Wycombe Liberal Democrats

Over the last week I have been receiving letters and calls from local residents in Ryemead who are raising concerns regarding the scrapstore
I am told their funding and premises is under threat from their landlord, Wycombe District Council as of next March.

When I hear of issues like this it concern me and makes me question the future of Wycombe’s voluntary sector in the current local economic and political climate.

Myself and our local community consultant Hilary Reed visited the scrapstore yesterday.

Our findings
1. The scrapstore we discovered is an Aladdin’s cave
2. Used by schools, groups churches, local artists –and more
3. Developing arts/ crafts experience in the community
4. Good for community cohesion
5. providing low cost materials
6. Opportunities to learn through art/ craft
7. Assisting recycling targets of council
8. Underpinning the local community voluntary and cost sectors

The issues
1. Funding for this project is being cut – Why ?– a venture of this scale needs supporting and additional funding
2. WDC are funding this project –BCC are not – believe BCC are benefiting from the centre and need to be making a contribution also
3. It’s probable by March 2008 the resource zone may have to close unless it can be funded by moving to the voluntary sector

Whilst we were there the unit was visited by over 30 people and groups from Ryemead ward (Local Church) ,Abbey Ward ( Local Church) and the other a group from Flackwell Heath (helping disabled)

Every one we saw in there had a smile on their face

WDC are in the process of working with a newly formed management committee to migrate the service to the voluntary sector. I wish them every success and will be monitoring progress.

I READ with interest in the BFP the reasons for refusing the building of five homes in Hazlemere opposite the Cedars Residential Homes.
I am familiar with the area and the ongoing issues regarding development of the site, and sympathise with any councillor and ward faced with the dilemma of inappropriate developments.

However, I have to comment there is a need for the district to build mixed dwelling homes in our semi rural, rural villages and out-of-town brownfield sites to sustain the local communities and meet the expected new government housing targets. We can’t keep dumping development in the town.
I note with interest and with some irony the reasons for rejection of five homes.
Cllr McCarthy states: “I think we need to remind ourselves that this site is exceedingly busy, I think the quality of the local environment will be harmed and the development will have an unsatisfactory impact. I do think there would be excessive pressure on the outside area by this development.”
Since joining the council, I’ve noticed a marked difference in our councillors’ views on rural/semi rural(urban) areas v town areas. This puzzles me somewhat as I’m aware that the rural areas need to look towards building homes to be able to protect rural communities and community cohesion

Let me point out some stark facts. A situation exists where we have seen massive building programmes in the town wards for several years.
Many of the town councillors grapple with these problems on a daily basis but often the scale of the problem is multiplied by the sheer size of the developments we are seeing being dumped in our wards. We all appreciate the need for new homes but they need to be in a controlled way.

A ward close to my heart (Ryemead) in Wycombe I estimate had suffered with over 400 new homes in the last ten years. Over 150 more are in progress – plus another 480 are to be built in the next three years in the Marsh area alone. That’s without the incremental builds we now face from back garden and knockdown incremental rebuilds.
The local environment and community is being harmed and developments are having an unsatisfactory impact across all of the east end of High Wycombe town.
We have a situation where Ryemead has the “accolade” of being one of the wards with the highest density of homes per hectare and highest growth in new homes in the Wycombe area
There is excessive pressure and lack of foresight and understanding on the pressure this will place on local schools, transport, roads, community facilities and community cohesion.
The entire east end of the town is suffering with increase in traffic on the A40 and surrounding roads and increase in congestion.

I would like to believe next time I or another town councillor raises concerns or objections regarding excessive housing developments and the social impact, be it on allotments, high rise apartments, or large estates in the highly-populated town wards, I trust we can count on support of our rural and out of town councillors in opposing them with the same vigour as the five homes in Hazlemere?

With the development of Eden what is going to happen to our local shops?

We are seeing small businesses being pushed out of business by the weight of the large retailers, Trevor Snaith and Ray Farmer are asking the council to invest in our local communities to support local shops for local people

The Friends of the Earthg have recently produced an advert you may find interesting

Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGoWKVA87ro

 The competition authorities are currently investigating supermarkets.

In January they published their interim report. In this report, they recognised several potential problems related to supermarket dominance.

The next stage of this inquiry is crucial. Tough action is urgently needed to control the power of the supermarkets.

We have the opportunity to ask the Competition Commission to make the grocery industry fairer for everyone.

We must urge them to investigate the things that really matter:

• Stronger planning policies
  Needed to protect smaller shops.
• Supermarket code of practice
  Needed to protect the interests of consumers, farmers, workers and the environment.

After all, who wants cheap food if it’s at the expense of people and the planet?

Two of the leaflets for Sands are now online:

Sands2.pdf

Sands3C.pdf

Sands is going to be a very interesting ward, where our two outstanding candidates, Ian Morton and Reg Rundle are in a four way battle for control of the ward.

Report by Richard Groom
On 16th November, about twenty-five Sands residents took part in a public meeting to discuss the Sands Green Travel Plan for football and rugby matches. The meeting was one of a series which normally take place at six-monthly intervals.

This one was timed with the intention of discussing Wasps’s plans for expansion of the ground. As it turns out, there have been delays in the planning process but we were given some insight into the proposals on the table.

Wasps said that they are trialling use of the Johnson and Johnson premises in a Park and Ride scheme. The site takes 1000 cars and usage is growing. Wasps are also trialling use of www.liftshare.com to encourage supporters to car share.

At previous meetings it had been suggested that Wasps should support a scheme to buy back tickets from season ticket holders for matches that they could not attend. The scheme they had intended to use has not yet got off the ground, so they have decided to go with www.viagogo.com . Whilst this will not affect match-day traffic in Sands, it could perhaps have an impact on the need to expand the ground.

Plans for the increased stadium seating are being revised to incorporate recommendations from the emergency services. The planning application is likely to be submitted early in the new year and will be subject to public scrutiny. The community will be involved.

Wasps were asked about the rumours that a new access road to the ground is required for the stadium expansion. They confirmed that there is a plan is to build a road connecting the ground to the top of Toweridge Lane (West Wycombe end – not Sands end). The road is for emergency use only. It will not be for public access. The road will be of grasscrete construction. This is a concrete road with holes through which grass can grow. This softens the visual impact. Concerns were raised that the gradient up from the stadium to the end of Toweridge Lane might be too steep for emergency vehicles and that terracing earthworks might be needed which could affect the landscape impact. Wasps confirmed that the nature reserve would not be affected and that an environmental impact assessment is being made as part of the application. A representative from the Chiltern Society requested early involvement in the planning.

The subject of match-day parking was raised. Unfortunately there was no official present from Bucks County Council and there were again no County or District councillors present. Although it was pointed out that councillors might not be able to attend because of possible conflict of interest. Nobody present at the meeting was in a position to provide information. It was suggested to the chair that we need a report from the council on its intentions regarding parking. The chairman expressed irritation that the County had again failed to provide an official representative.

Wasps pointed out that there are things that can be done but need political support. For example, they feel that Hillbottom Rd should be closed during matches. But football and rugby matches are not on the Chief Constable’s ‘radar’. A police representative said that neighbourhood policing will be introduced next year. One way forward would be an action group set up to solve problems by better public engagement.

The next meeting will be on 22nd March 2007 at 19:30hrs at Adams Park. Elected representatives from the County and District may not be there – but we will.