High Wycombe Town Committee - Tuesday 8 September 2026, 7:00pm

High Wycombe Town Committee
Tuesday, 8th September 2026 at 7:00pm

Speaking:

Start of webcast

Share this agenda point

Cllr Ed Gemmell

1 Apologies for Absence

Share this agenda point

Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell

2 Declarations of interest

Share this agenda point

3 Minutes

Share this agenda point

Minutes Public Pack, 23/06/2026 High Wycombe Town Committee

4 Chairman's Update

Share this agenda point

Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Arman Alam
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Ms. Sophie Payne
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Arman Alam
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Arman Alam
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell

5 Neighbourhood Plan Update

Share this agenda point

Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell

6 HWTC Special Expenses Report Q1 2026-27

Share this agenda point

Fiorella Mugari
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Ms. Sophie Payne
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Fiorella Mugari
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Fiorella Mugari
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Cllr Ed Gemmell

7 HWTC Priorities update

Share this agenda point

Ms. Sophie Payne
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Ms. Sophie Payne
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell

8 Nighttime Economy Update

Share this agenda point

Jacqueline Ford
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Cllr Imran Hussain
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Jacqueline Ford
Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Jacqueline Ford
Cllr Darren Hayday
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell

9 Resilience in Wycombe

Share this agenda point

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell

10 Parking and Infrastructure Sub-Group update

Share this agenda point

Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell

11 Cabinet Forward Plan

Share this agenda point

Printed plan Cabinet Leader Forward Plan 21 August 2026 Cabinet

12 Work Programme

Share this agenda point

HWTC Work Programme v6

Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Chris Chilton
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Mrs Elly Cook
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Khalil Ahmed
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Julia Wassell
Cllr Ed Gemmell
Cllr Arman Alam
Cllr Trevor Snaith
Cllr Ed Gemmell

13 Date of Next Meeting

Share this agenda point

Webcast Finished

Select an agenda point

Scroll with video

Disclaimer: This transcript was automatically generated, so it may contain errors. Please view the webcast to confirm whether the content is accurate.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:00:00

Okay, welcome everybody. So are we ready? So welcome everybody to the High Wycombe Town

Committee meeting on Tuesday the 8th of September. Any apologies for absence please.

1 Apologies for Absence

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:00:23

Thank you, Chairman. We've had apologies from Councillor Leslie Clark and Councillor Catherine

Oliver.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:00:28

Okay, lovely. Thank you very much. Any declarations of interest that we don't already know about?

2 Declarations of interest

3 Minutes

No. Thank you. Okay. You have the minutes of the previous meeting in your pack. Are

there any comments on the previous minutes? No. We'll take the previous minutes then as

4 Chairman's Update

accepted. Okay. Right. Coming to item four, the Chairman's update. This won't be as comprehensive

as it was on a previous occasion.

I mean, holidays and things will make slightly less took place.

So since our last meeting, we had what was a very

collaborative meeting with the leader, the new chief executive,

and that at the headquarters of Bucks Council,

the various items that we had agreed at the last meeting.

So the funding for the nighttime economy, the funding for trees,

the Green Hill Crossing contribution and the highway combust station

and artwork was all agreed and waved through.

In addition, in terms of where we were moving

in the meeting, the priorities that we had been talking

about now for six months again were accepted.

They've all been aligned with the Buckinghamshire priorities.

In relation to trees, we had talked about the possibility

of looking at getting a tree spade in the future

to help with the council's retain or relocate policy

that it brought in under a motion at council.

And again that was waved through in the meeting with positivity. So it all went in the right direction

The and I'll come to the neighbourhood plan at the end of this

I probably won't even pause to set a different item because the neighbourhood plan overlaps with with a lot of these things but the

We talked about the neighbourhood plan in the meeting as well. I'll update that at the end in a separate note

Okay, what else has happened in the period I've had a meeting with

Richard Ambrose and Claire Bailey from Planning.

And that was simply to say to them,

what's going on in High Wycombe,

where can we get help from you guys in Planning

to move forward the vision that we have for Wycombe.

And I, from that, came out introductions to the Regen team,

in fact, an offer really to help us doing an assets review.

So hopefully collecting together all of the assets

of High Wycombe so we actually know where they are.

and that was positively looked at.

I'm hoping that will come out.

Introductions to the Bucks Tree Mission,

which is now under Richard Ambrose anyway, I think.

And these meetings haven't taken place

because it was asked for in August.

And then the idea is they'll be now arranged

as everybody's come back from holiday.

We did discuss as well the issue

of eight to nine Eastern Street,

which has been proposed to be used

for emergency accommodation.

I haven't seen an update as whether that

has been decided by within the council or not it has been it went through

planning fine okay fine so that would that well that was discussed then in the

in the meeting and then the other thing was then again came to the neighbourhood

plan which we will talk about again in a little bit and they wanted to review a

little bit the experience that we'd had in Hazelmere and I had been through a

planning process through the neighbourhood plan there and they're

looking at what happened on my planning application just to understand it the

Bucks local plan obviously has now come through and it's expected to go to the inspector by the 31st of December

2026

Now full council it'll come to in November to be waved through and what I have asked on the Bucks

Local plan is can we have a meeting with the Planning Department that would present to us?

The effects of the local plan as it stands at the moment

This is with the idea of us being able to make a contribution at that time in that meeting.

So that's what I've asked for.

Okay.

So and the moment I made the request through to Peter Strack and Darren Eggleton, Richard Ambrose and Claire Bailey.

And Richard Ambrose has replied to say he's aiming to arrange a meeting for us.

When did I want it? And I've asked for it in the next two weeks.

So that's just to update you on on action taken on that.

I'm trying to see what what yeah, okay on

Visitor numbers, which is one of our aims in our vision part of his nighttime economy

I'll wait for and I also I know there's some some good comments that have been circulating

Amongst the the council is related to the nighttime economy

so let's wait until later on for that presentation and then come out with those those comments a

Number of things have been talked about more on the heritage side of working on our heritage

and starting to utilise the mayor making,

the weighing of the mayor, the uniqueness of it,

to turn it into a visitor attraction itself.

And I know this overlaps with charter trustees

and it's something that we're gonna have to coordinate

between us all because it's very much

a unique heritage asset of the town

and it's something that can drive visitor numbers in here

and everything else.

So we've had, the mayor and I organised

for some people to come in and just at least

have a first look at the weighing chair.

one of the ideas and there's no proposal here at the moment, no costings or anything else, but potentially making some sort of

passable replica of the weighing chair that could be used by other

organisations. And we haven't worked out a plan to use it or anything else.

It's just moving forward some of these things to look at it.

But thoughts that you know,

the local schools could use it for weighing their headmistress and headmaster or head boy and head girl or and if it's but there's

no decisions, just ideas to move things forward and get things going.

And we had a chat in terms of different times

with the Wiccan creatives, BIDCO and that about this.

So lots of people now thinking about how we can make more

of this as we go forward and turn it into a big attraction

for the town bringing people in.

I'm just wondering if there's anything else

to mention on the update.

Oh yes, of course we welcomed Chelsea.

So our support officer is now working for us.

I believe quite a lot of you have already met her individually those who haven't please can you try to meet her over the next?

Couple of weeks so that she can you know meet you get to know any of your thoughts and things like that

But also so she knows who she's working with

Overall, she's been starting to get to grips with community cool zones

So and I know some of you have been trying to recommend

Places that could be community cool zones and that and she's trying to draw together a list of that as we look at creating more

resilience

and that for next year as the heat comes.

Right, that's sort of the general, please go ahead.

Ed, looking at the agenda, I'm very surprised

that we're not having an agenda topic on the local plan.

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:07:23

If you were to talk to the Councillors,

the 90 Councillors that we have elected in box,

I think probably 80 % of them,

it's been their number one priority for the last two months.

Certainly if you talk to the MPs for Buckinghamshire,

and I talk regularly to Emma, to Laura, to Callum.

It's their number one priority for Buckinghamshire

and has been.

I'm very surprised that it's not on the agenda

for the meeting today, given all of the efforts

that a lot of us have put in.

And I would like to suggest that we make a change

to the agenda and include it

and have a substantive discussion on it.

Okay, thank you, Trevor.

That was me seconding what he just said.

Sorry I was waiting for you to say something.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:08:12

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:08:18

That was me seconding him but also if I may as well come in and say I'm disappointed that

we actually haven't had a meeting as a group to talk about this.

I was hoping we would.

The fact that you've negotiated or are in discussions about having a war, great, but

the doors closed guys right we needed to put in what we feel about this town now

not sit down and think about it afterwards so a second what Chris is

coming up with let me just look at Democratic services for a second

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:08:47

right. I think let's let's just one sec. Just can I ask one second just because a proposal

was made I think to see the strength of feeling I'd like to see how many people would like

to agree to what was proposed by Chris. So Chris is proposing that we do talk about it

on the agenda today. Can I see raised hands for those who agree?

OK, so almost unanimous. Right. I think we will talk about it today then.

So then either I'll come straight over to you, but it's on this topic, is it?

Yeah. So either we talk about it now or we put it at the last item on the agenda.

OK. Right. If we're sorry, if I could just take the two comments and then I'll make a decision on how we deal with it.

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:09:58

I think it's really important we talk about it today because some of the

documents have had an extension to them and one of those documents is an

area that I have a lot of professional expertise so I'm very pleased to go you

know to push ahead with that one. Okay excellent. But this is an opportunity we shouldn't overlook.

Thank you Juliette. So Khalil and then just a comment on us having the talk and

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:10:24

then we'll have it. Indeed I was just gonna say I thought that the High

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 0:10:28

Wicom town committee was going to be a consultee anyway just like the parish

councils and the fact that it's not it's surprising and the fact that it took you

know from the floor to ask you to actually put it on there it is a little

bit disappointing to be honest right I thought it would have probably come from

the chair or it would have been something that would have been put

forward to all of the members anyhow prior to this meeting saying and before

the deadline because I understand this is being extended now but it was

obviously so I thought it would have been so we've been overlooked yes okay I

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:10:59

think well let me just update and I'll allow Ellie to correct me if I get

things wrong on the emails exchanges to do this and then we'll move on to a

discussion about it because we will be having the discussion is that the it was

explained to us that we did not have the right of consultation on it because we

were as I understand it an organ of Buckinghamshire Council and we would be

consulting with ourselves it was then suggested that it was put on to the

agenda for later on in the meeting to which it was we were

then told that it shouldn't be going on the agenda although not

completely if I remember where there was still an option for

us to discuss it in some way.

So it was we did move ahead to try and put it on the agenda.

It wasn't put on the agenda.

Now it is because members have decided it's going to be I'm

going to put it into the agenda now and now we can have a

discussion on it.

but that was just to explain the situation up to now.

Let's say the meeting that I am trying to get agreed

has nothing to do probably with the topic,

I mean it's the local plan,

but as in the consultation issues around,

that we're going to discuss now,

what it is is trying to suggest to the council

that we are an internal organ of the council.

And now, so we're not limited by the consultation process.

So no consultation doesn't close

for organs of the council to talk to itself.

So that meeting is not related to us being upset

about not being consulted.

So Chairman, if I could come back,

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 0:12:30

do I now refer to this committee as an organ

of Buckinghamshire Council?

Or do I refer this, right, that we always get told

that the High Wycombe Town Committee exists

and that's good as a town council?

So it's not, right?

So we're officially saying it, you are saying, right,

We are just an organ. We have no voice, right?

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:12:52

Sorry, I'm summarising what had come through the emails with democratic services previously.

But it's official.

Sorry, Ellie, would you like to clarify this, please?

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:12:59

Members are able to respond to the consultation as individual members,

and there have been individual member briefings on the local plan.

So it's just that as a committee, you can't respond to the consultation because you are

part of the council, but as individual members you can do.

You can also obviously, to make recommendations to cabinet

or to the cabinet members, which you could have done

previously on the local plan.

Can I just have a clarification there, Ellie?

Are you saying that no other organ of the council

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:13:36

committee, department, or anything else

has made a consultation, has made a representation under the consultation.

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:13:47

We're talking about committees and Highway Comptown Committee. It's the

advice of the monitoring officer that you wouldn't respond to the consultation

as Highway Comptown Committee. Can I just ask the question again? You can do individual and you can have a

discussion but it would need to be a recommendation to cabinet

or to the cabinet member and obviously you're going to be meeting with planning

next week to discuss your thoughts? It's not arranged but I just want and if you

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:14:16

don't know it's fine I mean we may have to cheque this but I'm asking this is not

a legal question it's a question of have other organs within the council be it

committees or departments been able to make representations through the

consultation? I'm not aware of it so I wouldn't be able to answer that.

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:14:32

That's fine would it be possible and I don't know if that's up to you to cheque

or whether I look at Sophie for this,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:14:36

but can we cheque if anybody else has been able

to make those representations so that we know

if others had that opportunity?

I think the other thing is, so I'm coming to you, Hazel,

I just, with Ellie here, so the other thing is,

the meeting that I'm arranging at the moment

is not related to us being, how do I say,

upset and wanting to clarify our role.

That's nothing to do with it.

It's about getting us into the process if we're internal,

and I just want to cheque with you.

Internally, obviously, we would be allowed to meet

with planning and give advice or thoughts and that sort of thing during

that process there's nothing wrong with that we can do that at any time right so

we can continue and do that any time right Hazel yes I mean there's two

Cllr Arman Alam - 0:15:18

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:15:21

things firstly this highlights the fact that when I was responding to the

consultation personally it was saying how it worked with town and parish

councils and yet it was unable to work with one of the largest towns in Bucks

because of our constitution, but that's the way things are.

And I think until we can change that, right,

where we are at the moment,

and I think I've said this before,

we need to be on top of every consultation

that goes out that may affect Wickham.

And I said this a few meetings back,

whether I think there was a parking consultation out,

where it was like, why isn't this automatically something

that goes on the agenda because we can advise cabinet,

even though it's not any more than advising.

They are not proactively asking our opinion,

we can proactively give it to them.

So I think we have to make the most of what we've got at the moment which is making sure every consultation

There's one out at the moment

Every single consultation that comes up we proactively discuss we proactively say to cabinet and stop sitting here waiting for the pig to fly

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:16:21

Very good point. Can I now just gonna ask Ellie something first then turn it over to Sophie then people come back comment again

on all other consultations happening within the council

Are we allowed to comment as a committee?

Ms. Sophie Payne - 0:16:33

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:16:36

You can advise, you can put a recommendation to cabinet as a committee and look at issues

that are affecting High Wycombe.

Right, okay. In which case, to Sophie, I think, can we, with every single consultation that

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:16:47

comes out now, can we have it put every single one on our agenda? And if there's ever an

issue on the time with which we have to give advice and recommendations, can we just cheque

that so that we as the committee members don't need to do it and if there's a

time constraint can we then could somebody come to me and we'll organise

a meeting in between so yep nailed it good sorry please next Chris I think

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:17:17

thank you Ed I think why did I want this to be discussed I think the answer is

because it's probably the most important thing that the council will decide in

in our term over the next four years.

This is laying out the plan for Buckinghamshire

over the course of the next 20 years

in terms of house building, affordable houses,

schools, hospitals, roads, water.

It's literally everything.

It is the most important thing

that we will deal with in four years.

And I think it's therefore important

that we have a discussion about it.

Whether we're empowered to do things or not,

I think we need to have a discussion about it.

I'd like to start by thanking Leslie who's not here.

And in your absence Leslie did a lot of good ground work in terms of trying to understand

what High Wycombe Town Committee can and can't do.

The answer was we can't do anything.

But thank you Leslie.

I'm also going to have to say Ed you disappeared a bit.

The first email that you wrote on this subject was on the 29th of August after we had the

debrief on the 6th of July.

So you disappeared for six or seven weeks

and I was disappointed with that.

Well, I don't do it six or seven weeks

and I did go away for part of it.

And it's not an excuse, but please pick the phone up

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:18:34

and ring me anybody all the time if you've got an issue.

So there's not a problem with always ringing.

Okay, I'd like to share my own observations.

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:18:41

Now I put quite a lot of effort into that

and I think I've made some quite good representations.

I spent some time looking at the website today

And I think what is really transparent is that all of the other major towns in Wickham

who have town councils have employed planning professionals to write representations on

their behalf.

And if you go to the pages for Beaconsfield, if you go to the pages for Aylesbury, if you

go to the pages for all of those towns, there are some fantastic representations there which

have been written by real professionals. We are at a distinct disadvantage versus those

councils because we have relied on amateurs like me and I have probably spent 40 or 50

hours over the course of the last two months writing representations on topics. I'm not

a planning professional, I can read documents. So we are at a distinct disadvantage because

of our constitutional position.

And I think that is unfair.

And the offer of meetings to cabinet is a load of rubbish

because submissions are closed on the 6th of September,

with the exception of a few documents

that we've talked about.

It is no longer possible to make new representations.

Chris, I'll let you continue,

but if I can just interject for a minute.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:20:11

As far as I know, Ellie, when I just asked you just now,

because we're an internal organ of the council,

we are able to make comments at any point

because it's not a consultation.

So we can be giving input and comments into it

in the future up to the point where it goes to the inspector.

No, no.

Chris, one second, just let me get the answer first.

So we, as a committee, we were not allowed,

because we're an internal organ of the council,

to put in formal representations in the consultation period.

Well, if that's the case, then logic would suggest

that we're allowed to put in our advice or recommendations

at any time up to the point where something is finalised

because we're an internal organ of the council.

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:21:02

You can give your feedback to cabinet at any time.

I mean, there has been opportunities

to discuss the local plan at previous meetings.

And as I said, there have been individual member briefings and members can consult individually.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:21:20

I think the point I'm making is, and I'm looking at Chris as I say it, but as far as I understand

from the emails that have come in, because we can't, we don't have a period in which

we had to make any consultations, we can continue to make additional comments in any case.

I'm not sure there's any difference in terms of the legal power of those comments because

in the consultation you can be ignored anyway.

We are unable to change the material which are presented to the planning

inspectorate.

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:21:44

Once it's gone.

That's the point.

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:21:48

That's why I mentioned the date when it was going to the planning

With the exception of the two documents which were uploaded.

Yeah, but the document is going to the planning inspectorate.

I gave the date.

6th of September.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:21:56

No, that's not what it said on our website.

Sorry.

Do we know, nobody here is going to know officially.

I took it off the website literally today to cheque before we came in the meeting and

It was the bucks local plan will go to the inspector on the 31st of December

Yes, but someone has to read the thousands of

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:22:16

Comments which have gone in and order them and give a structure to them. Yes, sir. The planning inspector. Yeah

Yeah, sure. So but but because we're an internal organ we are not restricted

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:22:28

Yeah in my reading of it until the 31st of December when the documents gone

Anyway, that doesn't mean we shouldn't put we should put any more comments

we have put them in as soon as we can.

Sorry, Chris, do you want to finish and then Julia

and then Hazel.

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:22:40

And I feel so strongly about the fact that we aren't able

to represent High Wycombe the way every other town

is represented by a parish council,

that I have a resolution which I proposed

and Ellie and I have been exchanging a number of emails

about what I can and can't.

I have something here which I'd like to give to Ellie

and take Ellie's view on whether when we finish

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:23:10

this discussion Julia please go ahead

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:23:17

I'd like to say how unhappy I am about the way the town committee is going as

everybody knows in the past I supported a town centre town council with some

outlying parishes. But since the elections in 2025 we had a huge amount of inertia because

excuses were given about the boundaries being changed and new officers weren't supposed

to speak to councillors yet and all this sort of thing. And then now again coming into this

important period about the local plan, we've hit another period of complete inertia where

we've been left to scramble about doing the best that we can without the proper advice

that other areas have had. And of course Wickham is doubly disadvantaged then because not only

are the other areas advantaged, we're disadvantaged and we're left in a kind of void which leaves

us vulnerable to, for example, windfall sites where we need to give those kind of views.

It leaves us vulnerable in a lot of ways. It leaves us particularly vulnerable because

of climate change and we should have been able to be far more robust in writing to the

Bucks Council about the impact of climate change.

And I think we've really let down Wickham residents here

by not finding some kind of means.

We've done our best as individuals.

I mean, I've watched colleagues work so incredibly hard

this summer to come up with a coherent response

and particularly Chris and Hazel have done that.

And I feel the rest of us have let them down.

the system has let them down and I feel you chair have let us down. I feel you go

around doing what you like, you come up to the meeting, you try and flannel us a

little bit about this meeting, that meeting and frankly you know nowadays it

just goes in one ear and out the other. I mean you weren't here when you needed us,

you didn't give us any notice you were going to be away all summer with the

coming up and it's highly unsatisfactory and I think you're very fortunate today

that a vote of no confidence has not been placed extremely fortunate I for

one would have been voting for it. I'm extremely sorry that people feel like

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:26:01

that and over the summer period if I was absent that won't be happening again but

I'm I'm sorry for that I do agree with your other comments as well about

everything. I wonder if the in terms of planning if we shouldn't be having

planning advice that is given to us or available to us on an ongoing basis so

that we have it always available to us when a windfall site comes forward or

whatever it would be and whether or not we shouldn't look that that is an

external planning consultant that we always have available. Well think on this

particular issue it is but then for future issues can I just ask can we find

out or we could we have a planning consultant working for us yeah just find

out I mean it's not no decision on it I think it's hazel then Trevor yes I just

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:26:56

wanted to raise some big concerns from a working perspective that I put in to my

own personal consultation which is that I think going forward related to parking

Sorry, Trevor, are we keeping you?

Yeah, sorry.

So, yeah, so one of my big concerns is that the parking in Wickham is shrinking and shrinking

for people who already live in flats.

And yet somehow the statistics are telling us that we can reduce to half a car park space

per bedroom for the new builds, which is ridiculous.

because they've already seen like people calling out for public parking to be

turned into permit parking for residents in flats because they don't have enough

so that seems to be like a complete contradiction that we can reduce it

further although advice is that if you live near a railway station or a bus

station you don't need a car if you know we live in the valley of Everest I don't

see how anyone wouldn't own a car if they had a job because you're not going

walk ten minutes, that involves a very steep hill in pretty much every direction you go

in.

So I don't know anyone who sort of like happily gives up the idea of a car on such a wide

basis that we can afford to be in that situation.

So I think, you know, we should have been talking back about that.

I think also we're losing like major car parks in the Eastern Quarter, even though they've

got this big idea about regen.

For me, you know, people who are infirm, accessibility, you know, there's CAM's offices next door,

there's a rye opposite where Eastern Street and Railway Place are going, and you've got

Duke Street.

I was told that it was because those car parks were underused.

That doesn't mean they're never used.

And these people may just stop going to the restaurants, may stop being able to get to

Royal Mail, may stop being able to go to the hub, you know, the back of the Baptist Church,

they may stop nipping down the rye for a picnic with the family because our bus station is

right over the other side of town.

So, you know, it's not in that section where the railway station is.

And I can't catch a train from Downley to get into town.

And if I catch a bus on my knees playing up, I'm not going to walk all the way across town.

So those car park spaces are crucial.

And now we can't do anything about it if they said you don't need it because you're right

the bus and the train which is a complete you know myth for local people.

The thing we need to do now is to find out how they're gonna replace it

and what land there is that we could reclaim to put back to parking because

when I got told the railway place is hardly used I used it once a

week to take someone to an appointment and literally was full first thing in

the morning so I don't know where this sort of like oh well I've been there

it's half empty. Yeah well that's still half full so so that's a massive concern

of mine as well though and also the affordable housing coming in under what

the council said themselves was needed I think it's really bad and it's gonna be

flats it's not gonna be family homes on social rent we've got a seven -year wait

and and actually if you look at the massive bills that are going on in the

north it means that families here who struggle will be sent up north because

there's nothing locally being built for them.

Hazel, go on, if you can just finish, wrap up.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:30:15

So yeah, I was going to.

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:30:18

So those are my chief concerns, which I put in,

which I think is worth sort of considering

in terms of how we think about how that can be mitigated.

We can't do anything about it putting in a consultation,

but we can do something about keeping it on the agenda,

especially with the parking group that we've got,

in terms of how we can push to make sure

we get replacement parking,

and also keep reporting back about you know the state of you know people

needing help in Wickham and you know not wanting to go to the other end of Bucks

to get help so I don't want anyone else things but they were my big concern. I mean I

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:30:52

totally agree with you so there's nothing on that I didn't agree with so

I mean when I put my submissions in which I tried to do on behalf of the

committee taking things that other people have been saying about the

parking and submitting it I wasn't allowed to but they went in as my own I

completely agree with you and I don't think there was a I don't think there

was a plan for how we get people out of cars if that's what it was going to be

said we don't need the parking and there wasn't a plan for replacing the parking either. So I think it was completely

negligent in terms of the parking the

The one thing we can affect as it goes forward is on the neighbourhood plan where we can

Augment parking we can't decrease because you're not allowed to do that in a plan, but you can augment so we could actually increase it

I'm gonna try and keep this now for five minutes more on this because we would take a lot of time

So Trevor and then staff did anybody else put their hands up?

No, right, Travis South.

So what you've actually said, Ed,

is the challenge we've got.

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:31:39

We've now got the most important item for this town

on the agenda talking about it.

And what we need to is how in this short period of time

we can tease out the issues that we all feel are important.

I haven't got the answer to how we can do it

in this short period of time,

because if we went round and do what we just heard,

you know, from Councillor Hazel here,

you know, you would have a massive list of issues,

but then what do you do with it?

So I don't know how we move forward on this,

but we have got a hell of a lot of things

we want to talk about.

I mean, I'm not against listing things off now.

I mean, I spent about three or four days

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:32:17

going through the entire plan

and amending every single piece of the plan going through.

I mean, certainly in terms of the general parts

and the High Wycombe bits.

And in fact, I don't know if you read the things

that I sent when I did send it in,

but I mean, I was absolutely disgusted

the way that High Wycombe was effectively dismissed within the plan where Aylesbury was seen as being

the premier town in everything. It wasn't recognising that Wycombe is the biggest town,

has the largest commercial centre, has the most jobs and all this sort of thing. It was absolutely

appalling. The terminology that was as well being used at the beginning was then subsumed later on

in the plan, so we were just another town effectively and we weren't seen as being the

negligent in its treatment of High Wickham, but also, and something that was being mentioned

by Julia earlier on, there was nothing in resilience. You know, we're doing a plan that's

going to affect people for the coming decades. We're seeing what's happening with the temperatures

and everything else and the weather changes and that, and there was nothing in there about

the resilience. I mean, it really was negligent, and I amended 50 different instances in relation

to resilience.

Saf.

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:33:32

Thank you, Chairman. Listening to you, I feel pretty sorry for you actually, in your position

there. Sitting on the planning committee, as some of my colleagues sit here as well

on there, we get, you know, planning applications put in front of us with our hands tied kind

of thing, to be honest. And those are those plans that we don't think should be allowed,

but because of policy we have to look at them and follow policy and allow them

you know some of you know I was you know I had to go to hospital a number of

times over the few weeks and finding a parking space at hospital doesn't exist

there's loads of people who are looking for spaces to park their cars obviously

in town the parking doesn't exist the Swan is over for we've got Eastern

Street is closed there's hardly any parking so you know it is difficulty for

us and only the people who live in Wicom will know that somebody from Ellsbury

won't know that or Amish and maybe because if they work here they will know

and understand what we're going through and us as a town committee should have

that voice raised and say this is the issue that we're dealing with you know

taking, for example, land out of greenbelt

and saying it's graybelt and this, that,

when we know we're protecting ourselves,

we want the right development in the right era.

And as you said, environmentally friendly as well,

because we always badger on about using the grey water

and stuff, we need to philtre in that stuff

into this thing that's going on.

But I would suggest maybe trying to get Peter Strachan,

Councillor Peter Strachan, who's the cabinet member,

joining your meeting with the officers,

because they'll have to go to Peter anyway.

So I would advise getting him on board,

and with the officers, and having that discussion with them,

and saying, I think majority of us here

were not very happy with what's gone on,

and how we're just a part of Pakimshah Council,

but not as an individual committee.

I'd say great comments, and it's very important,

because if I'm going to push,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:35:55

it's a lot better when we've all made these comments.

So if other people have these comments to make,

please come forward.

Just before you go, Chris,

because I don't want this to go on forever,

and if anybody else has wanted to comment

who hasn't commented, would you like to comment now?

And if not, Chris will comment,

and then we're probably gonna bring this to a conclusion.

Right. Chris then.

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:36:18

So I drafted a resolution which I've been kicking back with Ellie and I'm going to put Ellie a little bit on the spot, my revised one, if I can read it out.

So in light of the issues raised during this discussion and the forthcoming review of the Council's constitution,

High Wycombe Town Committee resolves to note members' concerns as to whether the present remit and operating arrangements of High Wycombe Town Committee

provide the residents of unparished High Wycombe with a sufficiently strong

collective voice on significant matters such as planning affecting the town and

to ask the chairman and the vice -chairman to convey those concerns

formally to the chairs of the audit and governance and standard and general

purposes committee and request that the remit and operating arrangements of

High Wycombe town committee be considered as part of the forthcoming

constitution review taking account of full councils 2024 commitment to review

those arrangements to ensure that High Wycombe Town Committee is better placed

to respond to local issues. Just before Ellie confirms, can I just ask why you

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:37:15

haven't got in there that we should make an in -person presentation to the cabinet?

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:37:23

I'm happy to include that too. I was just wondering if you'd had advice on that I

mean that was what I was asking. I think the most important thing that I've heard today is

that everyone is unhappy that in these very important matters High Wickham Town

Committee doesn't have a voice. Ellie and I have been toing and froing a little

bit in terms of the words that we would be allowed to use in a resolution. I

think that's as strong as I can probably get away with in terms of what I could

ask you and Leslie to do on our behalf. Can I ask Ellie would he be

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:37:57

allowed to amend the resolution to put in and for the chair and vice chair to

present in person to cabinet. So I know we've been going back and forth and I've

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:38:05

given you the monitoring officer's advice and so if you want to propose and

second this this will be obviously down to the committee if they want to do this.

Hang on I was just but I just was proposing it are we allowed to put in it

or is Chris allowed to put in it was that it was that was a yes was it okay

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:38:23

this isn't a motion this is a resolution of the discussion. In which case if you

might add that wording in if you're happy with that.

I'm happy to add that.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:38:28

All I'd say is in terms of the chair and the vice chair

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:38:34

representative to cabinet, that wouldn't

be a case of you guys just going along and saying,

this is how these guys feel.

This would be you speaking on approved stuff

that we'd given you.

I wouldn't be happy with them turning around saying,

yeah, Ed and Leslie can have a chinwag anytime,

because that's not.

Well, my assumption of what we're saying

is that we would agree what we were going to be discussing.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:38:53

We would go there and we would press the case,

and that's what it would be.

That's my assumption.

Sorry, if anyone wants to see the words, I've got here.

Armin, please go ahead while it's being…

I apologise that I…

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:39:02

We're trying to bring an end to this, so pass it around while Armin's talking.

I was writing them until five minutes ago.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:39:07

Sorry, I've heard the views of everybody and I can see the frustration in it,

Cllr Arman Alam - 0:39:13

but what I can't see is proposals of the way forward.

I feel it's quite slightly unfair to be bombarded with some kind of resolution now,

which hasn't been considered by people before.

It appears quite detailed.

I've heard some of it, but I would have liked the opportunity

to consider it in detail before I take a view as to whether

I would support it or not.

I think this matter needs to come back to this committee,

and I think the chairman and vice chairman need to consider

what can be done, whether we need to go back to the committee

or, alternatively, any other way to really raise our concerns

with the cabinet and with the County Council.

One second, can I just ask something for my information from Ellie.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:40:00

If we were not to decide today on the resolution,

is it possible for us to do that by email?

If we were to email it and give people a bit more time.

Can I just get the answer to my question anyway?

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:40:16

Not formally, I would just point out that the recommendation

that Councillor Chiltern is circulating is to do with the remit of the committee and

the terms of reference. So it's clearly stated that needs to go to the chair of the orders,

governance, standards and general purposes committee and then go through the process

that it would normally. It's not up the High Wycombe Town Committee can't change its own

terms of reference.

Okay, correct. Chris, bring it to order now. So Hazel then Julia.

I literally just want to say that if we could decide on it, there's the other alternative

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:40:48

was we decided on in the end and this is circulated if people want to read it who

haven't you mean to have more time meeting you don't want to agree it right

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:41:01

okay that's fine because it's take comments Julia Trevor and then let's

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:41:06

draw it to a conclusion after that I'm very happy with the resolution I think

it hits the nail right on the head there's lots of thing extra things I

would like to say and I notice chair you're trying to change it I don't think

we should change it I was trying to strengthen it but that's fine if we

don't it's strong I would like to add that the chair of the to Wickem town

committee only serves one term which is how it has always been since I've been a

Councillor now it's being extended to two terms so let's do that another time

bring it let's stick to the top okay we'll take Trevor's comment then that's

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:41:54

it thank you yeah I second this this resolution and I'd like to see it go to

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:42:00

a vote tonight but I'd also just like to highlight where we started tonight was

we all are not happy with this plan.

I would like also to make a resolution or motion,

call it what you is, that we as a group

are not happy with the plan

and how it represents High Wycombe.

And I'd like to do that as a second one,

but I don't want to confuse the first one.

But thank you.

In which case, sorry, we're closing onto this first,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:42:26

this resolution, and then there will be one or two

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:42:40

Because I've since checked that myself, with myself.

Okay, so in light of the issues raised during this discussion and the forthcoming review

of the Council's constitution, High Wycombe Town Committee resolves, one, to note members'

concerns as to whether the present remit and operating arrangements of High Wycombe Town

committee provide the residents of unparished High Wycombe with a sufficiently strong collective

voice on significant matters such as planning affecting the town.

And two, to ask the chairman and the vice chairman to convey these concerns formally

to the chairs of the Ordinary Governance and Standards and General Purposes Committee and

request that the remit and operating arrangements of High Wycombe Town Committee be considered

as part of the forthcoming constitution review, taking account of full council's 2024 commitment

to review those arrangements to ensure that High Wycombe Town Committee is

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:43:41

better placed to respond to local issues. Excellent Trevor you're seconding right

that we're not happy with the lawful plan.

Right, one second.

Trevor, heard that, but I'm gonna come back.

Chairman, just for the purpose of the record,

Cllr Arman Alam - 0:44:06

the only reason I abstained is because I wasn't

comfortable with paragraph one.

I fully supported paragraph two, just wanted to.

Fine, okay, that's a good point.

And I will offer my apologies

for not having circulated earlier.

I literally have been working on it until

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:44:23

the meeting started. Right, so Trevor,

if you're making a very short resolution

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:44:27

in the way you just suggested it, make it.

It started out short until I put into chat GBT. Go with your cut.

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:44:34

Effectively this committee is dissatisfied with the outcome of the

local plan and its impact on High Wycombe. That's a short one. I mean I'm

not I'm not sure we need to resolve on that what we could do is as long as everybody

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:44:53

agrees with that that is going to be a recommendation of this committee and

will now be passed on to cabinet and to to Council as we have to under them yep

fine so so that's our displeasure in relation to the local plan and our

effect on it and that's now to be passed on right moving on now to the next item

it's going to still be planning and on a neighbourhood plan update and this is

5 Neighbourhood Plan Update

just on what's happened over this last period now a meeting a meeting was held

with Nina merit so planning policy team leader

Which I am afraid say probably threw up more questions than it did answer questions

In terms of questions that we got answered after the meeting. There's no government funding

available for doing a neighbourhood plan anymore

In terms of Bucks Council funding that is still not resolved and the sill issue still remains

Unresolved where I am sure that still money can be used to pay for a neighbourhood plan

But that has still not been confirmed

Although Nina merits did push it on to somebody to come back to us and they haven't come back to us on it

the issue of the cost of a referendum

came up and the that is when the neighbourhood plan is completed and it has to go to a vote and

with such a large area

Particular concern was raised about the cost of it and she sent us through the details

for Beaconsfield when it had its

neighbourhood plan referendum where for twelve thousand five hundred people it cost twenty two thousand to run the referendum

so if we're going to be at

85 ,000 or whatever it is within the and the area is of course the area defined by the neighbourhood forum

So roughly speaking eighty eighty five thousand then that's going to be a substantial amount of money

That's just to let you know on that

the local plan as you know is going through the neighbourhood plan and this is the

In the leader meeting, but in any case we know that the the neighbourhood plan must be additive

To the local plan in other words, it can't stop the local plan doing things it wants to do

But with things like parking spaces if the local plan is suggesting a minimum number of car parking spaces

We can allocate more that is completely doable within a neighbourhood plan because it's additive

now in terms of the

Local plan how to do it and I'm throwing this out just for some to give you an idea

I've been thinking hard about the local plan about the neighbourhood plan how we do it

if we try to create a a

Neighbourhood plan going along the lines of what Buckinghamshire Council has done for the local plan

which is wildly repetitive.

The same things being repeated page after page

after page after page after page

with different areas, different sections.

If we go down that, the thing is gonna cost

a vast amount of money and take forever to do.

And having done the small one in Hazelmere, I have an idea.

There is thinking and I would be,

at the moment I will informally go out to get advice,

but I'm throwing this open, is we could do a very,

very instructive not we but we could recommend to the forum neighbourhood plan, which is very I'll come to you Julia

Just let me get the comment done is is where it's very very short

So for the sake of discussion

So it doesn't have lots of extra wording in it and everything that people then argue about way up

Just try and decide how it is give their opinion or that sort of thing

And so I'll take an example and I'm not suggesting this is in the plan

but just as an example in the Hazlemere neighbourhood plan, we said that no trees should be cut down unless it's unavoidable and

Then we did a whole load of Roo bridge of what we meant by unavoidable every single tree has been

Cut down in Hazelmere because all of them are unavoidable

Because they couldn't put on the car park or they couldn't put on the house or they couldn't put this bit on so so they just

Bulldozed over everything. Whereas if it simply says and this is the bit of advice that we've got in the meeting with

the main guy on planning in Wickham was,

I think it's Ray, isn't it?

Ray Martin, and it was make it absolutely definitive

so there's no wriggle room.

In other words, you cannot cut a tree down.

Then there's no wriggle room.

It doesn't mean it works because planning is awaiting,

so if there's something else that's more important,

things can go ahead.

Anyway, that's my thinking.

I'm throwing it out there for you,

and I would be pleased in feedback

whether today or another time,

And I'm going to try and get some professional feedback on it and then we can mention this to the neighbourhood forum when one's formed

to Trevor

Just on the trees, I'm sorry Julia you were first so Julia first then come extra

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:49:40

Chairman you know, I would find it helpful myself if you chaired the meeting and let us have the discussion

And give us a lecture and then the time has gone by so he wasn't trying to lecture

just trying to help people with information on what's happening and

advice my view is that each ward of Wickham you're able to cite your own

parish council rather irritatingly whereas you won't allow us to have a

ward plan that goes into the local plan there's no question about what I want or

not do that certainly not for me I have written a ward plan for my ward in the

past it never somehow got into the system and that is where I would like to

start to look at all wards how they are you know they're all diverse they're all

different and get these views together from local residents and make start

because you know you're going on about this amount of money that amount of

money we lurch three months at a time between meeting I would like to get on

and hear the voice about my residence you know because even when I get

something agreed here like bulb planting I thought the bulbs were going to be

okay getting off the top Julia can I once one second you know can I just

answer it. Julia, you went off topic. Can I just answer that?

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:51:15

You can go immediately ahead and form your own local plan.

You can form your own neighbourhood forum,

immediately get on with it. No one's in your way whatsoever.

That is absolutely possible as can everybody. Everyone can do

it themselves, go with their own local residents, form their own

forum and do it for their own area or any area. There is no

limit to which area it could be. Trevor? Just just just on that

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:51:35

one. Um it's gotta be bottom up. Um the the whole

neighbourhood plan has to be bottom up.

But what we are going to find is some common things

across each ward as well.

There's going to be some specifics,

and that's where the bottom up comes in.

And there will be a lot of commonality things.

And that will all come out if we have ward groups,

as Julia's suggesting, and then we bring them

into a bigger group in the town,

and we are cascaded up rather than down.

And I think that's how we need to do it, guys.

And as for your trees, Ed, just to finish on that one,

I believe you need to have trees that never cut down, but if they have to be done something with them

We ding them up and move them and you know, it's possible

We do

Go ahead

Thanks

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:52:23

You know the last bit about us all pitching with our bits

Right. I have opinions on wicking on one of the town committee

I'd like to have them if I'm only pitching in on my bit

There's hardly anything you can build in Downey that doesn't belong to Dashwood.

So I'd just be turning up and falling asleep, quite frankly.

There's not much left.

So I would like my point is, is that

I don't want it to be a system where we all turn up and go, here's our bit

without some kind of joined up thinking of what people are passionate about,

about the unparished area as a whole, because there may be things that other

people can contribute that would enhance what has been suggested by the

wall councillors or back up what is done? I was just worried about the

thing. It is slightly academic because we are not the people who will do

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:53:19

the plan. All we are doing is trying to catalyse the first steps to get it

going and the main issues we have been having here are we able to give

funding to it of which we have nominally allocated £50 ,000 to £100 ,000

to support it. So after that, and I just do mention with other groups, I can see

somebody from the residency here, but it's groups like Wicumbians or

the Wickham Society or whatever, or a group of residents that swarms on their

own to do a plan for whatever area they want. All we're doing is catalysing it.

Yeah, as long as we can all contribute and it's not just people bringing in their bits and pieces.

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:53:53

That will be up to that forum, not up to us. We will not control it. It will be

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:53:58

controlled externally by the forum. You may be one of those residents on it,

but that's not decided by us.

So, Chris.

I'll be very quick.

I struggle to get excited about a neighbourhood plan

at the moment because I think we need the local plan

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:54:11

in place first.

I think it goes to the planning inspector

on 31st of December.

I think from what I've heard talking to people

in the Ministry of Housing,

I think it's likely to be sent back to the council

for significant corrections,

which will then take us through

to the middle of next year for another resubmission.

I don't think we'll have an agreed local plan probably until the end of next year

and I think the way of these work in terms of hierarchy I think it's very

difficult for us to start working on a neighbourhood plan without a fixed local

plan in place first so I struggle to think that we can really do anything

meaningful until 2028. We've been more than a year trying to catalyse our

neighbourhood plan and get this budget fixed by knowing what the costs of it

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:54:54

are and we still haven't got it cost I think we're unlikely to gallop ahead and

overtake the local plan, but I take your point on that.

Hazel, last point on this.

Sorry, can you just tell us that,

because maybe I'll miss a trick in my head

with everything that's been going on with the local plan.

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:55:08

We're funding a plan that we won't have an opinion on

unless we're on an external forum, is that correct?

Right, and I'm not an expert on planning,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:55:19

I'm just giving you as I understand it

because I've been looking at it.

So because we are not perished,

If we were perished, a parish council or a town council could go ahead and create a plan on its own.

But in any area, a

neighbourhood forum can do that whether there is a parish or town council or not.

So 21 residents could form a group to simply do a plan for a one -mile square area

anywhere. And then the same could be done for the whole of Wickham. So all we're talking about is us

trying to get fully agreed a budget that might actually enable it to be comprehensive, which

is what we keep debating here. And I actually think that I was going to come on to what

I think the next steps are. I think we should be pushing out to residents just saying, get

on with it. Whoever's interested, form that forum, invite any of us if you want to sonnet

and let's encourage people to get started because it's not us driving it.

Yeah, but it just seems like a conflict if we end up paying for a neighbourhood to do

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:56:24

plan that won everything turned into Doctor Who tardises or something and

then we're like oh my god we don't want that but we've just funded it. To me I

think you know I know it sounds a bit quirky what I've just said but I'm I'm

serious if the plan goes exactly against what we as councillors would want and

we're funding it but letting it loose I find that really strange. Okay there is no

hundred percent to what you said because obviously when it's 21 people even if

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:56:48

every single one of us is on it we will not be acting there as the High Wycombe

Town Committee we will be acting as a neighbourhood forum with other residents

and will only will be on there we will all be councillors will know what what

we as a group as how we can Town Committee want but we will be a

different body but it's a bit like funding a charity to go and do something

we can't control everything it does but we're generally in favour of doing

something hey so if don't mind I'm going to ask Saf to come in yeah it was your

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:57:18

last point that I was thinking about if we all councillors are going to sit on

this body, why can't we steer it in our way of thinking about it? Why can't we do that?

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:57:31

I think that's what we're hoping to do, but I'm just saying the legal pick doesn't say

that what we can force a forum to do that. So the forum is independent. So as I understand

it, I'm not an expert, I'm just trying to give you the bits I understand. What I mean,

what I would be suggesting just in terms of where we are, where we're going, we're going

continue hammering out this funding thing and finding out if still if we can

agree the sale I am pretty 99 % sure it can be but I've been had pushback we're

then going to try and we'll try and get some more information we won't won't be

taking another one on this now Julie we just wrap it up because we've had a lot

of time on it we'll then be finding out what the potential referendum cost is to

give us a better idea which I've already given you an idea that we have been

given so far and my feeling is and it's up to a neighbourhood forum start

whenever it wants people can in residence can get on with it but we

could be encouraging them if we wanted to but they can get on with it anyway so

I think we if a neighbourhood forum got started and started coming to us with

some plans and proposals it might make things a bit more concrete okay last

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:58:35

comment then Judy may have the last comment then we're closing this

particular one can I just correct this is the 50 to 100 thousand was agreed

three or four meetings ago do you mean about something else no but now it's

going to be more expensive with the consultation etc etc blah blah blah

I actually think the under spend should be and still money should be going into

our areas of deprivation in High Wycombe stop all this frivolity in the high

street singing and dancing at five o 'clock no thank you I want to see our

deprived areas of Wickham being repaired. They've taken a battering since austerity,

they've taken a battering after the pandemic and it's alright for you sitting up there,

you've got a parish council but we haven't got a parish or a town council so you don't

know what it's like carrying the burden of the micro -management and the English Council

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:59:36

in your ward. I want all the projects, board projects, board projects, board projects,

Thank you, Julia. We're moving on to this point.

OK, so closing that I know it took us a long time.

We had a lot of extra things we need to talk about that.

So moving on to item six.

6 HWTC Special Expenses Report Q1 2026-27

So the High Wickham Town Committee special expenses report.

Here are thank you, chair.

Fiorella Mugari - 1:00:03

So the report that's in the pack outlines the financial position at quarter one.

We are currently forecasting a position of 574 ,000 spend against budget,

which will give us an adverse variance of 154 ,000.

The adverse element of that is linked to the carry forward of delayed works

from Financial Year 25 -26 in cemeteries, which is to be completed this financial year,

and the detail of that is outlined in the report.

The rest of the budget lines are currently forecasting to be spent in full.

With respect to the reserve project spend as at quarter one, of the originally approved

450 ,000 that was allocated, so far there's 23 % of those funds spent, so that's 102 ,000

pounds that have been spent.

Taking all of these into account, the forecast working balance, assuming the remaining balance

of the 450 ,000 reserve projects funding is spent in full this financial year, the working

balance forecast is 470 ,000 before allowing for the 150 ,000 minimum working balance.

Just to also point out two things, Appendix A outlines the grants so far allocated this

financial year. There were no allocations in quarter one but in quarter two there

are four projects which have a total allocation of four thousand that have

been awarded and then just with respect to where we are in terms of financial

planning for the next financial year just for the Highway Committee to

note that the first budget subgroup meeting is scheduled for the 4th of

November. Thank you.

Chris Nanklo.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:01:56

Firealla, thank you very much for this.

Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:01:59

First thing first, I'm very disappointed we don't have anyone from cemeteries here.

They had £154 ,000 underspend last year without giving us any pre -warning and we don't yet have

a positive indication from them about whether they're going to have £154 ,000 overspend this

year. I'd like to note it on the minutes that I'm disappointed that they don't have a representative

of here and I think we should insist that we have one who comes and explains their budget

deficit and likely surplus requirements at the next meeting.

I would agree.

Number one, first, because Fairalla was excellent and moved the $154 ,000 underspend into the

special expenses reserve, we haven't lost that, but we just need to be careful when

we look at the size of the special expenses reserve. It's actually $150 ,000 less than

we think it is because we assume that cemeteries are now going to overspend but we still haven't

had confirmation from them. So that brings a warning with us.

Sorry, just translating, so what you're saying is things that we planned already to spend

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:03:03

that we didn't are almost certainly going to come forward in the future?

I assume without having heard from cemeteries. Secondly, we had a 60 ,000 parks overspend

last year, which looked as if it was quite structural.

And I'd therefore expect another 60 ,000 overspend

this year again.

Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:03:22

Again, I'd like an update from the parks team

about whether what looks like a structural overspend

last year is going to come as a structural overspend

again this year.

It's not here, I would like that for the next meeting.

Please.

I think we can get it before the next meeting

because I think we can get that by email.

So can we get parks to explain that

then we'll circulate it.

Okay.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:03:41

Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:03:43

Third and final thing, we've got the budget latest on page two of the pre -read.

It's done versus spending headings like public realm maintenance, communication, support

for community assets.

I think we should have the money spent against projects so that we can really see what it

is that we're doing.

Public realm improvements outside of sale doesn't mean anything to me, but you know,

we're putting bollards here and we're doing road improvements there etc. I've

talked to Chelsea and I've asked Chelsea to put it on a SharePoint

website. I think we need to have the project on a SharePoint website where

we've got good visibility of what we're spending our money on and I've talked to

her a couple of times I haven't had a yes from her I hope I'm going to get a

yes from her. Am I going to get a yes from her through you Sophie? You can get a yes from me

Ms. Sophie Payne - 1:04:38

I was just actually going to point you to a appendix B of the next paper, which is a reserve funded project summary

Which does have the list of those individual projects with the amounts just to explain the the budget headings

Are listed here are the ones that the committee are currently have the leader decision to work under

So if you like there are previous budget headings that are agreed by that

delegated authority decision. We know that we want to update those budget

headings to reflect your refreshed priority theme areas but that will

require a further key decision to be made so for now we are working under

those existing headings but showing you the detail of the projects in the

appendix but I'm sure that's no problem we can get that added to the SharePoint.

And it needs to be on SharePoint and linked to a timeline for each

Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:05:25

project because we shouldn't have an approved project unless we've got a

timeline for it.

And there's lots of these projects here where I'm asking

people, where's the timeline?

Where's the timeline?

Good practise.

You can't prove a project until you've got a timeline for it.

So we need to really put power here in terms of project

management and documentation and budget management.

Hello.

Thank you, Jay.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:05:51

Am I right that you're not going to be able to address

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 1:05:56

the cemetery point, Ferela.

If it's an operational issue.

I just wanted to seek clarification

Fiorella Mugari - 1:06:03

as to say that these were carried over from last year.

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 1:06:07

Looking at the detail itself, supply, Penrose chambers,

this is obviously concrete burial chambers,

which I'm fully aware of.

But this is built in in terms of this kind of levels

out when there's Muslim burials specifically.

So I'm a bit confused as to why this was delayed and why this cost was not actually, why was it carried forward?

Why wasn't it actually absorbed into it? Because we have these on a regular basis and then we obviously have this income coming in from Muslim burials as a result of it and this just evens out.

So I just, failing to understand how this translates into 154 overspend.

If you want to try and explain that to me.

And second question was about the grants.

We've got the ones that you've allocated.

Do you have a list of or details of those that you've declined?

Fiorella Mugari - 1:07:04

So just with respect to the first question,

it is an operational question, but just from a reasons perspective,

We did report on the reasons why there were delays in the out -turn report earlier on in the year in June.

But we can get further details, if you want, as to exactly why the three elements around the Penn Road chambers,

they were delayed, but it was likely linked to conditions, weather conditions, and the delays of ground works,

operational issues which from a finance perspective they are the officers on the

ground are better placed to answer those questions yes and then with respect to

the grants we I can ask our colleagues who deal with the grants to provide a

list of what's been rejected

I'm not sure if I'm going to say anything.

I think the chair is going to be more than happy to answer.

I think we're all going to be in the same situation.

Thank you.

Thank you, chairman.

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:08:07

Um, I may have some answers for counsellor.

Clear.

I may. I said to me.

Uh, pen road chambers.

With the situation ongoing situation with.

The water. I think that's why it's delayed.

and that's why they haven't put any chambers on,

they're getting surveys done regarding the grounds

and all that, so hence I think that's why

they haven't gone in there.

But the one that I'm miffed about is the cemetery

lodge refurbishment.

We passed this a long time ago and we were expecting

that to be refurbished, rented out,

money coming back into us, and it hasn't been done so.

I'm not sure what's going on with that one. That one would be the one that I would be chasing

because it's empty. We could rent it out, get income from there and we discussed this,

I don't know, maybe a year ago or something or some maybe more longer than that. We allocated

the funding for that. With the other delayed ground works, I think that's going to be

more substantial with what we're going to do there in Penn Cemetery.

Chairman, can I just say that that doesn't, you know, thank you for his attempted answer,

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 1:09:29

but that's not what the answer I was looking for, because even though he said he may have

the answer, my question still remains, right, I am fully aware that there was a deferment

of installation of the burial chambers. That doesn't explain the fact that we haven't purchased

them already, right. The fact is, just because they've been deferred doesn't mean to say

haven't been installed into situ does not mean to say that they have not already been

purchased and obviously acquired. So the question still remains, yeah, but thank you for the

attempt anyway.

I think what we should be doing then is can we get the answer from cemeteries on email

and then we'll make sure they're at the next meeting as well.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:09:59

Great, thank you very much. All right, moving on to the next. So moving on to Item 7 now,

7 HWTC Priorities update

High Wycombe Town Committee priorities update from Sophie Payne.

Ms. Sophie Payne - 1:10:14

Thank you chairman. So I'm presenting this report in Wendy's absence and I'm

going to take it as read obviously we've been through the high -level detail on

the finance which is replicated in this report I just wanted to focus on

specific updates on the current priorities that have arisen since this

paper was published so in terms of the bulb and wildflower planting

project the parks teams identified a number of suitable planting locations on

sites that they manage from the list of areas that were originally suggested by

members and those proposed locations have recently been circulated by Chelsea

to individual members so there's a request from Chelsea if members would

come back to her as soon as possible with your feedback on those sites that

would be appreciated. There are a number of other remaining suggested areas that

fall under highways team management so we're just currently awaiting some

specific feedback from them and anticipating that the planting will be

delivered in stages to make sure that obviously work is completed as originally

envisaged during the autumn bulb planting window.

Is it a question about bulbs Julia?

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:11:24

It is a question about bulbs because bulbs need to be planted soon so I was expecting to go out with my

residents as I've done every year for about 10 or 12 years

planting bulbs with them in the

Specified sites and now I see that it's being managed by children Rangers

So it's just been sort of institutionalised now

It's gone for being a residence initiative where residents used to be given a bag of bulbs didn't they?

of our council.

Can I just take that up for you?

As my understanding was, both on trees and on bulbs,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:12:05

that Chiltern Ranges were an option rather than automatic.

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:12:11

So, you know, I usually meet the residents in the next two weeks, three weeks,

and we plant.

So the designated sites you sent me look perfectly fine,

except we've planted half of one of those before with bulbs

so that we double a portion of bulbs in there.

So, you know, I, for myself,

I want it to be a Councillors initiative with residents.

Yeah, I think that sounds absolutely fine.

I'll take that back to Chelsea,

Ms. Sophie Payne - 1:12:42

and thanks for your feedback, Julian, on the sites.

The next update was just on the Wickham Railway Station

project on the history of the town.

So there was a meeting with Wiccan Museum and Chiltern Rangers on Friday last week to discuss

That project and some ideas so they are currently working on completing a detailed project brief for that project

Which they will return to us for review as soon as possible

Expecting them to turn that round quickly because they were very enthusiastic about that project

The next update is on Totteridge Community Centre

just as a reminder that's about repairs to some of the fencing,

notice board installation. I believe local members have been

closely involved in that one as well. Quotes have been obtained.

The project brief has now been completed and so those works are

just awaiting scheduling. Wickham Arts Centre enhancement,

so an update just received today about the scope of that project.

We were waiting for information from them and again,

detailed project brief is being prepared at the moment.

expected to be submitted shortly. I believe that's around supporting some

activity that's planned for November this year and then as the chairman has

already mentioned on the tree planting initiative a meeting is due to be

scheduled shortly with the tree planting, a tree mission team and that should be

happening I think middle of this month it was just to do with the officers

availability due to leave I believe. We also wanted to meet with the other

culturalist to talk about trees more generally.

Thank you.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:14:15

Okay, any questions?

Chris, Julia.

No, I was just gonna.

One second, anybody else?

Reiterate my point.

Please can we have all the project briefs

Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:14:26

and timelines and budgets on a SharePoint

which is fully accessible to us all

so we can easily look at them and comment on them.

Otherwise, they're all arriving in different formats

with different things and we're not sure what stage they're all at and are they approved,

are they not approved. So if we can put it on a SharePoint with a proper innovation funnel

and it will just help to project manage them.

And now Chelsea's there to do this, I think that would be ideal for Chelsea to maintain.

So Julia, Trev.

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:14:58

Well we were supposed to be having a meeting with officers to look at all the schemes that

we've put forward and I haven't had one yet.

And also I feel it's time that all the schemes that local councillors have put forward for

their wards are now brought forward.

And they've brought forward onto this list and I had one agreed two meetings ago and

it hasn't appeared anywhere.

So I'm not very happy about that.

and it's our residents who have paid for her paying this money and we want to see

that it's being recycled back into the wards. Can I just pass over so so we

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:15:46

agreed last time we hear a process for going through these projects and that

and just making sure that's being followed that's the first thing I think

as Chris says if we get Chelsea to be updating something online that we can

all see so it's visual for us or we can all see it hopefully we can avoid some

of the issues there Julia and then if you have anything that's missing

immediately bring it forward go to Wendy and Chelsea and work out what's missing

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:16:08

that was on the issue you talked about the the process and you had things that

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:16:12

being missed off yes there was a meeting to be offered to each counsellor as I

understand was it offered where you offered a meeting

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:16:24

No, I was recently offered a meeting with Chelsea as part of her induction.

OK, so can we just cheque?

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:16:30

I mean, not if there was a meeting offer, but can we get a meeting offer to Julia as she'd like it?

Because it should have been offered to everybody.

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:16:38

Well, I think it was my idea to have a one -to -one tutorial or a meeting originally, so I'm surprised I haven't had it.

Sure, no, you're right there, Julia. Anything else? Or going to Trevor?

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:16:45

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:16:47

yes well because opportunity bucks and town committee now have to have some

mutual agreements about funding for some projects don't they I think if I

understand it I don't think there's an agreement I think it's more that there's

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:17:05

some opportunity bucks projects where they won't do them unless they have

contributory funding and in some cases that can be us is that am I right okay

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:17:15

Yeah, so because of some of my schemes put forward to Opportunity Bucks there is now inertia

Because those schemes have not gone across from the original list that I put forward, right?

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:17:30

I mean in terms of the next steps you you will get the email

That's been promised to make sure you get the meeting that should have been promised before

And then you'll be able to go through that with the officers

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:17:39

I am concerned to see large amounts of money being banded about in general

an awful lot of money and going into the town centre just spontaneously, nothing

to do with what we put in earlier on. So our wards are being disadvantaged.

Right, noted. Thank you Julia, Trevor.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:17:58

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 1:18:03

I'll just, without going into detail, yes Julia I'm having the same problem. I remember a

meeting was going to be set up, I remember it was going to be contacted, it

hasn't actually happened. The other thing is, and I'm going to go on a Julia

b***** here and say I'd like to get every one of those projects in front of

us now and get them all passed because time's ticking. Right can I just look

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:18:22

around so because I mean I mean Safie thinks that they have been offered but

can I just say that we did agree in a previous meeting that everybody be

offered a meeting can we just redo that so that everyone is offered a meeting

now in the next two to four weeks so it's done again don't bother checking

who got it who didn't let's just offer everybody the meeting and then they can

do it or not. Okay, then we can move forward. Okay, great. Thank you. No one else. Okay.

We're now going to have a presentation from Jacqueline about nighttime economy, where

8 Nighttime Economy Update

we've got to. And I'm still looking at Darren because of a sort of excellent email chain

that did come on this, where I, in terms of Darren, if you can bring it up afterwards,

but that isn't necessarily Jacqueline, let's say that we're aiming that out as a general

discussion. So yeah, so Jacqueline, go ahead.

Jacqueline Ford - 1:19:16

I'll just put my microphone on so you can hear me.

Thank you committee as well.

So I've just been invited to give you an update because we had our inaugural first Friday

last week.

I've tangled up my glasses here, bear with me.

So we set the invitation out for people to come into the town to help put this

scheme in together to help shift perception, show Wickham that we have

options available already within the town around the early evening and later

economy if they're interested to start normalising that people come into the

town and use the town already and they're enjoying it. So our invitation

has been very much our method on this is about inviting people to come and participate, not

telling them what to do.

And we've started small.

We've created a container using the Guildhall and Little Market House as public realm space

that we can lightly animate.

And we've been dropping seeds of invitation to businesses, to cultural organisations and

other people to get this going, to start small.

And one of the things that we were sort of considering is how do you get the message

out about something like this because it's a bit of a new initiative.

It's not a big frog fest type event.

It is not something that you're going to do a great marketing campaign about, but how

do we share it?

And we've developed our own swan guide.

He's not the Buckinghamshire swan.

He's not the Wickham swan.

he's not the My Wickham Swan although he's got the same head and I've drawn

these and done them so this is our little First Friday Swan and he can

leave traces around the town to invite people in and just to have a bit of a

playful animation and a bit of curiosity.

The invitation has gone out we used Wickham Pulse as you know in the

proposal we said how we were going to promote this and we had three weeks of a

of a tease leading up to our event last Friday. We started off with just a little hint that

something was going on, then we started leaving physical traces around the town as well, and

then the messaging increased. So Steph at Wickham Pulse has been putting things in the

newsletter. Did anyone see this in the newsletter? Are you all signed up to her newsletter? If

was absolutely fantastic.

And we will have a advert that's going out

in the High Wycombe Life magazine for those who

are digitally excluded as well.

So I think that's coming in the October issue, which

will be hitting mats.

So what did this look like in person around the town?

So feathers started appearing.

And photos of feathers started appearing on social media

with eyes going, you know, something's going on.

What is it?

and we had Wickham Pulse would instigate it, we had High Wickham Life magazine, we had the bid,

we had Wickham Sound, we had We Make Wickham all liking, sharing, reposting to just amplify the message

that there's something going on, something a bit different.

And on Friday she did a final post for us with this little fella here, so we've got the board here

saying that it was this Friday.

And the idea with this is that not everybody would notice the same thing,

and that was on purpose.

So some people noticed a feather, some people will have seen a ridiculous,

but I think it's cute, little crown swan.

Some people will recognise some of the pop culture references

that we made on some of our signs, some people won't, it's all fine.

Someone got the Fleetwood Mac nod because we talk about him to -ing and

fro -ing your own way. Steph then used the music in that so you've got different

things there. Somebody just read that it was this Friday. Somebody would have

looked at the photo, people sharing it with friends. When I was out putting

these up I had somebody approach me who wanted to buy one. I said, why would you want to buy one?

I'm just putting this up about what we're doing this Friday. She's like, my

photo and then it goes into the wild and it gets spread wider as well.

Someone would have seen it in Wickham Pulse, someone would have heard of it on Wickham

Sound because they did a nice plug for us as well.

Some people may have just responded on their way to Tesco's on Friday because they heard

music and thought that is something that's going on.

All of these things were valid entry points into First Friday to just raise awareness

about what we were doing. So what did happen if we give people a reason and we

give people permission to use our town a little bit differently for a couple of

hours? This is what we spotted. So we had a band called Last Resort come and play

and these are made up of people, some of them from Wickham, some of them from Aylesbury,

so we had a real Buckinghamshire band and local performers and it was great.

They did a really wide repertoire of songs. People participated in different

ways, some people passed through. Using the Guildhall was brilliant because

you've got entry points, it's visible from different areas and so people could

stand by a pillar, people could come and sit down. We even had some people

overcoming their British reserve and dancing. Imagine that on a Friday night.

Having the informal seating really worked and what also worked because of

the location and the container of space that we used is that we've got a lot of

permanent seating around that bit of the High Street. Those seats were filled. The

Seats that have been the new seating area that we've got on White Hart Street as well.

People were sitting on those and enjoying the music.

We observed that the tables outside of the Beehive, the tables outside of the Mileto lounge,

they were also full and people were enjoying the music as well.

We also added some other sort of like playful elements and Highwick and Bidco in their basement

have got a lot of delights and they bought out a sort of putting game. They also had a massive

Connect Four and I must say the counters on that were incredibly heavy. I'm going to have to do my

weightlifting for next month and people could just interact with that so they could come and have a

bit of a game while they were listening to the music and we also had signs up there that raised

awareness about well how do you find out about what's going on in Wickham. So we had signs,

We had QR codes.

Sue had also done work with businesses that where we found out that somebody had something

on that Friday or that Saturday or that Sunday, we would have that laminated and that was

on the signs as well.

So who knew that the front room does bingo on a first Friday?

It's actually called First Friday Bingo.

I didn't know, but that starts at 7 .30, so we were able to raise awareness of that and

we had people that listened to music that then went up there to play bingo.

So, result, they didn't know it was happening either.

So, just something small, they were the things

that we observed.

We also know, on the business point, that, oh, sorry.

About one more minute and then we'll have some questions.

Okay, so, that's what we saw.

So, from something small, it was really encouraging to see.

People enjoyed it.

So, for October, what do we do there?

We iterate, we add, we make some small adjustments,

we're gonna re -invite businesses

because there'd been quite a lot of engagement fatigue.

The High Work and BidCo have been doing an awards event

that they've been publicising

and so there's only so many times

you can go and knock on a business's door

and say did you see our email and do this?

So we're going to be doing more of that.

We're going to be having more information

to encourage people to swander around and basically just keep watching how it

goes and adding new bits all the time and I think my final piece for this

before we have questions is is the 2nd of October in all of your diaries

because we would love to see you next time. Thank you. Thanks very much. Just out

of interest did anybody go I mean I went to have a look anybody else walk past or

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:28:14

have a look at it when it was out there? That's fine. So anybody got any

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 1:28:23

questions then for Jacqueline. It would be remiss of me if I didn't mention that

I've just looked at the moment, the minutes here from the last time and it

talked about the toilet provision and that brings me on to here's the

opportunity I think I said last time for us to open up as a test the toilet

blocks around the corner so what's happening with regards to toilet

provision for people that don't want to go into pubs or places like that. Can I

Just rather than get Jacqueline to take it,

could we actually just ask,

could we open it up just for two hours?

Do you mind if you ask internally,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:28:54

what would be the issue over this opening up?

I think the toilet.

So we're talking about the toilets that are literally

right in the centre on the way to the Swan from there.

Yeah, so let's ask the question,

you know, what would it take to open for two hours?

So thanks, I mean, that's really for you,

is it Jacqueline, that one, no.

Right, so Darren and Julia,

and if it's Darren going onto the topic,

I think you're going on to we'll take Julia first, but okay, so Julia first

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:29:20

Well

I think this is a waste of money

appeals to a certain kind of

Middle middle class I would say white person

Who wants a whimsical?

swandering

some kind of mystery

mysterious you know you you see it overturned chair with a knife on the

floor and it's could you get to the point now a couple co or something I

mean you know I don't know about anybody else but come a Friday evening about the

most I can manage is going out and getting fish and chips I might manage

that but I do not want to go squandering and squandering and the Guild Hall great

thank you thank you I think it needs an equality impact statement because you

know if I was from other communities I would say you know what is this about

okay Julia I thank you so we have we have to we've allocated the money and we

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:30:39

have a team that are working on it and we will review it as it goes along and

offer any constructive opportunities. I mean I was actually there and if you

weren't there then you it's very difficult to comment on what it was like.

The atmosphere was great, there was a vast amount of smiling. You know what? It

just felt happy. I mean I can pass over to you, it just felt happy in that area

you know and knowing what Darren's about to talk about there's quite a lot of not

feeling terribly happy in that area and and I don't think we did anything with

the police or anything else, but it also felt safe,

bizarrely, for those couple of hours,

it felt happy and safe, and there was a lot of smiling.

Clearly, it's easier when it's not pouring with rain,

and obviously that will affect things in the future,

but still, it was happy, safe, something was happening,

we were edging forward to try and do something,

and we can see the reactions to it,

and hopefully next time, you can all swing past,

even if it's only for five minutes,

just to have a look at what's there

and come up with some comments and all that sort of thing.

So, Darren, does anybody else got anything,

actually sorry for Jacqueline, criticism complements whatever that's fine. So Khalil.

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 1:31:43

I was just going to echo that as well. I've got to disagree. I know I agree with my colleague here

that there's deprivation however the town centre is also neglected and I applaud you know Jacqueline

for her efforts and well done. As I said I'm sorry I couldn't have been there but I will endeavour to

to be there in the next one.

Great, thank you.

Cllr Imran Hussain - 1:32:04

I would just like to add that as the security, I want to go on the security high, how people

see in their eyes, how I see in my eyes, I'm going to be honest with you, I can walk with

chain at nine o 'clock at night on and through town and you know come on the other side and

go to where I need to go and I can feel safe and secure.

It's how you look at things, some things do look bad, people hanging around minding their

own business.

There is a roughness in town completely but that's everywhere where you go.

You go east London and you find out how safe it is.

Thank you very much, that's all I would like to say.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:32:51

Sure, and in fact, coming to you, Mabou, but just, and this, I don't think

Imran's comment was really for you, Jacqueline, and now Darren's going to talk about it, but

can you just say, are we within this programme intending to have any, guys, can we just listen,

listen to him, to have a security element? Is there meant to be anything of that planned at

Jacqueline Ford - 1:33:09

all, just to let me know? There will be, so this has been discussed with SAG. We're starting small.

When this grows... Sorry, guys, guys, guys, can we listen in, please?

Okay, so when this grows, when this develops, when we've got full

pedestrianisation in the high street and we can spill out into other areas,

security will be considered, toilets will be considered, but starting small at the

moment we are where we are. Great, so Maboum and then we'll go on to Darren who I know has got a

particular thing although it's already been started. Thank you very much Jim, and I'm just going to say it was

wonderful because I just passed through it, see a lot of people sort of enjoying it and I

Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP - 1:33:43

it was good to bring the life back into Wickham.

Great, thank you, Mabou.

Right, Saf, is it on the security issue

or something else, or something else, then please go ahead.

Jacqueline, I know you said it was a small function

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:33:54

kind of thing, but how many people did attend,

or do you think, what was the number, do you think?

Jacqueline Ford - 1:34:03

That's really interesting, because we were all sort of

split up in different areas, just observing

what was happening.

I'd say probably the maximum of people we had sitting down

in around, there's probably about 35 people, and standing around the Guildhall piece.

I didn't have my glasses on, but other people said, you know, people were sitting

on the seats in the High Street, people were sitting on the seats in White Hart

Street, all around there, so there was a really nice vibe and feeling to it,

and people coming back through the town, staying for a bit, and then going off again.

So thanks Darren.

Cllr Darren Hayday - 1:34:46

Thank you Mr Chairman. Thank you colleagues for allowing me to speak

eventually. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I have been going out in High Wycombe probably since the 1990s

and I've had some good times, I've had some bad times

and I think the work you're doing is fantastic and it is a step in the right

direction and I'm not gonna put it down I think it's brilliant and I'm not gonna

say and I'm just saying that it was really good I didn't make it

unfortunately on Friday but I did come along in town on Saturday I have a poll

with my friends and we decide where we're gonna go and whenever Wickham

comes up everyone goes no thanks but this time we did go for Wickham and we

had a really really nice evening we went to the Milleto lounge went to one of the

restaurants and I would say yeah overall Wiccan has got great potential and I think more of

this more positive projects that we can do we can look to attract more people to come

into Wiccan.

I even saw a stag do as a guy dressed up in a Baywatch advert with the blonde wig the

thing under the surfboard under his arm I've never seen a stag doing Wiccan before I was

quite impressed. I will bring this up because I have circulated it by email.

The two issues that I saw, which is nothing to do with us, it's solely to do

with the police and I would like to formally ask that Ben, being the

replacement for Emma Burrows now that she's left, can address and come up with

a plan for this. There was at least two occasions I got stopped by beggars, quite

aggressively asking for money and Risler papers and all sorts of things.

And as I went round the corner, particularly by the church, I saw a

number of people shooting up, I assume with heroin or whatever, and this was

probably about, I don't know, eight in the evening, so it was just starting to get

dark and they were openly doing it on the benches. I didn't see that many

people out on Saturday but I did see there were a lot of people in the

restaurants and it's amazing how much choice there is. Back in the olden days

when you wanted food it was either a kebab from one of the two only kebab

places or you went and had a curry, a traditional old school curry but now

there's loads of restaurants lots of choice. Sadly the pubs are diminishing

and there isn't much choice anymore as there used to be.

I mean, I'm not a drinking person myself, but I used to be.

So that is lacking.

I think there are a couple of places that, you know,

is it the Mad Squirrel?

Seems like it's quite busy, although I did

hear it close quite early.

The Mileto Lounge I thought was excellent.

But yeah, failing on only one point, the fact that,

I mean I'm a grown person, I've walked through Wickham the same as my colleague here,

but for someone that perhaps is someone who isn't quite at that level,

I can see that when you've got someone shooting up or you've got someone begging quite aggressively,

Wickham Town Centre can seem to be a place that's quite off -putting.

So I think we definitely just wrapping up that we do need a plan from the police to deal with

Certain characters that do hang around and prey on individuals

In the evening particularly get stuck

Just I'm gonna let you get go travel, but just throw it open to people as well

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:38:41

I know we're all wanting to go home coming to near to the end of the meeting of things

But if people can throw in solutions and ideas

And if they don't want to throw them in quickly now if we can start getting them on email because the email trail on this

was quite instructive. And then we should come, if we can come as a group to a couple

of steps, to positive steps on this. And as Darren said, so the first one is can we arrange

a talk to the police if we can get something from them, probably in writing initially.

But then I think we need to have, again, a meeting, probably an informal one. So for

the sake of discussion in a month's time when we're all invited, if we can come, Darren

will obviously be there and then and try and have a chat through with this. Does that sound

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 1:39:24

sensible as a step? Right, okay Trevor. Unfortunately, Leslie's not here tonight, but her and I are

arranging and looking to meet with the council team with regards to activities around the

church because I see it daily during the day, you know, when I pop out of Wickenford and

the likes, and Leslie's ward, so we're looking to sit down with the team. So if the officers

were to cheque into that they'll find that we're trying to do something in

that front but yes you're quite right it it is a it is a problem around the

churchyard what you've alluded to Julia thank you Jacqueline because we asked

for a risk assessment which Jacqueline did produce I feel that could be more

robust based on

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:40:12

the kind of things that Darren is saying I am saying other people are saying that we could

Revisit that risk assessment and management plan that Jacqueline produced

But you know

Should we be attracting people in this is the question

until we've got to grips with the fact that vulnerable people are being exploited in the high street.

And, you know, they're being preyed upon, they're being taken to the cash point, asked to withdraw money.

And, you know, we're safeguarding everybody's business.

Also the risk assessment plan didn't cover transitions away from events which

is one of the highest risk when you're walking away from the event to get your

bus or whatever. I felt it could have given more detail about transitions and

transport and so on. Okay I think that's a good point. We've got two action points

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:41:23

already on it. Anybody else want to add or say stuff? Thank you Chairman. Obviously I

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:41:28

was listening to a colleague, the mayor, walking through town with his golden chain. That's

not the issue. The issue is, you know, as Darren, Councillor Darren has said, and I've

said on our emails, we're probably not the type that you mess around with us gentlemen,

but I feel for the ladies that are there who go at nighttime they could be easily

intimidated and preyed upon as Julia said you know they could be escorted to

the cash points and money taken from them etc etc so the only way I think if

we have Rangers or something like that the the police should be out there but

obviously police have been called left, right and centre.

But my issue would be, you know, the ladies

and face it, we're getting old as well.

And we wanna go out as well.

And we get to that stage when we're in, you know,

in this certain aerial bracket of age,

that we don't feel safe either, as well.

The youngsters will, but you know,

we need to look after that group and the ladies as well,

or the young ladies that go out as well.

So they're probably more vulnerable than anybody else.

So that needs to be picked up.

And if the police can come,

and if you can organise them to come,

that would be one of the questions that Aude asked them.

So we've got two meetings planned.

We've got, within that meeting,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:43:00

we want to look at the vulnerable groups,

particularly the ladies.

I think it's also the youth, to be honest with you,

because you can actually be a strapping young man,

but oddly enough, you can be very,

not know how to act in a situation.

because that's more of a psychological thing rather than a

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:43:19

physical thing. Julia please go ahead. The police have been doing safe walks for

women and there's been self -defence classes. I mean it's not just ladies

that are vulnerable but you think of ladies. I was left to walk home after Chutney's meal. I didn't get a lift from him or yourself.

Great, thank you, Julia. Right. Thank you for that point. We've got some action points.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:43:43

That's great. Now, we had on the agenda an item which, if you'll forgive me, I think

it's pretty important that we keep on the agenda now, and that's resilience in Wycombe.

9 Resilience in Wycombe

Julia mentioned it specifically earlier on as being important. And just the 10 -second

introduction to this, the temperatures are just going up, guys. You know, and on the

current projections in terms of where we're going on heating, we will be at two degrees

of warming potentially in 2034, 2035, not 2050 or 2060. The temperatures are just going

up and the speed is accelerating. And we've already seen a lot of vulnerable people now

in this summer and the winters potentially are going to get colder again starting in

about 10 years time as the summers get hotter. So resilience is really important. And my

feeling, if you agree with me, is we should be keeping this on our agenda. Because if

we're only going to think of it when there's a heatwave.

So that's why I put it on today,

to see what your feeling was,

and then gradually we will work to do more on this.

Please, your comments, what do you think?

Hazel, and then we'll go to Julia,

and if anybody else would like to have a comment as well,

that'd be great, I was about to accept Julia,

just because we've heard your tone so often, Julia,

but that's been great.

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:45:06

All I'd say is that I know it's a passion of yours. I care about climate change.

Nothing to a climate change. This is just about vulnerable people. That's my interest

on this one. Nothing to do with vulnerable people.

You just said about temperatures getting hotter. Is that not climate change?

Climate change is making the temperatures get hotter. We're worried about very old people,

babies particularly in these temperatures and that sort of thing.

that's getting worse because of climate change.

So anyway, I will just say that we're an advisory committee.

I think we could use time to sort of suggest to council

things that they could do on council

that might improve things for people in Wickham.

So I don't have an issue with that.

Do you mean like tree planting community calls

and that sort of thing?

And I don't have an issue with the idea

that whoever ends up forming our neighbourhood plan

comes up with some ideas about how things can be scoped

in terms of what gets built in order to have more areas

appropriate, you know, like if you want stuff built

with sort of like eco design stuff in.

Sorry, please can I be clear Hazel,

and you may want to talk about eco design as well.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:46:15

This is nothing to do with that.

This is about people getting too hot and then getting.

I just can't help being hot.

All right, so what I'm trying to say to.

people getting too hot and getting sick from it.

Ed, you're getting really picky.

I'm trying to say to you, right?

I don't mind if the neighbourhood plan

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:46:31

discuss eco -building, things like putting charging points in

and everything else and having cool zones

and sort of areas where people can like get shade,

you know, things like that.

I have no problem with that either.

What I don't want to do is go over our remit

and start coming up with loads of sort of ideas

which aren't really stuff that we could ever get to

because we can't get to the stuff

we've got on the list already.

So what I'd what I think we should do is look at advising Council on things

I like your idea of having like cool areas and places that people can you know protect themselves

You know the vulnerable and things like that

but I just think we have to be careful and I think maybe we could advise Council to come up with skin because they already

Do that if you're boiling hot you can go to the council office and cool down, you know

There's already a structure there that maybe if we can lobby them to come up with more things within the communities

Then I think that would be a really good idea

but I don't want to go over our remit Ed is what I'm saying.

Sure, for me and everyone can see it differently,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:47:28

this is about vulnerable people and protecting them

on an ongoing basis as things get worse.

Julia, please go ahead and sorry,

was it Trevor put his hand up?

I didn't see who put his hand up on this side.

One second Trevor, it's Julia first and then you.

I do think we need to be a lot more focused

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:47:41

on what this is about because I have been visiting

vulnerable people during the heatwave

and it's about people with severe COPD, very vulnerable, they need a call zone at home.

Some people were overcome by heat. One person I had to take or get a range to take to ICU.

We need to be listening to the NHS advice about this. What we don't need to be doing

is dragging people, saying call zones is the answer,

because there are some people who are very vulnerable

and will set off, probably in an overcoat,

to walk to the call zone.

And it's about having a call zone

in the homes of people who are vulnerable.

So the debate is around air conditioning.

Who is going to be supplying all the air conditioning

we need for the care homes in my ward

or your ward or the vulnerable people and there's a very good article in the Guardian

today about air conditioning. I don't think it's particularly about the Wickham Town Committee.

I think it's how Bucks Council is receiving the NHS advice, how social services is targeting

the very vulnerable people, how workers like me are enabled to get people out of houses

to health care.

I mean in France they drag people out into supermarkets

where there's air conditioning.

Can I draw out from what you're saying an action point.

Can we actually get, what is Bucks Council doing,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:49:18

thinking of next year?

Because now it's not so warm,

everybody starts talking about it.

What are the plans for next year to look after

these kind of people?

We need to get the figures on excess deaths, unfortunately.

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:49:28

No, I agree.

So thank you.

Sorry, it was Trevor, I think.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:49:31

Yeah, what I was gonna say was,

when we get to one of the other agenda,

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 1:49:36

items, work programmes, things like cool zones and other things. I've got a list of things

here I want to put on the work programme when we get to it and then we can prioritise and

move forward. So I've just written down cool zones because it needs to go on the work programme.

But I'm going to, when we get that agenda, have quite a list.

Thank you. Saf?

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 1:49:57

I think I agree with Julia. It doesn't happen a lot, but I do agree with her. The problem

that I noticed and many of you may have noticed is the older generation that

oxygen intake when it was warm was very very low and the lungs weren't filling

up with oxygen so that was the main issue the breathing of oxygen because

you know of their age and the lungs not working properly but I don't know how

you overcome that it's the NHS that needs to be proactive as well visiting

these they probably do but you know how do we take that a step further first

thing is is it's us to be interested in doing it because we don't have it on our

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:50:39

agenda we never do anything Julia's right about the we should be getting the

NHS advice and using that and the air conditioning is certainly the more

extreme measure there are other things although oddly enough although the way

Hazel said it was probably round about the houses but round about the houses

as the eco -homes, I mean it's like building houses

that you paint white and then you don't have them,

look, you know, absorbing the heat,

which they do with the current colours of most of them

and this sort of thing and you do the roofs

in the right way and you put trees in,

which we talked about putting into the streets,

we've already got one thing going,

which will shade houses in these things, in these times

and that, and protect the other trees

so that we keep the shade and don't lose it.

So there are elements of planning, so, as well,

and which you said, sorry, so Hazel.

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 1:51:27

Yes, so the other thing I was going to say, well I forgot to say, was with a sort of a

Wickham neighbourhood group, there can be community things that they can do, like making

sure everyone knows who's on their street, so if there's someone who's particularly elderly

or someone who's just come out of an operation or something, you sort of like tag neighbours

to go round and cheque or you know, sort of like make sure they've had a drink or something

Do you know what I mean?

On a very low level sense of community working.

Do you think we could be encouraging that?

Is that what you're suggesting?

Well, I mean, I think we can't sit here

and obsess over these things,

apart from advising council and bringing maybe,

you know, sort of like discussing what we could suggest

the NHS on ask or something,

in terms of what might go on in the communities.

I think the neighbourhood groups,

the next best bet as well to maybe set

as a thing they could discuss,

because I know things have moved on,

but like, you know, there used to be systems where you'd like dial up someone and go,

I can't get to get my prescription, my knees dropped off, and then someone in the neighbourhood

group would go and get it for you. If there was something that could be set up where there's areas

and people, representatives and road groups and things, where people could be encouraged to then

contact someone to say, I'm a bit too hot and sweaty, or I've noticed maybe this has not come

out in the last five days, that might help as well, just to sort of like pick up the stuff

that everything else falls off.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:52:47

So I mean, it's effectively taking sort of what a lot of communities did during

Covid -19 and starting to apply it in the future, which is an excellent idea.

And remember, just think of the numbers we do.

And quite rightly talked about the safety of people in the centre at night.

But those numbers that we're talking about are much smaller

than those safe in their homes when it goes to 40 or more degrees.

Because the couple of cases Julia is suggesting there will be hundreds

and hundreds of people around.

And that's not including babies because the NHS warning was coming out about up to six months year old babies

I think it was which are in danger of dying during these heat and that these the ones we can't see whereas we do of course

Notice what's happening in the centre and if somebody gets accosted, so the numbers are high

But anyway, I think the general feeling is we should be thinking about something

Let's work out what the council is already doing towards next summer

Let's look at if if there is some sort of infrastructure already left from kovat 19 within the council and is there something we can

work on on that. Anybody else with last comment? Are you happy as well if we keep

this on the agenda for a five minute at each time? Because I think it's quite

important we keep it in our mind. People happy with that in the future?

Cllr Julia Wassell - 1:53:55

I would just say that the housing associations that run the sheltered housing with their

community rooms, I mean they're in an ideal position. They're already housing

the vulnerable. And the care homes.

Yeah good point. Okay right thank you very much everybody on that.

10 Parking and Infrastructure Sub-Group update

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:54:10

Right, item number 10, parking and infrastructure update from Chris.

We've talked a lot about parking.

Another further update, Chris?

Cllr Chris Chilton - 1:54:22

Sorry, I'm very happy to.

Talk about parking.

So we had a, yeah, I just, I sent out the, some notes from the last theatre call earlier

today.

I don't know who's had a chance to read them, who hasn't?

Okay, so we had a very good theatre call.

we've got some good momentum going now.

I'll just really run through the tracks of work.

So remarking existing lines,

we've got a SharePoint for that now.

We're not gonna be using FixMyStreets.

Has everyone seen the SharePoint?

Has anyone not seen the SharePoint?

Unfortunately, Seth, I have sent it out to members six times.

I've been busy doing it with Seth.

Sorry, okay, yeah.

There's a SharePoint,

there's a link again in the email that I sent out

earlier today. The officers are going to get them all done that are on the list. That work

is going to start within the next 14 days. So if you've got any lines that need remarking,

they need to go on the SharePoint website within the next 14 days. Otherwise they won't

be getting done until 2027. But we've got a big long list of lines that lines need redoing

and signs that need redoing and they'll all be done before the end of the year.

Then we want to walk through the various phases, so we've taken under our wing all the phases.

So we still have some outstanding schemes from phase one, which are schemes which are

initiated between 2018 and 2020.

So we're talking some schemes which are six or eight years being done.

The High Street pedestrian zone near Santander Bank and Deeds Grove and Mount Close.

These are still stuck with an existing poorly performing contractor who is being given one

last chance. We will get these done this year. Phase 2 which is schemes from 2021

to 2023. We still have one of those outstanding which is the Town Centre

pedestrian zone. We are briefing a new contractor to do that, not the old one

and that will be done by the end of the year. Phase 3 which is where most of the

effort has gone which is the new schemes. Where we've got a list of about 60

proposed new schemes again through the SharePoint website. Initial member

consultations on those that involve the use of parking permits are

now complete and consultations on schemes with double yellow lines will

follow and every scheme that we've put forward and we've put forward about 60

of them need several consultations with the members as we go along. What we've

agreed is that we'll give members two email reminders about when they need to

part in those consultations and will expect members to respond within 14 days.

They don't respond within 14 days, we'll assume that they are in agreement

with what is being proposed by the officers. We've got a full Gantt chart

for all of these 60 schemes with a plan to complete them all by June of next year

and as I was saying to Darren, we'll do these within a year of initiating them.

When it comes to phase 4, I've agreed with the officers that will target doing

them within nine months of initiating them rather than 12 months. So we've then

got phase four which is essentially anything which is not yet committed to

so we're starting to put together that list which is for schemes that we'll do

in 2027. They go on the same SharePoint website that phase three is on. And then

we've got a couple of odd schemes going on which are quite strange ones which

are not funded and supported by us but by other things. Got one in Portland

House, Arneson Avenue that's self -funded. We've got some of Maz's which are in

Hoonan Avenue Boulevard which are opportunity bucks funded. There are some

coming through some significant changes to public car parks that are coming

through driven by the cabinet which are going to be quite controversial. Changing

shifts, stay times, motorcycles, they're going to have to start paying, the

disabled are going to have to start paying to use our car parks. Cressix

Business Park are doing some self -funded work.

We do have some opportunities with this review of public car parks and state times, et cetera,

disabled, to think about whether we want to create some exceptions.

And one of the things that I've had a number of people contact me about is whether we could

make subsidised car parking available on Fridays and Sundays for people attending religious

services.

So I'm not saying we should answer this question now,

but if there are some exceptions to the standard box terms

and conditions that we wanted to think about implementing

them, we could think about pitching to do that

in the near future too.

That was it.

Thanks very much Chris.

That's great.

Sorry, any questions?

Great, thanks for the summary.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 1:59:10

We now have the cabinet forward plan,

which you have in your documents.

11 Cabinet Forward Plan

Anybody, any comments on that?

Otherwise it's for noting.

No, for noting.

Right, work programme.

So what are we gonna talk about?

12 Work Programme

What are we gonna work on

apart from what we've already been deciding?

But additional ideas and things,

Trevor clearly has some, so why don't we do that?

So Trevor, Chris.

Right, thank you.

Just taking some of the threads from tonight,

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 1:59:38

these are the things I'd like to see on the work programmes.

Here we go.

And obviously we're noting this down anyway.

Toilets as in the town centre and outside of the town.

I'm going to put benches on.

Now the reason I'm putting benches on is there is no way, as I understand it,

for the people of our town to get a memorial bench.

It's just not there.

Parishes and town councils normally manage them.

So we need a process to do that.

Cool zones, there you go.

I'd like to put anti -social activities on as well as a topic and I'm going to put your trees on Ed, right?

And I'm going to be controversial. Town Council, thank you.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:00:28

I think all those things, let's get it onto a list for consideration. Just to quickly ask, are we allowed to talk about a Town Council?

Okay, so we're gonna take advice as to whether or not we could decide to have that on there

on the list but yeah it's been proposed. Chris.

Yeah, I want to build on the conversation we had earlier about the role of High Wycombe

Cllr Chris Chilton - 2:00:46

Town Committee on the local plan. We then talked about the neighbourhood plan and came

to the conclusion High Wycombe Town Committee is not allowed to have a role on that either.

It's not about not allowed to have it, it's an external body that needs to lead it.

That's just a legal position.

I think given that we've got a constitution review going on, we should have a conversation

about the future role remit and operating arrangements of High Wycombe Town Committee.

What do we think should be the remit of High Wycombe Town Committee?

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:01:23

I think, yes, let's put it on our list and then I think Ellie will probably be reporting

back and coming back maybe with an opinion on that.

If there's no opinion we will go ahead and have it on the list.

Okay.

Would anybody else like to offer anything?

You can offer them at any time.

You can still offer them by email and stuff like that, things you think we should be covering.

Just for now.

Right, Hazel.

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 2:01:46

Yeah, so as well as just plopping any consultations that you said would be possible into the work

programme when they're suitable, I'd really like to extend who we get to talk even if

it's just five minutes, like have the lead of the Wycombe sort of neighbourhood police

team come and talk to us about what they've been up to, the head of like carousel busses

or something to talk about transport. We're not informed enough, but I think at a local

level to be making some of the decisions we make and I don't think we're utilising this

committee well enough to actually get people to come and talk to us.

Can I say that as being sort of...

So we had an agreement of what sort of people would be useful to come in like...

I was about to say that. So first thing is let's get a list of those effectively service

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:02:33

providers that we would like to have in here to talk to us and then then

potentially stage them at different times in the future. So Khalil, Julia. So I'd

like to propose right that we have a session for public members of the public

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 2:02:51

to be able to ask questions to the town committee. Good idea.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:02:58

Any reason why we can't do that? You need a constitutional

Mrs Elly Cook - 2:03:02

change to do that. So that would need to be obviously looked into.

Hang on, hang on. So if just, Ellie, I'm going to speak and if you just tell me, one second,

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:03:12

and you just tell me if I'm wrong. We could still have a meeting where the Councillors

from High Wycombe invite in the public to a meeting and see if they would like to ask

questions. We could of course do that because that would be us as individuals. So we can

do that, but can we just get the advice on that to see if we can do it formally as a

we can town committee and if not we can look at doing it together as a group.

Sorry unless it's on that point. Oh yes it's on that point tell me why other

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 2:03:38

committees can have public questions and we can't and in that case. Thank you.

It's set out in the Constitution I'm not saying that this is something that

Mrs Elly Cook - 2:03:45

couldn't be considered in the future but it would just need to go through the

proper channels for the Constitution to be updated. And can we just get that in

an email if that's OK. So we know.

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:03:57

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 2:04:02

So what Trevor said earlier as a controversial point, it makes it even more stronger case

for the town council now. Because in every sense of the word, if we are completely and

actually useless, right, then what's the point of our existence? I don't really understand

the purpose of this committee.

You're asking me to answer your question.

We have literally nothing. Apart from wasting two hours of our time, we have nothing. So

Therefore, I think there is a definite case there for a town council and I think it seriously should be considered as well.

I'm not going to try and answer your question, but obviously what we are trying to do is to make a certain number of decisions

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:04:33

on allocating money to projects which we have been doing and then there are and on the other thing is we are trying to make

Recommend constitutionally we're making recommendations into council giving our advice on things. I'm not trying to take away from your points

I'm just answering that the obvious bits Julia

Cllr Julia Wassell - 2:04:52

Well I disagree with Khalil, I mean the town committee is dispersing huge amount of funds

now compared to what it used to, under spend, sill, it's linked with opportunity bucks and

you know other monies and anyway I think it is too focused on the town month after month

that we have the meeting.

I would like to see presentations about wards

and their needs coming forward

and the projects that we've put in

and why they've been put in.

And it could be quite easy.

One meeting it was West Wickham area or East Wickham.

Can I take that and just throw it out

to get comments from others?

Do you want to come to this meeting

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:05:46

and have individual presentations related only to individual wards and do that sort

of thing at this meeting? I'm just, I just duly suggest it. What's the opinion of others?

No, no. Anybody?

Chairman, exactly the point that Councillor Halili is raising. The point is this, I think,

Cllr Arman Alam - 2:06:03

according to the agenda, this meeting was due to finish at 8 .15.

Absolutely.

We're now nearly 9 .15. So I think we've got to be mindful of the time that we have and

plan it accordingly. Right Trevor, taking your one and then I think we're going to

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 2:06:22

close unless it's on this particular point. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to shoot you down on that. We don't hold

enough meetings to be able to actually do anything, that's the situation. If we

held more of these meetings like town and parish councils do, we'd get more

things done, so let's get a town council. Okay right okay so thank you very much

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 2:06:38

everybody we are going to, if I can find my notes of when the next meeting is.

13 Date of Next Meeting

Thank you very much everybody and the next meeting, if somebody has it in front of them

because I have lost it to my papers.

Next meeting on the 24th of November.

Thank you everybody.

Cllr Khalil Ahmed

Independent

View profile

Cllr Arman Alam

Conservative

View profile

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt

Labour Party

View profile

Cllr Chris Chilton

Labour Party

View profile

Mrs Elly Cook

View profile

Jacqueline Ford

View profile

Cllr Ed Gemmell

Independent

View profile

Cllr Darren Hayday

Independent

View profile

Cllr Imran Hussain

Wycombe Independent

View profile

Cllr Mahboob Hussain JP

Conservative

View profile

Fiorella Mugari

View profile

Ms. Sophie Payne

View profile

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja

Conservative

View profile

Cllr Trevor Snaith

Independent

View profile

Cllr Julia Wassell

Wycombe Independent

View profile

We welcome your comments in relation to the webcast.

Required field

Name

Comments

Need an accessible hCaptcha?
Check available options.
Sign up to hCaptcha or Log in to hCaptcha.

By clicking Send feedback, you agree that Buckinghamshire Council and Public-i can use the information above to review your feedback and contact you about it. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

Interactive webcast player

High Wycombe Town CommitteeTuesday, 8th September 2026 at 7:00pm

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:00:00

1 Apologies for Absence

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:00:23

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:00:28

2 Declarations of interest

3 Minutes

4 Chairman's Update

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:07:23

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:08:12

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:08:18

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:08:47

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:09:58

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:10:24

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 0:10:28

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:10:59

Cllr Khalil Ahmed - 0:12:30

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:12:52

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:12:59

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:13:36

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:13:47

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:14:16

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:14:32

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:14:36

Cllr Arman Alam - 0:15:18

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:15:21

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:16:21

Ms. Sophie Payne - 0:16:33

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:16:36

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:16:47

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:17:17

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:18:34

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:18:41

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:20:11

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:21:02

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:21:20

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:21:44

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:21:48

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:21:56

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:22:16

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:22:28

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:22:40

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:23:10

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:23:17

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:26:01

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:26:56

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:30:15

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:30:18

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:30:52

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:31:39

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:32:17

Cllr Sarfaraz Khan Raja - 0:33:32

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:35:55

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:36:18

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:37:15

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:37:23

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:37:57

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:38:05

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:38:23

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:38:28

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:38:34

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:38:53

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:39:02

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:39:07

Cllr Arman Alam - 0:39:13

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:40:00

Mrs Elly Cook - 0:40:16

Cllr Hazel Arthur-Hewitt - 0:40:48

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:41:01

Cllr Julia Wassell - 0:41:06

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:41:54

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:42:00

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:42:26

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:42:40

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:43:41

Cllr Arman Alam - 0:44:06

Cllr Chris Chilton - 0:44:23

Cllr Ed Gemmell - 0:44:27

Cllr Trevor Snaith - 0:44:34

High Wycombe Town Committee
Tuesday, 8th September 2026 at 7:00pm