So is there anything you know, we could lobby or do or you know to get that back because I think one of the things must
be
Business rates that's killing off little businesses. I
Don't think you've got long enough on the agenda for me to have the conversation that we probably need to have about that
Susan Hynard (HWBIDCo) - 0:40:05
But let me start some of my booze point see the CCTV teams working really well. That's one awards
because they've done such good things
since you've upgraded the CCTV in the town.
And they're one of the people that we spend
quite a lot of time with as well.
So it's not a CTV.
Gemma must answer the question on bins at Turnpike.
But this is the sort of thing where I was talking earlier
about council contracts.
You ultimately, as councillors, are the ones
that vote through on contracts and whatever.
and you need to be sure that when a contract is coming up for renewal,
that you have the bins and the required amount of emptying and or street cleaning
to support the look that you are looking for in the area.
And that does come down to councillors making sure, reading the small print
and making sure that the contracts are doing what you would like to be done.
Why are shops closing? The council owns an awful lot of property in the town centre.
It's one of the town centre's biggest landlords and so it has quite a big effect on the look and the feel of the town.
Business rates is an issue and some people will absolutely find that their business rates have gone up.
And there are all sorts of different pressures on businesses at the moment
that we've seen in national newspapers.
I can't say anything that anyone knows.
And as things even progress with the talk of what's happening
in the Middle East at the moment and the effect that that could have on gas
and electricity prices, that will be keenly felt by people
who are working to usually quite tight margins.
and they will need to be helped through this period.
Your question with regards to bins.
Gemma Hughes - 0:42:12
So actually Bucks Council have just done a site -wide survey
of the area, I will have a look in terms of Turnpike
and send you an email.
And just before we move on, so I've got a huge question
so I'm only gonna ask it for a tiny comment,
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:42:26
I think from each of you is, I mean, we've been talking about trying to get a vision
for where Wickham's going generally, and in fact both of you have talked with me and with
others probably about it over the last months.
What's the vision for each of your areas?
Is there a vision, is there a plan of where it's going in five years' time?
And in that sense, how it's going to grow, whatever it would be, particular themes.
And obviously we don't have that much time, so it really is a short thing.
And the second thing I was going to ask is, maybe we should be organising another more
informal meeting where you both come in maybe and we have interested members
turn up where there's probably only three or four other people in the room
and go into more depth I think on some of these issues but if you don't mind
answering that shortly.
Susan Hynard (HWBIDCo) - 0:43:11
My vision is is is possibly not it's complimentary to yours not different
from it my vision is to make the centre of High Wycombe a place where businesses
are happy to trade and that's largely around security from theft from shops, people not
behaving inappropriately in public spaces, there being a degree of civility and a sense
of pride in the town centre and in it looking nice and looking good.
But that's not to say that we can't work together as I think I work very closely with all sorts
different people in the council making it you know even even better because
everyone should then benefit from that that greater footfall equals better you
know patronage of the retail and and and and offer of businesses in the town and
and and that should be wonderful for everyone I would be more than happy to
Gemma Hughes - 0:44:24
us anything that anyone wants to do. Thank you Gemma. I would say mine and the
bid members vision is to have a thriving business community that is clean and
safe and professional and looks well cared for. Yeah so thank you Gemma, thank
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:44:44
you Sue thank you Jacqueline. Okay so now moving on to item six which is

6 HWTC Special Expenses Reserves Update

around the High Wycombe Town Committee Reserve so it's an update but a lot of
work's been done so I hand over to Sophie for a brief introduction and then
I'll come in again on it afterwards. I'll be very brief because I know we're
Ms. Sophie Payne - 0:45:01
slightly behind time but as has been said subsequent to the last meeting at
the request of members. My colleague Wendy Morgan -Brown took away the full list of priorities
and suggested projects that have been submitted to us by all members of this committee and
did a huge amount of detailed work with a variety of services. So she went and actually
discussed line by line each of those suggestions with individual service areas to understand
the position and in line with the STIRs we received here to make sure, for example, that
there was not duplication of funding
that we were checking for anything that was outside
of the Highway Committee's remit
or anything that was already being picked up
under business as usual, for example.
Then a kind of updated version was checked with officers
and produced a summary document
with some suggested next steps and funding pots, really,
which along with some of the key themes that are emerging
and some synergies actually across the piece.
That was shared with members and at this point
is probably where I hand over to Councillor Gemmell
because I know then there have been
subsequent detailed discussions member led
amongst yourselves to help steer the next stage of this
in terms of allocating funding.
So I'll stop there and pass it on.
Okay, and I think pretty much everybody here
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:46:18
knows what has been happening,
but let's just recap a little bit.
And it was a vast amount of work done by Wendy,
which I suspect ruffled a few feathers from other officers
who were asked to create extra pieces of work themselves
and provide information to her,
which we were requesting.
We had then requested that that would come back to us
so we could look at it and then we were trying
to be following a further process to identify
which priorities could be funded straight away
and from which pots.
A huge thank you to all the members that managed to come
to our quite detailed meetings that we held last week
and this week to look at those priorities.
And as everybody knows, we simply because of time partly,
we had to focus on the first items which identified as Wendy's where there was enough information
to look at them properly where they were not instantly recognisable as business as usual for
the council meaning that the council should be doing it and we should not be getting involved
because it's already being done by somebody else and that list then we then brought forward and we
all discussed informally in great detail in the meetings we had, as well as a number of
areas that were more WIC and wide themes.
Have we got the slide? Okay. So we sent out then a summary. I did a summary of it which
went out to people early today. But it's a summary of what you were all discussing with
us in the meetings. And the aim of it as agreed, well, I'm hoping we're going to agree today,
But anyway, the thrust and the consensus of what happened in those meetings is let's get quite a number of projects agreed
Let's get them out the door
Let's get some action happening right across
Wickham and across the wards and let's see if we can do that in the most efficient way possible
That doesn't mean any project anybody brought in is off the table at this stage
it all we're doing is we're trying to confirm a load of things that we can move forward that officers have identified as
for us, either through SIL funding or the reserve,
they're within our responsibility,
and they had enough information that we could make decisions
on them, and that's what we were all doing this week.
So, now, everybody has seen the list.
Have we got it to put up?
Ah, all right, so, right.
I...
Could I just...?
Yeah, go on then, Leslie, have a comment, yes.
I would like to minute that I was not able to attend
either of the two meetings that you called
So I'd like that.
I can't hear Leslie.
Leslie was just saying she wasn't able to attend either of the meetings.
I did actually, there are other people who weren't able to attend the meetings.
I did try and ring everybody as well subsequent to that so that everybody had input.
And there were two councillors that I didn't manage to reach over that period.
But otherwise, everybody else was either in a meeting or had talked through
and had given some comments before we came to this.
And remembering what we're trying to do today is we're not trying to say this is it.
We're not doing anything else.
This is just the start we're trying to get proactively get some things out there
That we have agreed that we are moving forward and that can be done now
We'll go with just bring the list up and there's three sections. The the first one is the neighbourhood plan now
Just to come in and I can say I've been in touch with
Democratic services as well to say that we are on the same page as to what's possible with the neighbourhood plan
So I think it's worth my while if you're indulge me
We talk I just talk you through what the next steps could be on a neighbourhood plan now so that everybody's in the picture
Within the government guidance as I had brought up in our last meeting
It is possible to pay for a neighbourhood plan out of sill money
And in principle that can be paid for for in the guidance. It says an area so it's fairly vague
Anyway, the principle is it can be paid for
In the case of of what we're wanting to do in Wickham
We should be moving forward to advise or recommend to cabinet and the council
That the 15 % of sill money that has to be allocated for local
projects
So if there was a parish council
15 % would be given straight to the parish council or the town council to allocate but in any case
The main council should be allocating 15 % of it to local projects
And that we can request that would be spent on the neighbourhood plan now we are requesting we're recommending
We can't force that or anything else and the guidance is not absolutely clear as to whether it absolutely should happen
So it's not a hundred percent
so under the the the auspices of what we're allowed to do in this committee i'm going to in a minute when I get to
the end of the explanation suggest that we do recommend through to cabinet that an amount
of money from that 15 % is put aside to support the development of a neighbourhood plan for
the unparished area. The neighbourhood plan itself would not be developed by us. So where
there is no parish council or no town council, there is the requirement to create a neighbourhood
Forum and a neighbourhood forum must have a minimum of 21 people in it who are residents
representatives of businesses or
Councillors, okay
So that's who should be in this minimum of 21 people which is a neighbourhood forum now again
I'm going to suggest that we recommend through to cabinet and to council that it should be for us to catalyse
that neighbourhood forum that we should
be with the blessing of the council going out to catalyse it now it is quite clear and democratic services have also confirmed that
Should the Buckinghamshire Council not accept our recommendation
There is absolutely no problem in individual councillors or all of us as a group
Moving ahead to become part of that group of 21 on a neighbourhood forum and trying to inspire it and bring it together
There's nothing wrong with that at all democratic services have confirmed that and say sorry
I'm just looking for the last note and then when a neighbourhood forum is formed and there is guidance on how to do it
I'm going to go into great detail and then it applies to the
Planning authority Buckinghamshire Council to recognise it
Once it's recognised it can then go forward to create a neighbourhood plan
okay, so my
suggestion to you and I'm going to ask then for your you know to say if you would agree with it or not is and
we recommend forward to cabinet and council that from the 15 % sill money
that should be allocated locally that a proportion of that and I would suggest
and so that a proportion of that is put towards funding a neighbourhood plan
preparation. The second part that we would also then recommend that we as the
town committee on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council that means the
Council is involved in doing it.
It's much more constructive, collaborative way of doing it
that we on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council
would catalyse the formation of the neighbourhood forum.
And then that's all we need to be
recommending for the moment.
So A, that some money should be made available to support it,
and that we should be involved as Buckinghamshire Council,
but the representative of Buckinghamshire Council
in helping the formation of the neighbourhood forum.
Is that something members would be in agreement with?
the other things I have made are
just really for noting by
everybody so we know probably
what comes after that. The next
thing then as you will see up
here is that we have we had
originally said in our meeting
last two months ago that 50 ,000
is what we were approximately
allocating for the neighbourhood
plan. Talking to a number of
non -council planning people the
suggestion is that for an area
as big as Wickham, but 50 ,000 really is an absolute minimum. It's more likely to be,
you know, up to double that. So my suggestion is that we also then recommend through to
council, to cabinet and to full council, that the allocation is 50 to 100 ,000 to be confirmed
at a later date. Are people in agreement with that? Right, okay, thank you. Okay, then on the,
the, sorry, right, I'm just trying to remember what's on it. So on the next line now, yes,
We then had within all of those projects,
and there were about 120 projects and areas
that Wendy was looking at from the last meeting,
and that went out to offices and came back
with all the information and questions and things on it.
Within that, we tried in both of our meetings,
people felt that it was a very good idea
that we grouped together some things
when multiple members were asking for similar things.
Now, one that came up very regularly,
and I think it's in six or eight of the areas,
We have people asking for traffic calming measures and they were slightly different in each case people wanting mobile or fixed
Or perhaps something else and the suggestion that then seemed to be popular is the best way to do it for today
That doesn't mean things are off the table in the future. We're not stopping anything today
We're just releasing things and getting them going is that the first thing is is that we agree that all boards
Should immediately who have put forward for traffic calming
measure should be allocated six thousand pounds now to then make a decision as to
how they spend it whether it's on mobile or fixed or whatever but immediately all
of those who put forward for something we agree that there's six thousand that
should be spent on it and then in principle if the other wards brought
something forward afterwards and wanted up to six thousand that that would be
agreed in the future but for today it's the first thirty six thousand that we're
releasing out of the door because we're saying those have been approved and in
those meetings we did go through those in general. Please go ahead Magic. Thank
you Chairman. I can't see Castle View and Oakridge on that list and I can't see
Abbey Ward. My understanding was that all the wards. Yeah yes so let me be really
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:56:41
clear of what I'm proposing. We can change it there's nothing here fixed.
This is for everybody to agree of course is that those who have already asked for
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:56:49
something okay so and that was on the list that we all went through those are
all agreed up to 6000. Those who haven't asked for something, there's nothing to
agree, but if something is brought forward then what we're saying is we're
minded to agree 6000 for all the other wards. So no one's getting nothing.
Everyone who's put forward for something now is already getting it and those that
haven't had the option to come forward and we're already in a sense approving
it in advance. Can I just come back? Just to clear that, sorry, just to clear that.
Cllr Majid Hussain - 0:57:20
so I would like to put cars within Oak Ridge for the M bus in my ward and I'm
sure just we're not putting new projects in today but we don't want to do is get
down to that they can come forward anytime what we're saying is that in
principle it's already agreed okay thank you
Trevor
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:57:35
yep thank you having spoken with Khalil Ahmed who's been involved with them
traffic calming and downing and places like that.
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:57:46
One of the things he said could we add into that list,
and it's quite a simple one, is the gun, the police gun.
Again, assuming members are happy
with the way I'm suggesting it,
it's any traffic calming measures.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:58:00
One slug immediately agreed for everybody, 6 ,000 pounds.
And the only reason it's the 6 ,000 pounds
is because through Julia's information and research
and from something that came in from an officer,
that seems to be about the right level
to get anything done.
So right one second. Okay. So just remembering so we are we're saying any traffic calming measure up to six thousand
Julia
Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:58:26
Chairman I'm disappointed that we haven't had the one -to -one meetings with officers that we
It was going to it was said that we would have a kind of mentoring session to fill in the background of these bids
So...
Can I just cheque, are you wanting to stop some of these going forward and make them
go for meetings with officers first?
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:58:44
Well, I think it would be much better to be systematic with the officer rather than have
a couple of odd meetings near the... near tonight that, you know, we get into the usual
anarchy of who can turn up and who can't.
Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:59:03
I mean, it is quite anarchistic, this methodology.
So just to say that I am a very systematic person. When I'm asked to meet a timescale,
as I was January 25, July 26, September 26, and again December 26, I met those deadlines.
And I did a lot of research on the funding and the background to what I put forward.
sometimes over many years including petitions so I'm just hanging my hat on
this particular one to say that I applied two pairs of fixed sids in
areas Hatter's Lane Hill and Totridge Hill where there'd been a huge amount of
accidents. They're not the type of accidents necessary that triggers a pedestrian crossing
or extra funding, but they have been devastating accidents where people have been traumatised.
So now almost in a whimsical way, one of my projects has disappeared.
No projects have disappeared. One second, Julia, please, can I just correct that? Nothing,
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:00:25
Nothing has disappeared. No project is off the table. Not one all we're trying to do today is get some concrete projects
Absolutely agree to move forward and done
Nothing is being stopped at the moment. Nothing is off the table. There will be a process going forward for everything
So don't worry. Nothing is gone. It's just these ones are able to get going. I believe in chronological order
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:00:46
fairness and meeting deadlines and one of these schemes
I've been fighting for for 15 years now it's gone. Okay. Okay. Nothing has gone at all
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:00:56
So that's just a correction. And the other thing is can I can I just say then as well? Nothing has gone at all
So don't worry anything can be brought back. This is just to get some things agreed
All we're doing on this is we've gone from all the work that's been done by everybody on this on this timing
Because I've no idea what's gone on before over the years and all those months previously
is just to get some of these things agreed, get them out the door so that we
can have our residents getting things done for them and not have to wait
anymore. So but don't worry nothing has been rejected at all, we will work out
how we move forward on the other things. I think it was Catherine next. Thank you
Cllr Catherine Oliver - 1:01:35
chair. I just wanted to clarify the devices whatever they happen to be that
we're talking about for speeding and completely completely agree with them.
Yeah, traffic calming, none of them are going to be traffic calming unless they're
these digital devices that attract speeds because you're not going to get
anything for six thousand pounds. My concern is within that cost is whether
anything has been covered in terms of the collection of data and the
analysis of that data because we use in the parishes around Wickham and parishes
in Buckinghamshire which have these devices, a lot of that information and tracking of
data is done voluntarily by community groups. Is that what's going to happen here or is
it going to be reliant on officers to do that? That was just my point.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:02:25
Yeah, sure. I mean, it's a great point and something that we should be thinking about
trying to go forward. I think the point of what we've done here is we've taken 125 projects,
we've crushed them down, forced loads of people to give a whole load of information and trying
to get to the point where we start getting some of them out.
We start thinning essentially the crowd by getting some things out and done.
And within this, the the simplest way and people disagree today,
they can disagree and we can kibosh it and not do it.
But it seemed to be in the meetings that we were having that the best thing to do
is to to take this theme that everybody had.
Take the only costings that we had, which were Julia's
and from one of the officers and say, right, that looks like something
that seems sensible and it lets everybody get going.
Yes, it would be nice to be organising it absolutely brilliantly, properly,
and I hope that the officers, as we do execute it, will be helping that to happen.
Thank you, Mr Chairman. I'm just saying that £6 ,000, I think we would be putting in,
Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP - 1:03:19
myself and my girlfriend Leslie Clark, some project, but it doesn't have to be a one project.
It could be a variety of projects, like having speed cameras and other bits and pieces,
as long as we up to £6 ,000 can be used for the work. Is that clear?
That's what I mean. Yes, I mean that's what we're all going to agree today if we agree it
So it's any traffic coming up to 6 ,000 and by the way
It doesn't mean you can't put in 20 others 20 others
But it also doesn't mean the 20 others will be finally accepted through officers and our decisions later on but all we're doing is
Trying to get the first ones out and yes anything up to the six thousand
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:03:53
So we've got Julia can I wait till we've done everybody else come back to you at the end when we've done everybody Saf next I
think
Saf then Leslie and then Julia again. Thank you
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:04:00
Cllr Arman Alam - 1:04:14
I think there are concerns with the implementation because in the past when we've asked for the
MEAS or other mechanisms or other products for traffic calming, we've been told because
it's an unparished area, either there needs to be a residence association or somebody
who needs to ensure the product and maintain the product,
and that's why we can get these products,
we can actually keep them.
So I don't know, there may be some implementation issues,
we may need to work with opportunity bugs
or the council widely.
Yes, and I think that the implementation
of each of the schemes is gonna be different.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:04:51
It's also gonna be different what board members want,
it's gonna be different what the residents want
and what the issues are.
And if everybody is finding there's so many problems
with this we won't do it. We won't be agreeing these things and they won't move forward.
So the idea, we'll come to you Hazel, but in the order. So the idea is to try and get
to the point where we have things that are moving forward. I'm not pressing it, I'm just
saying that's the point of what we're trying to achieve. If people don't want to do it,
then we won't do it. But that's the idea. And I think on each project, the details will
have to be worked out as it's moved forward. So Saf, sorry to have cut you off before.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:05:28
That's fine. I'll let Councillor Armand carry on. He's nicked my question anyway. So my one is
following from him. Like the M -VAS, it's gonna be a lot of money to buy that. So
so would two like Abbey and Terrace and Amersham Hill can combine this £6 ,000
each to buy it and split it between that? Would that be an option?
Yeah I mean again I think this is what people have mentioned in the meetings as
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:05:56
I think if people want to cooperate, there's no reason why people don't get together, spend it and then move the M bus around
And share it. So so that's absolutely fine. That's up to us to do
It's again just make sure everybody feels they've fairly got an allocation that we can move forward on
So Leslie now and then Hazel McCamey to Julia if we come around to another question at the end
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 1:06:15
The question I have you've got a sum there and then you said that anybody can have six thousand
why aren't you just making sure that there's enough there for each of the
wards and the other thing that I'm going to chuck in why is it the parishes are
getting six thousand pounds because the parish can also put money in which is
not you know there's no equality when it comes to the unparished area that can
only put six thousand pounds in so should there be a split that the
perished areas get three thousand rather than the six with the hope that the
parish which they are part of will give the extra three that's the suggestion
but I think that we need to make that amount up to count to count everybody so
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:07:08
we've all got it okay the the note which you'll see here actually actually the
whole point of it is the thirty six thousand is agreed for everybody that
have put in a project already.
And then there is up to another 24 ,000 agreed
for anybody who hadn't put in a project
such as Majid mentioned at the beginning,
so that that's already agreed.
I don't have any problem in limiting in some way
what goes to the areas that are partially perished.
I would have in my mind, I suppose I was assuming
that if either of those areas had something,
they would only put the thing
into an unparished part of the area.
But anyway, right.
Hazel, that's clearly relevant to you
because you're gesticulating that one, so go ahead.
It totally is.
I don't want it for parish.
Parrish have their own one,
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:07:47
but parishes have got a very defined boundary.
I'm happy to share with Disraeli and move it around.
The reason I brought it up to begin with
was as to be shared across unparished and not for perished.
It was suggested that they're very cumbersome
and to lob about,
so it might be better to have one in each area,
and so the conversation went, but I am happy.
if Maz wanted to share one in Disraeli, it's the same road.
I mean, if you look at it, it's like, you know,
oh, I'm in Disraeli, oh, I'm back in Darnley.
So that is not an issue to me.
And I think we don't need to sort of like worry too much
about parishes trying to nick use of them.
I think it's clear that it's for unparished.
And I would also say, just as a very sad plea,
every time someone goes,
this can be done through opportunity blocks,
please remember my two roads,
which are very, very sort of Disraeli sort of aligned,
aren't part of Opportunity Bucks.
And when anyone says, let's just do it as Opportunity Bucks,
that does not cover my patch of unparished.
That's just a polite reminder,
because I'm not even on the Wickham Community Board.
So this is my only way to get this,
which is why I'm perhaps so sort of passionate.
Thank you.
Well, I want to try to,
I don't really want to stay on this singular point
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:09:04
about this singular item for the next 10 or 20 minutes.
It's our quickly answer Hazel's one.
Maboub, you haven't spoken on this yet, have you?
Yes.
No, so Maboub and I have,
I'll come to you because you haven't spoken.
I'm just a suggestion, I'm just -
But you have spoken.
Sorry.
Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP - 1:09:17
Right, okay, hang on.
No, guys, guys, guys, guys, guys, guys.
Let's not all start talking around, right.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:09:24
Because we're running out of time
and we're literally only on this one point,
I think I wanna quickly answer Hazel's question,
see if I can answer a general question as I'm doing it.
Go to IOM, and then I think we're gonna come
to an end on this item,
and it's a sort of a yes or a no.
I know you did, but we're running out of time, Julia,
and we're trying to get everybody in.
So Hazel, the idea on this is we haven't gone in
and put every single rule, Julia, please, can I finish now?
And we're trying to give everybody their opportunity
and then move on.
We'll have a vote, and if we vote it out,
we can bring it back to the next meeting.
One second, no, no, Julia, Julia, I'm sorry, please.
Hazel, no, Julia, one second.
Julia sorry hazel. So the whole point is we haven't got every single detail here of everything
We're going to do on it
It really was just to say
Can we get this out because everybody was wanting something done on this and I think you're absolutely right
The assumption is is that for those areas that are parish and unparished?
It's for the unparished parts of the area and the cooperation
It's up to us as adults as well as the officers to help us to
Coordinate if we're going to share things between different areas and that sort of thing. Um, I
Cllr Mohammed Ayub - 1:10:35
Just a quick question. Is the 6000 is per ward or per councillor? But some wards are
smaller? Per ward. But remember, we are not saying you can't come forward with other projects.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:10:46
If you've got another five traffic calming projects, you can bring them forward in the
future. It's not saying no to anything at all. It's not an upper limit. It's a base
limit. It's making sure everybody gets something out the door. Okay. I think on this one, I
because we'll take it to an actual vote if we don't see an obvious agreement.
But can I ask everybody...
Can I just point out what £6 ,000 buys?
No, we don't need to.
No, Julia, we don't need to.
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:11:09
It buys a pair of fixed SIDS with smiley faces.
It does not buy MVAZ, which is a nightmare.
OK, fine. Can we just move ahead?
So if people disagree with it, that's fine.
You can either come in with another suggestion now we can vote on or we can leave it.
So if you agree with the proposal that we should have 6 ,000 for everybody in the way that's been done
Would you please raise your hand?
Excellent, thank you very much. That's wonderful. Okay. Oh
I didn't know but yes, it's unanimous. I was waiting for it
But I'm sorry
Can we pull it up again to to go down the list and I am hoping that we won't
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:11:44
Spend quite so much time on every single issue. Okay. Oh the the right we're now moving on to literally our special
reserve, okay, because the item above the traffic calming measures in principle could
be paid out of sill, but if there isn't sill money or it can't be, then it will go to reserve.
Now on the reserve, we also in our meetings, we looked at other areas that were generally
requested by multiple councillors across multiple wards. And there were two, one of which the
aim or the general consensus was to try and agree some funding for it now. And that is
bulbs, wildflower patches, other sort of opportunities to make things brighter and greener.
And the general feeling was, and with an excellent suggestion in one of the meetings, which the
other one then likes as well, is that what we should do is again make this right across
the wards, create a budget for everybody that is a one -off.
And all of the projects we do out of reserves, remember, are one -offs.
They are not things that are going to happen every time because it's a special reserve,
not an ongoing funded thing and we would have to bring it back every year to renew it.
And in this case the idea is to say to everybody, right, every ward that has two members in it,
the bigger wards, will get £2 ,000 allocated for bulbs, wildflowers and that type of project.
Every one member ward will get £1 ,000 allocated and for those of us that have perished
and an unparished ward it would be £500.
Now my proposal is not to go to a discussion on it, take a vote straight away on it
to see if that's agreed.
Does everybody agree that?
Raise your hands please if you agree.
Thank you.
Right, okay, raise your hands if you disagree.
Okay.
So, it's carried.
I mean, look, I, sorry.
Because the other one was a big one and pretty important.
Fair enough, okay, fair enough.
Let's, I'm quite happy to open it up for discussion
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:13:45
to say that's absolutely fine.
I have no problem with that.
Saf you're on first, Armin you're on second.
Can we go back to the list please?
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:13:53
It's meant to just be up there.
Thank you.
So it's staying on the top item.
One of the things that we discussed last time was High Wickham Life magazine.
£10 ,000.
Sorry we're just doing the top item.
Just the top item.
Just the top item.
Just the top item.
Right so everybody's agreed on the top item.
Right just the top item.
Okay, fine, we all agreed.
Can we just put them to a vote or it's going to,
we'll come to the end of the meeting.
Right, okay, fine.
Okay, so the bulbs is done, right.
I just want to, can we pull up the list again
and then I'll say what I'm intending to do
in terms of process and then see if people agree.
So I think now the intention would be to explain,
okay, Saf, please.
Everybody, right.
I think the intention now would be we go through
the next two items and debate, okay.
and then we take the rest of the list,
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:14:48
and I will ask for approval or not of the rest of the list,
having explained it briefly.
So, does anybody disagree with that?
Yes. Anybody else?
So, the idea is we will discuss in detail
the next two items, Wickham Life, Gaia,
then the rest of the list, which is all of our projects
for all of our wards individually,
we will take, as Julia suggests at that point,
and we'll take a vote on that,
and if we all agree it will move on.
If we don't, we'll discuss every item.
We did just have two meetings to discuss all of them in detail.
That was the aim.
I don't mind going through it today.
The whole point of it was to avoid that.
Sorry, can I just ask, because the conservation area consultation is really important and
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:15:37
it has a deadline and I'd just like to bear in mind that if anything gets dropped, it
very sad to be there because it's time defined.
And this could go on.
So I would just ask you to bear in mind, Chair,
that there are important things heading behind us.
We're running over a lot, so I'm going to take Julia
and then we're going to come to a decision
on how we're going to progress.
So Julia.
Thank you, Chairman.
I propose we give High Wycombe Life Magazine 10 ,000 pounds.
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:15:58
Seconder, please.
Right, is there a second?
I mean, I, so I don't, I'm, yep, okay.
There's a motion being put forward.
Just can I have a quick look at Democratic,
So one second, let me just cheque if that's allowed.
I think you need to take it one by one.
One by one.
Yeah, and this is the proposal, isn't it?
Yeah.
Someone needs to second what's up there,
Mrs Elly Cook - 1:16:19
have the debate, and then if someone wants to
put an amendment forward, they can.
Right, so you forwarded and seconded it.
Now we're being told we're going to have a debate.
So let's take a couple of questions.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:16:29
So the first one, let me then explain very briefly then
what happened in our meeting.
It's not necessarily my opinion.
I want to say what came out of the consensus
of those two meetings on High Wycombe Life was that people were not comfortable with
the original amount that was asked for. People were in general not universal, comfortable
with proving something to support the project. There were a number of comments about the
project being, if it ever came back to us, and the door would be open for it to come
back, but would be open for it to come back and show to us that there should be a proper
business plan on how to take it forward and not take money or as much money from us in
future and hopefully to have a salesperson involved in doing it as well.
These were just the comments, this is what came out of it. Within the thing
then the consensus on what was the right amount of money that should be
given to High Wycombe Life was as a minimum 10 ,000. Some people, it wasn't
universal, it wasn't universal, I'm just giving you the general consensus from
the meeting, was that it was 10 ,000, that's how the figure 10 ,000 got onto the list.
Okay, so that was the general consensus, I'm not suggesting that's my opinion,
That's what came out of the meetings now would anybody like to comment on this now before we take a vote Julia and Darren have
Proposed it so okay, so Saf Catherine
And that would be it and Trevor. That's it then okay
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:17:50
I think the thing is we've had this discussion before about the life magazine
They always come back for money, and we always fund it
We need something from them to say that you know they've got advertising they can make money out of it
If it was a business, yeah, and a business,
if it was my business, I would be doing a plan, yes,
to make itself sufficient by now.
How many years have they been taking money from us?
And what have we seen?
All right, glossy magazine, et cetera, et cetera.
But for a business to run five years
and then still come for money, and we don't know,
the door's open for next year as well,
for another 10 ,000, et cetera, I can't support this
because there's no business plan, no nothing.
And then we're saying, get salespeople in,
they should have, excuse me Julia I'm speaking here, okay, okay, to me, yeah, so
there should be you know this business plan put in place before even them
coming here for money. Right, you're not alone in suggesting there should be a
business plan and a presentation of the business case properly and the
potential for how sales are made, that was repeated by others in the meetings
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:18:58
as well, Catherine. I'm going to take a different view, Julia please, sorry I'm going to take a
Cllr Catherine Oliver - 1:19:02
different view and it won't come as a surprise. This isn't a business. The High Wickham Life
magazine isn't a business magazine. It is there to serve the community, to serve our
residents, to promote High Wickham, to put out there the good things that we have here
and we have plenty of those. And if we don't have the magazine, how are we going to get
that message out to our residents? Nobody's given me that answer. The work that Heather
does, she doesn't do it to make money out of it. This is not what she's doing. She's
doing it to provide a service to us and it enables us to have a great deal of input,
not just us but other community organisations. Where else are they going to be able to spread
their word if there isn't a magazine like High Work and Life? I think it is incredibly
short -sighted. I'm not suggesting it isn't a significant amount of money. I'm not suggesting
that we continue to fund this ad infinitum. But I just feel like we're missing a really
big opportunity here because we all want High Wycombe to be a place where people come to,
a place that people are proud of and you're taking away, in my mind, a big part of that
by not agreeing to funding it to a more substantial amount of money than the £10 ,000.
Right, but thank you, Catherine. I think there's others who would actually agree with you on
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:20:27
that point as well and the this again just in terms of I keep coming back to
this we're often on here talking about minimums you know this is what people
have said they'll do that when they're not shutting doors to anything being
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 1:20:44
discussed again in the future. Trevor. Thank you. Yes we do need a magazine but we also need it linked up with social and others so it needs to be bigger than just a magazine.
I don't think it's oven ready yet for us to be able to do anything with it
because I think we need to see the the business plan but we also need to see it
coming from an organisation that's either a CIC or something that High
Wycombe Town Committee can recognise for the giving out of money and grants. So I
think there's a lot of work to be done and I say we we stall it for now and
bring it back you know with a bit more we'll say oven readiness. Right so one
second so I mean we're gonna move on after this to actually take the vote on
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:21:26
Julia's proposal but and the only way you can propose to stall it Trevor is if
you're actually offering an amendment to the proposal and if you're not then
we'll be voting on Julia's proposal. One second Julia.
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:21:40
Okay, good. I've been told, sorry, I'm not taking my question.
We're just running out of time, guys. I'm sorry.
So what we're going to do now is we're going to take the vote.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:21:56
So the proposal by Julia is that we accept what's on the board, which is the £10 ,000
funding and just with the proviso that we are looking for a business plan and other
details if ever they were to come back. Right. Do people agree with the £10 ,000 funding?
Please raise your hands.
I need some clarification on this because if we vote this down is that saying it will
never come back?
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:22:23
No, it can still come back but it's gone for now and that will mean it won't be going out
now.
Because I don't think the way this is...
Oh, I see, yes, OK.
Yeah, because if I say right now I don't agree with the fact that yes, but with the business
act, I'm not saying I don't want it to be discussed properly.
Right, let me just come back to Ellie for a second.
So Ellie, we're just going to vote on this proposal.
If the proposal was passed, we would move on.
If it fails, then someone else can move forward.
OK.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:22:48
So, guys, guys, guys, can you please look forward, please?
Let's keep focused.
So we are voting on Julia's motion to accept the 10 ,000.
Those in favour of accepting the 10 ,000, please raise your hands.
Okay, so that's seven. Right, those against.
Okay, and abstentions. Right, okay. Alright.
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:23:37
One second, we're going to discuss the next one. So, we're going to Gaia now, which we had said we would discuss, then we'll do the other together hopefully.
So, Gaia, it's been presented to us before.
I'm not going to go through exactly what Gaia is.
You've all had a presentation.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:23:51
Through the meetings again, I think the original request was
30 ,000.
It was suggested that was not the amount of money that most
people were happy to put forward.
People suggested that we should, they'd be supporting it in a
moderate way, and we should probably be requesting as well
that they look at how to make other money in doing it by
running conferences underneath the Gaia ball and or seminars or whatever it
might be so I think we're gonna go if we're happy we will literally go
straight to you gonna make a motion motion
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:24:23
I propose that we vote against it because it doesn't fulfil the criteria that it's within the remit of a town or parish council
I'm proposing we vote against it, but support in principle another body could fund it.
Or go fund me, I'll give a hundred pounds to go fund me.
We're not under any of these items as far as I say saying we are executing them.
We're simply saying we are going to allocate money to support them.
We can't allocate money.
Not that we're actually doing it because we have no power to do any of these things.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:24:54
We're an advisory body and in terms of the money,
We are our only power is to allocate the money not to run the project
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:25:08
Okay, right, thank thank you
Okay, so if people would like to comment after speed it up
I'd prefer to go straight to a vote and whether we're going to straight to a vote
Okay, so would somebody propose that we're actually going to do this for Gaia. Nobody likes to propose it
Right, Saf will pose it. We've got a seconder for that, please.
Chris is seconding. All those in favour of the 10 ,000 going to Gaia, please raise your hands.
Those against.
Any abstentions?
Okay, that's passed. Right. Can we pull the list up again, please? Okay. And then go down
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:26:05
to right now. Every other project on here, okay, are ones that were individually put
forward by members. They are then projects for their area. They are then projects that
were discussed in all the meetings and people gave information into it. And what we would
like to be doing, sorry, what I would like to be doing, and I'm
hoping you'll support me, is to get these agreed and getting
done, rather than coming back and going through the whole
process again in two months time to look at every single one of
these projects. And by the way, we have 100 other ones to look
at. So we're not lacking in projects to look at. So my
proposal, and I'll come to you, Armin, anyway, if you want to
comment, my proposal would be that we agree to all of these
items moving forward now. In order to do that, I am going to take this as a single item and
then I'll take the comments. So we can take it as a single item first. In other words,
we're going to agree at all, I hope, but let's take comments. So Armin and Leslie, comments.
Cllr Arman Alam - 1:27:06
Thank you, Chairman. Chairman, while we're here to agree to recommendations that are
being put forward, at the end of the day, this is the public's money. And it seems to
that at the very least anything above £1 ,000 we should be able to consider in detail.
And for one or two of them, Baudine planters, I don't even know what that is, why that
fund is being given, but I'm sure that will be explained.
But I need to know before I can agree that we could put a recommendation forward for
such money to be allocated, because this is public money.
And then we've got a £10 ,000 one.
We need to know more information before we can just say let this all go forward. I wasn't at the meetings
meetings
Juliette one second lesson comment. We're having comments first before we move on
It may well be but 10 ,000 pound for community centre fence and door repairs while I understand
Why that's been put forward. It is a significant amount of money and I'm interested how big this fence is Julia
10 ,000 pound on. Right, so we will not be doing the second the other comment but I
get the point about you think that we should be having more information.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:28:23
Leslie. Thank you chairman. A couple of things, surely the barreting planters
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 1:28:25
will be covered with the bulbs and wildflower planting so the money is
already being given. Could we just confirm that the community centre fence
and door and the community cafe are not privately owned. If they are privately
then they should be coming in with a grant application and not being given funding like
this.
OK, I'm going to look at Sophie while I try and answer the second part of that question,
which I'm pretty sure that I'm right, but I'll say it and then get Sophie to correct
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:28:55
me if I'm wrong. We had over 120 projects come forward. They were projects right across
everything going on in everybody's wards at different levels. The officers spent
nearly two months, six weeks or so working on it in order to identify what
is a nothing to do with us and we shouldn't touch with a barge pole. B that
is covered by section 106 which is specially allocated money under under
planning. C, sill monies that it should be covered by that. D, other departments
including opportunity bucks within the council and then came to a conclusion that everything
that was presented to us on a particular sheet which you have all had was able to be funded
by us.
Now as I understand it, so if you're looking at you for confirmation, is that even if they
are outside bodies, we are perfectly entitled to be allocating money to outside bodies to
get something done.
And my assumption is that's the decision you guys made when you provided it back to us.
So apologies it's difficult for me to comment in detail because obviously it
was Wendy that had the discussions but what was certainly in
Ms. Sophie Payne - 1:30:07
slide on me sorry what's in the detailed notes it did clarify that those were
non -bc owned buildings so I would base that on the assumption that yes there
was knowledge that they could the funding could be put towards non -bc
owned properties as grant funding. Okay so we're just maybe was it so Trevor take a
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:30:28
question of Trevor and then we're going to go to see if we can close this off
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 1:30:34
straightaway one way or the other oh and staff so that'll be it so Trevor and
staff then we'll try and close off this section one way or the other yep no I
can I can see it Hayes all trying wasn't this a contribution to a bigger amount
as well which you haven't actually mentioned right the yeah and because
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:30:54
you've got you've got a simple list in front of you all of us and Wendy and all
of the officers were working from a 15 page spreadsheet with 15 columns on it and the
different places with a lot more detail on it. This is a summary only produced for here
so that we're not sitting going through the spreadsheet and the detail we did in our meetings
and everything else. So yes, there are other details and part of it is to say that and
in certain of our meetings as we were discussing, we were trying to come up with what seemed
reasonable minimal amounts to support projects often knowing that they're going to cost more
money to the organisations involved to do them. But this is what we are today prepared
to agree. We can in the future have another, have an organisation come back for more money
on a project and say thank you so much for the 2 ,000 you agreed for me. It isn't enough.
Can I apply for some more? But there's no guarantee we'll give it. We're just trying
to get these ones out the door and get some things moving. Does that answer the question,
Trevor? Yep. Staff.
Thank you, I have my reservations as same as Councillor Armand has and Leslie.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:31:57
Planters on Barrow -Deane Road, there have been planters there before which have been
wrecked.
And, you know, spending money on their…
He's been healing, haven't you?
Julia, please let him finish the comment.
Can I read the press, Chairman?
No, Julia, please let him finish the comment.
Chairman, can I just say, this is one of those meetings I hate coming because of one individual.
She always tries to disturb the meeting and I think you're in a difficult position.
but it should be dealt with in a proper manner because when somebody's speaking
they raise their hand. Please please go on yeah I take the point please don't personal
can you go on to just your comment. I'm not personal I'm just saying facts that it's always
just being disturbed by a certain individual. Okay can you can you finish
your your comments on the items. Thank you and fencing around a community centre you
know ten thousand pound is a lot of money and as Sophie has said we're not
sure it's a privately owned entity. So why aren't they putting the money towards that?
Because obviously they're making money as well. So that's my observations on that.
So thank you for those. Right, Mabou, I will let you come in, then that's it. And we're
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:33:08
going to go to trying to make a first vast decision, and if we can.
Mr Chairman, I just want to clarify, because I saw you got an item by item. The next item
Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP - 1:33:14
was £2 ,000. We're talking about 10. We're confusing you. Are we taking it all together?
I was trying to say that we are trying to take all of the rest of them together because these are the individual
But partly because we just spent over four hours in previous meetings going through them all which was obviously what we were trying to do
Price coming in here
So what what we all do and if we it's up to the members how they would like to proceed
The idea is to get these out now
The bottom item is already agreed, so that doesn't have to be included.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:33:49
It's there for information.
It is about our member of staff.
That was already agreed.
So we're not voting on that.
No, Trevor, I think we'll just go straight to see if we can move this forward.
Right.
No, I'm going to suggest that we vote on the whole lot together.
If you don't want to do that, that's fine.
We can sit here and keep going through them.
So, you know.
Point of order.
Right.
No, no, I'm agreeing with you.
So my proposal.
Point of order.
Please because misinformation
Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:34:22
Is being said about projects, okay
Right, Julia, you take it on block Julia
I think I think you're well, I don't mean misinformation
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:34:36
I think you're quite right that that all of these have been in the spreadsheet. They've been going around
We've all been commenting on it and there's a lot of other information in there. So we have seen the background information, right?
We're going to try and move this forward.
If you want to reject it, that's fine.
I am very happy that we sit here and go through every single item,
if that's what everybody wants to do.
But I would suggest that we try to move forward,
agree all of these items, and move,
get the thing going forward.
And that's everybody who put something in, pretty much.
Some of their items are on there.
There are more than 100 other items
we still have to go through in the coming months, okay?
And that's without anybody putting in new things.
So would somebody like to propose that we accept all of these items here and move forward?
Would somebody like to propose that, please?
Chris is proposing it.
Would somebody like to second?
Madge would like to second it.
Right.
Can I see all those in favour of agreeing all the items on this sheet, please?
Okay, all those against?
And extensions. Right, as I understand it, does that mean that's tied? So now do I vote
again. So the rule is if I've already voted I still get a casting vote. Right.
Right okay all right then well on the basis of that then I am voting that we
do move it forward and we agree it. So I understand people may disagree but we
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:36:28
are moving that forward. Okay right now Julia, Julia please can we keep the
here. Right. Okay. What have we
anything else to do on this
item? I am just looking at
officers now. I can't remember.
Right. Sorry. Yes. The next
item was to look at our topping
up of the amount of money
available.
Excuse me. You made a proposal
that we were going to take all
those items at once.
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 1:37:00
Yeah. And we just voted for all
those items being agreed. Yeah, that's what we just did.
I think there are quite a few people.
OK, so let's move on. So the next thing that we do want to get a steer on from everybody,
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:37:14
there had been £450 ,000 that had been agreed by the previous committee before us that was
to be the amount of money that would be allocated. One second, let me just say it and then you
correct it afterwards. That £450 ,000 some of that money was spent. In our last meeting
we had agreed that it should be topped up to £450 ,000. We have now allocated some money
from it. What I am suggesting to everybody is that for the coming 12 month period we
request that cabinet accept our recommendation to re -top it up to £450 ,000 for projects
coming during the coming 12 months. Do people generally agree with that?
Yes.
Right, thank you. Okay. Is there anything else that we need to agree?
I think you've seen other notes that came out that came out of our meetings. I think that's just for noting
I don't think we need to go through that
In any detail and anything else on this item, right? So there's nothing else in this item
So we'll move forward to the next item and I I do from my side apologise the fact we're behind time
Okay, so and let's see if we can try and catch up a bit of time now and be as efficient as possible
So, moving now onto item seven, so that's our special expenses report.

7 Report for HWTC Special Expenses Report Q3 202526

David is presenting instead of Fiorella, who is ill, I understand.
Mr David Harvey - 1:38:41
And David, on the basis that we're now relatively short of time, if you can be succinct, but
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:38:45
we'll take questions, anybody, if there's any questions, please go ahead.
Thank you, Chairman.
Mr David Harvey - 1:38:51
Fiorella Centre, apologies for this evening.
Committee are asked to note the quarter 3 revenue forecast position for financial
year 25 -26, note the forecast impact on working balances and note the latest
spend position on the reserve funded projects. So against the budget of 483 ,000
the net forecast out term position for 25 -26 at quarter 3 is 472 ,000
forecast under spender of 11k. The table provided in the report gives details on
Activity levels in summary there is reported under spends in cemeteries allotments War Memorial and footwear lighting
There is a forecast overspend due to higher additional work works orders across the rec grounds
In respect of the reserve funded projects the actual spend to quarter 3 is 63 K
14 % of the total allocation of 450 K the table on the report details the reserve funded projects as well as the remaining budget
The impact of the 2526 activities on the working balance is shown on the table provided and
the financial year end balance is currently forecast at 848K. Thank you.
Thank you, David. Any questions, please? Hands. OK. Only Chris.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:40:09
I have read the report in detail. I think it is excellent. I suggest we say great and
let's move on.
Thank you very much David. So report noted from everybody yes? Right excellent thank
you. Okay so now we're moving on to item eight so the Buckinghamshire Council High Wycombe
Conservation Area live consultation and this was let's say requested to go on by Hayes
I think she's absolutely right a number of others thought it was a good idea when it
came forward it's a very important consultation and I'm sorry again the name was oh right
Thank you. Joanna is going to be giving a very brief introduction to it and then we'll
answer any questions we have so that people know what's going on.

8 Buckinghamshire Council High Wycombe Conservation Area Live Consultation

Hello everyone, thank you for inviting me. I'm the Heritage and Archaeology team leader
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:40:55
for Buckinghamshire Council. I just want to explain a few things. Firstly, the purpose
of a conservation area appraisal and review, the process that we go through, how you can
Feeding comments on the current public consultation on the revised document and a few things I'd
like to draw your attention to within that document.
So the purpose of a conservation area appraisal document is that it will be a formally adopted
document by cabinet and it becomes a material consideration in planning.
It becomes an evidence base for the management of change in the conservation area,
but it's also a really useful document for...
Sorry, this keeps cutting out, is that...
Maybe try the one next to you, see if it's any better.
Is that any better?
It does sound better, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Yeah, so it helps us to manage change, but it's also a very useful document for residents
providing information about the places they live, helping people to better understand
what's important about their historic environment and what makes their places special.
So we've been going through a process, we've prioritised, Buckinghamshire's got 179 conservation
areas.
we have a priority list for those that we feel should be reviewed most urgently.
And we have been working through those.
So we have three about to become adopted.
They're going to cabinet in April for Haddonham, Buckingham and Winslow.
They will be the first conservation areas adopted by the new unitary authority.
That will be followed by Aylesbury sometime in July, August, possibly.
And then Wickham follows swiftly behind.
So we've got, we're now at a period of six weeks public consultation on the draught document,
which has already been through scrutiny internally within the council.
The consultation closes formally on the 12th of April and it's advertised on your voice
box.
And you can put your comments through on that online.
There's an online survey that you can feed into.
There are also going to be some public events running concurrently held in the Guildhall,
April, one on Wednesday the 8th of April in the evening and one on Thursday the 9th in
the morning.
Yeah, so we will review any comments received from the public and from yourselves and we
will revise the document where appropriate and then it will go through the forward plan
again.
So it will go through internal management scrutiny up to corporate management team,
informal cabinet and then to formal cabinet before adoption.
The current document is quite a big change from what you will have seen before.
Partly that's in response to changes in policy.
It also combines four existing conservation areas that all relate to the development of Wickham itself, High Wickham.
So the existing documents for High Wycombe date to 2011, for Amersham Hill to 2012, for
Priory Avenue to 2012 and for Wycombe Abbey 1986. So the current document represents an
update in that evidence space.
Chair, just a quick point. Could we put the map on the screen? I think it would be a big
help.
Do you have a –
Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:44:59
I haven't got anything. I've got – the document is on your list box.
Yeah. We'll try and look for it while the conversation's going on.
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:45:05
There's a link in the agenda which takes you straight to the – with one further click
which will be a big help, I think, to the discussion.
That's fine. Sorry, Joanna, please go ahead.
That's fine. What I'd love to draw your attention to is some of the changes in approach in that
Firstly, it's a very large document.
We try to make it as easily navigable as possible.
There are lots of links in there that you can jump to different sections from the index
but also from tabs along the bottom of the document.
We hope you find it interesting and informative.
There are proposed boundary changes in Section 7 where four new areas are proposed, various
relatively small areas to be added into the boundary. So please do have a look at that
and the online survey gives you opportunity to comment on that. But also there's a comment
section at the end where you can talk about anything you feel we should have included
that we haven't. Also I'd like to draw your attention to the management plans put forward
in Section 6 of the document, which represent sort of a kind of local design guide, and
that's more in line with policy that's coming forward now, and it will help us to manage
the process, give good guidance to planners, but also provide an enforcement hook where
that's needed going forward. So thank you. I'm happy to take questions.
If I could just ask a couple of quick things, I think probably general things. So you talk about the
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:46:43
Being used within planning. Can you give us a few examples of how it's used? What does it protect?
How can it ensure that our town stays looking better?
Through that I think the second thing is possibly to yes to members if anybody else was it was interested
Maybe we should be suggesting we have an online more in detail session with somebody
over the next week or two
Rather than trying to do it here, but if people are not interested, that's fine
So if I let her answer that and then we come to Chris and Hazel and Leslie.
Okay, so in terms of in planning, conservation area designation
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:47:17
introduces additional planning controls, particularly for things like demolition and some changes.
So it does give us more control. It also flags up changes that might affect the character and historic significance of the area coming forward.
We don't have control over everything
There still remains an awful lot of permitted development rights within that area
But it does introduce some additional control and that is spelled out in the early parts of the document what those controls are
Thank you Chris
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:47:53
Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:47:56
We have the revised map for high wicca on display behind you
I think it would be very useful if you could talk us through the changes that are proposed
What are the new areas which are introduced?
Possibly, if you could go to the map on page 123, that might be more helpful.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's the one.
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:48:28
So the red line is the combination of the four existing conservation areas and the green
areas are the newly proposed areas.
So we've got an area there at the south end of High Wycombe Cemetery is number one.
We have a small section at Temple End, former police station is number two.
Number three is Totteridge Avenue and Gordon Road, a section there relating to, I think,
railway development.
And area four is London Road Extension East and the Cricket Club.
So I hope that sort of makes it a little bit clearer.
Within the document, a couple of pages later, it explains why those areas are being considered
and put forward.
So please do take a look and feed in your comments to the online survey.
Hazel.
Thank you.
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:49:21
So one, I mean, I totally get why Temple End and I totally get why some of the residential
would be interesting to know if there's any been feedback from residents who quite might
love having their house suddenly in a heritage area or not.
You know, sort of if there's planning constraints.
But I think what you've laid out sort of makes sense to me.
The only thing is, I can see that some other things
have been adapted now.
My role you rise, because I'm gonna mention QVR.
But it's already got in there former bucks council offices
in some places and bucks council offices in another.
So you might just wanna go and cheque through,
because I'm also concerned about when this gets delivered,
I presume it's going to therefore be relevant that it's former
Because they're still box council offices at the moment
but equally
the marketing plan for the QVR sale has
You know the possibility of a seven -storey block behind it. It's pitching to people to potentially build quite a lot of housing there
that may happen, that sale may happen
before this has come out, so it'd be very interesting
to see what the liability is for the council
versus what the purchase is going to have to go through
if this plan comes out afterwards,
because this plan seems to secure QVR
as part of the civic avenue in a number of places,
and it mentions the brickwork, it mentions, you know,
sort of very much being a part of that road,
and a value part, and I know it's not listed,
but it is still part of the heritage civic avenue
and is mentioned as such with special features.
So I'm just more concerned from my supposed
what are we doing thing, having the sale of QVR
in the middle of this not going through yet,
and what people potentially buying it
might get into trouble with,
considering the bits that it's valuing
are bits that the marketing pack
suggests could be demolished.
So I'd be interested to know how we stand on that really.
Thank you.
Sure.
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:51:33
I need to be a little bit careful because this isn't really within the scope of my field
and remit.
What we are required to do in reviewing the conservation area now is look at what is valuable,
what is historically relevant, what is significant now.
This then provides an evidence base going forward for future decisions.
It doesn't mean that change can't happen.
It means that what is significant has to be weighed in a planning balance.
And any advice and guidance given within this document should be taken seriously by all
parties.
So that would include future buyers.
It would include regeneration teams.
It would include property teams within the council.
and all of their future aspirations should be considered in the light of a document like this.
So the existing High Wycombe Conservation Area document already talks about limiting the height
of buildings within High Wycombe because of the importance of being able
to view the hanging woodland around the town and because of the topography of the town.
Now, we're very aware that that doesn't fit with regeneration aspirations, but in that
mix and when applications come to planning, those things will become immediate material
consideration and have to be balanced.
Not by myself, not by my team, we will feed into that and we have fed into where we've
been requested to advise already insofar as we've got.
Yeah, and sorry, one tiny little thing more.
It mentions in there about Article IV.
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:53:19
I'm quite interested to know more about that in terms of,
when we look at the area as a whole,
some areas aren't listed.
And it says that Article IV is something
that it could be brought in to apply
to any sort of important buildings that
aren't important enough to be listed, say,
but need consideration.
And I'm asking that in terms of the whole boundary.
Yeah, we're not proposing putting an article four through
at this point in time.
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:53:44
It's something that we have asked Purcell,
who are the very experienced heritage consultants
that have been working on the document with us,
to consider and put a proposal to us
to say whether they think one would be appropriate
and for what.
Now, it's unlikely if one does come forward at a later date
that it would be for the whole conservation area.
It's more likely that if one were to be proposed,
it would be localised and very specific.
Oh no, absolutely, but for us to consider
as a town committee where we could use perhaps Article IV
going through the entire conservation area
and point out places where we think we might need it
as some kind of consideration. Absolutely.
I think that'd be really worth putting on a list
for a future meeting so that we can discuss
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:54:32
which items we may want to use that for?
By all means put that through in the comments
and we will make sure that that's considered.
Okay, and then we'll try and invite you back
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:54:40
to another meeting then in the future.
So that would be great.
So, Lesley.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:54:45
I understand why the boundary review's been done
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 1:54:49
and I know that you've brought several areas together.
I think there's seven that you've brought together,
isn't it, so it's now just one area,
not little individual pockets across High Wycombe.
So the High Wycombe Conservation Area
had had quite a number of character areas.
One of the questions is, why have you added the cricket club
but you haven't added across the road the tennis club, which
are both sort of the same sort of ages?
And likewise, why haven't we added in the Tomberts Hill open
space, which is something special?
So those are the two things that I would like to know.
and you mentioned a lot of listed buildings and you very very kindly have
highlighted where some of the listed buildings are falling to pieces and need
some help. Is there anything we can do with those? We're working with owners as
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:55:48
far as we possibly can on the listed buildings that are in poor condition and
I'll happily speak to you about some of those. Well I come and find you. Yeah absolutely. In terms of the
areas not not included that you would like to be considered, please do feed that into
comments and we will review. Anything that is included does need to have some kind of
historic interest. So not all open green spaces will have that and be able to represent that.
So it's very important that we hit historic England's criteria for what is included. And
it may be that we've missed things. We're quite happy to say this isn't necessarily
a perfect document at this point. And in terms of any grammatical errors or errors in terms
of former or current offices, please do point those out. This is the opportunity for us
to iron out all of those lumps.
Sorry, can I just say, Lesley, regarding Tom Burt's Hill, I'm happy to work with you on
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:56:47
that because I know that there's been historic paintings of that view. And also that there's
legendary storeys of Tom Burt on the hill.
So it is a prime example of somewhere I'm happy to work.
Great, Saf, this will probably be the last question
on this one then.
Thank you.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:57:06
Quick one, when do you think this will all come together
as a policy?
Have you got a deadline or a date or?
Some of it will depend what comes out
of the public consultation and how much change
we need to make to the document.
Ms. Joanna Horton - 1:57:19
And then largely it's about getting things through
on the forward plan. The consultant will make changes within the time schedules that they
have available and then we'll need to get it into the forward plan. That process can
take four months even when we've got the revised document.
Thanks Joanna and a big thank you for stepping into the breach at the last moment because
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:57:46
we didn't have this on the agenda until quite late on. Thank you very much.
My pleasure.
Okay everybody right moving on to our next item now so we've now got the
cabinet forward plan which you've all got in your packs if anybody's got any

9 Cabinet Forward Plan

comments please sorry am I miss something else
yeah so I some nine cabinet form forward plan and the cabinet forward plan you
will notice the the if you're glancing through actually the top item is Eastern
Street car park so I'm only alerting that if anybody would like to make a
comment about that or anything that's up to you if not anything else nope okay so
we're moving on then to item 10 there's a consultation for noting so we're

10 Consultation for noting

noting that the Buckinghamshire Council transport plan 5 is now in its live
consultation Hazel yeah out of interest because I asked for it to go on the
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:58:42
agenda as well because I thought it would have been worth discussing and not
because we all need to go to bed right but it would be worth discussing in
terms of if there was anything that we could use our advisory powers for
in terms of feeding back to council as one regarding how it might affect
Wickham I'm surprised to just see it as a note because I for one would have liked
to have talked about hospital to hospital transport for Wickham residents
and I'm sure there's other things as well.
So I'm just interested why it wasn't allowed
to be a discussion point, thank you.
I'm not sure there was method in the madness there.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:59:23
I think in terms of the conservation area,
because it was quite specific to Wickham,
is the reason that it actually got onto the agenda,
because it literally is us,
whereas the other one's a more general Buckinghamshire one,
and it was noted there so that everybody was aware
they should be making comments.
Yeah, I mean, it's only because,
I feel one of the big things that the town committee can do
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:59:40
is advise the council whether it asks for it or not,
in terms of how its consultations affect Wickham.
And so I think, like, I was a little bit disappointed
that I had to raise it,
because I think it's the sort of thing
that should be on everybody's minds to bring,
and I think we should be allowed to discuss it,
and make it clear that it's only in relation
to how it might affect Wickham,
but I think these things do deserve discussion,
because that's our purpose of being here,
as well as doing our projects.
Thank you.
Sure, I think the other thing is,
we had a packed agenda tonight as well.
I mean, that's one of the reasons I'm afraid.
Sorry, just to correct you, there are deadlines on consultations.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:00:16
Deciding other things don't, you know, is
the long time specific.
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 2:00:21
I completely agree with you.
I mean, I think in terms of putting it together,
we had to make some choices and that was it.
I mean, you know, that's that's not it.
I am not against if you want to propose that we do
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:00:29
another informal meeting where we get together and go through it
or we ask for
a Zoom from officers to explain it and ask people to come.
I mean if you think that might be useful, I'm not against that
I just think maybe we just make a note that because it's getting too much with all the extra meetings
All right, right this specific point that we made a note going forward that it is our job to bring those consultations
To the town committee to discuss openly
And that we don't just wait for someone to bring up. Otherwise it passes us by going forward
I think that would be I think that's quite a valid suggestion
and I mean if everybody else was generally so do people think
that it is a good idea in which case we could ask officers to
take that into account when they're doing the agenda and
bringing it forward in the future?
Yes.
Do people think that's a good idea?
Yes.
Generally yes? Okay. So yes noted then Sophie on that one so
thanks Hazel. Yeah, good point. Okay so we've noted that
consultation and then taken the action to try and make sure that
in future we have them on the agenda. We now have our work

11 Work Programme

programme so anybody got any comments on the work programme go ahead Leslie yes I'd like to see what
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 2:01:40
was mentioned by Hazel article 4 can also be used for residential areas to stop the proliferation of
houses of multiple occupation and I just think that we would it would be really good to have
both the conservation area article 4 and also the residential area article 4 because in some estates
Houses of multiple occupations are just getting beyond the pale
We should have a percentage of the number of houses in that estate or any estate
That we will not accept anymore. They change completely the
outlook and
The residential area just becomes ridiculous. They become a car park
litter everything so I do think article 4 for residential areas and article 4 for conservation areas
I have asked our chief planning officer about Article 4 and unfortunately I'm still waiting for a response
Because I believe it should be put in the local plan
Is that an area that we'd like to have on the agenda for the next meeting and then have a discussion about it?
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:02:47
Yeah, yes. Okay. So yeah, yes, please. Sorry. We're gonna then I think who had the hand up first in my boob
Did you have your hand up? No fine. So Trevor then saff then please
Cllr Trevor Snaith - 2:03:00
Okay this one won't surprise you work programme website and social media
presence please. Yes can we put it onto the work programme for discussion at the
next one but but actually I think I mean I think that's quite a good one in fact
comms I think including that would people want to have a 10 -minute
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:03:14
discussion about that and the next time we meet yes general nodding if we want
people want it yeah okay yes please right Saf. Thank you I think Leslie said
what I said, but I think one thing we need to do,
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:03:27
have a consultation committee or on -town committee
about planning as well, because there's issues of planning
where as councillors, I sit on planning anyway,
so I have to declare an interest with some of the guys here,
but we, because we know we come inside out,
and sometimes we say stuff on planning
that the officers try and say, no, you're not right,
or your perception is different and all that.
As a committee, I think we should be able to put in
our views on planning issues
that affect the non -parish area.
So something like that aligned
with what Leslie has already said.
I think the first bit of that is actually,
I'm assuming we could put in our views
on planning issues if we wanted to, couldn't we?
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:04:14
There's nothing to stop us because that's not making policy,
that's making recommendation effectively.
So that would fit, so we could be doing that.
What you're asking is let's discuss
how we organise to do that in an organised way. I think it's a good idea. Do others think
it should be a good idea we should look at that and see how we can be doing better on
that on planning?
Sorry, one second. I want to see if there's a general nod. If there's not, so what do
people think? Should we be looking a little bit more at planning and being on top of it?
Yeah? Okay. Fine. Can we?
If we take that offline in terms of how we organise, I'm just mindful of how many planning
applications there will be.
I think it's a good point and let's bring it back for some suggestions on maybe how to do it.
Yeah okay right last point from anybody and then we're...
The only thing was adding to the planning issue is that in a recent planning application officers
Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE - 2:05:08
look at the parking strategy completely differently to what members see in the strategy.
officers count the rooms and members follow the strategy where it says number
of bedrooms and we're being told that in areas some places that puts forward the
planning application where we're pushing and saying the number of parking spaces
is wrong we're told that we're wrong and the planners are right and we really
need to get a grip of that in the planning because there's something
really inherently wrong with that. Well I think I think getting an explanation
that is part of what we've just talked about right Catherine we really are
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:05:46
going to support. Sorry just on that point there is a paper coming forward on the new parking
Cllr Catherine Oliver - 2:05:51
standards which I'm assuming people will get to see at some point because it
needs to form part of the local the new local plan but it's really important
that is very clear because I agree that historically that it can be ambiguous for sure.
There is a table in the plan.
But yes, okay, so we need to clarify that within the issue.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:06:18
I think the one other thing to mention, which I think, is this still on the same point? Okay, very quick.
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 2:06:27
I think the thing is linking all these dots together, one would be S106 SIL money as well,
because we get this issue is the developer says I can't afford
affordability
civil money
Etc, etc
And we allow developments to go on without that and that affects us as a town committee because we get a share of it
So we can link all this together in one
subgroup or whatever you suggest
Council game, okay
Okay, good point. And these are all things we need to do
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:07:03
I think we what we do need to do though is make sure we make a lot of comments and we should get organised on
The Buckinghamshire plan because those comments in there would affect what goes into section 106 or sill afterwards as well
So they're really important to do
The other thing which I do want to just bring in those wastes if anybody else mentioned it on the work programme is we're gonna
Have to keep bringing forward these priorities because we had a hundred priority under and twenty priorities at the last meeting
We've only got about ten out the door as you probably got more about twenty because we did some general ones
So there's a lot more to come
and looking over at Sophie.
So I think we're gonna have to effectively,
we've done a lot of the work already,
but now effectively repeat the process
now for the next meeting.
And I know I was terribly delayed and apologies
on bits of the pieces I was doing,
but we'll need to bring it forward
and redo the process on these extra projects
because at the moment, things are still live
and we need to start moving that forward.
Within that, and I'm just wondering
if Julia's putting her hand up on this,
is we had talked about officers sitting with councillors.
I think we need to bring forward another list
of what we think should be moving,
so a priority list like we did last time,
and then potentially set up those meetings
between now and the next meeting.
Can I just make a suggestion on some of the things
that members have agreed this evening?
Ms. Sophie Payne - 2:08:16
We will require some member stairs on those.
So for example, we're talking about bulb planting, et cetera.
We will require member input on locations
for those for example so I believe that's the this is the juncture to be
having some of those discussions now because we'll need your input in terms
of the broader list I would like to take away what members have agreed because
there is a next step of then now taking that back into the services firming up
the costings as we said for me applications and and actually project
timelines as a piece I would also just observe that there was quite a lot that
was under the highways parking infrastructure subgroup heading and
under some existing sill money in terms of suggestions there
that could be taken within that subgroup
and then brought back to this meeting at the future meeting.
I think we'd agreed with everything
that was related to parking.
We'd take away to the outside
and I'll develop the spreadsheet and take that.
Cllr Chris Chilton - 2:09:11
I mean, we didn't go through it in all crazy detail,
but everybody had the notes of what in general
we were going to be trying to do between now
and the next meeting as well.
So, okay.
Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:09:18
But anyway, I just wanted to make sure
that was on the work programme really,
same for the next one.
Right. Now we're finally coming to our last item, the date of the next meeting.
So the 12th of May, 2026.

12 Date of Next Meeting

So thank you, everybody, for a very exciting meeting today.
So great. And I'm pleased that we've got some of these projects out the door as well.
So well done. Thank you.
I just want to give my apologies. The 12th of May. I won't be here.
I'll be abroad.