UNCONFIRMED MINUTES

                                                    of a meeting held on Wednesday May 2nd 2018
                                                     in the Community Room of the WE Cricket Club

              Present: Linda Derrick (LD) (Chairman), Ian Guy (IG) (Secretary), Stan Jones (SJ), Ann McCarthy                                               (AM), Hugh McCarthy (HM),  John Marchant (JM), Harry Russell (HR), Pauline Smith (PS) and David                                           Winterburn.
 
1.    APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE                                                                                                                                               ACTION
 
Beryl Guy, John and Jasia Hatt, Stephen Thorpe, Shona Tucker and Catherine Wetherell.
 
2.    MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 4 APRIL 2018
 
Two corrections were made:
 
(1)   Item 10: The deadline for the summer issue of Widmer End News is 11th May.
(2)   Item 13: New litter bins have not been installed at or near the Village Hall.
 
With these corrections, the minutes were confirmed as a true record and a copy was signed by the Chairman.
 
3.    MATTERS ARISING
 
Neighbourhood Watch  (NHW) – IG offered to help in establishing a scheme for the upper end of Brimmers Hill.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     IG
HM has taken over leadership of the scheme covering part of North Road.                                                                          HM
 
Concern was expressed that the new data protection regulations might make it more difficult to share information between schemes and/or the Police. 
 
Best Kept Village competition – JM is organising a litter pick for Saturday 26th May.  Volunteers are to meet at the Village Hall at 10.00am.                                                                                                                                                                       All
 
The village will be judged on a weekday between 1st June and 7th July.
 
Roadside trees – Hughenden Parish Council would meet on 15th May and it was hoped that the Council would then be able to clarify its policy.  SJ informed the meeting that HPC would have to obtain a licence from BCC before planting a tree on a public highway.  However, HM has such a licence so that might suffice.
 
Children's Centres – Bucks CC announced recently that it would have to re-run the consultation on the closure of the Children's Centres due to a legal challenge from a resident.  LD had written to Cllr Katrina Young but had not yet received a reply.
 
Community Governor at Widmer End School – No information available at the meeting.  Post-meeting note:  Stephen Thorpe reports that a likely candidate for the post has now been identified.
 
Annual Parish Meeting – Many of our residents attended this meeting on 25th April and LD gave a short presentation on WERA's activities during the past year.

4.    CORRESPONDENCE
 
Letter received from WDC confirming that the Wycombe District Local Plan had been submitted to the Secretary of State for an Examination in Public.  The letter confirmed that we are still on the Consultation Database to receive information on the Plan's progress.

5.    FINANCE
 
The financial position of WERA as on 30th April 2018 was:
 
           Current account     £4883.40
           Deposit account     £3131.34
           Total                      £8014.84
 
HM suggested an annual donation from WERA funds to Widmer End St Margaret's Cricket Club as an acknowledgement of WERA's use of the Pavilion for our monthly meetings.  All agreed to an annual donation of £100.00.

6.    REPORTS FROM COUNTY, DISTRICT AND/OR PARISH COUNCILLORS
 
Bucks County Council – In the absence of any BCC councillor, no report was available. 
 
Wycombe District Council – HM warned that new government guidelines for planning policy were making it increasingly likely that developers would win any conflict with planners, to the probable detriment to our local environment.
 
Regarding the future of District Councils in Buckinghamshire, it now seemed certain that they would be abolished in favour of either one or two Unitary Authorities.  A consultation was in progress.  Following discussion, LD was asked to write to BCC expressing a preference for two authorities, for north and south Bucks respectively.                         LD
   
Hughenden Parish Council – SJ reported that a request from Widmer End School for a grant toward the provision of high-visibility jackets could well be successful because this was not an item directly related to the school syllabus
 
7.    GRANGE ROAD BRIDLEWAY
 
HM , JM and LD had asked for this item to be included because of the damage being done to Grange Road by some 40-60 large, fast-moving lorries per day, which were damaging hedges, trees and verges.  Walkers and horse riders were sometimes intimidated by the intensive and inconsiderate use of these vehicles.  A meeting with WDC officers hqad been helpful in that the issues had been clarified and some solutions agreed on. 
 
8.    PLANNING
 
Terriers Farm – No further information.  HM urged the meeting to start thinking about developing a strategy for dealing with the impact of the new estate once it was built.                                                                                                   All

Local Plan – Inland Homes had 'jumped the gun' by setting up an exhibition at the Guildhall in High Wycombe outlining a plan for development of the Glynswood site.  Concern was expressed that such a plan might prejudice the Planning Inspectorate in favour of approving development of what was still, in our view, a contentious issue.
 
White House Farm – No fresh information, but WDC planners were apparently uneasy about the proposed demolition of this historic farmhouse.

9.    STREET ASSOCIATION
 
SJ reported on progress made at a recent meeting.  A map will be produced to show where the local Street Associations are active.  A scheme run by BCC involves pub lunches for elderly people, with a discount available for Street Association groups.
 
10.    WIDMER END NEWS
 
The copy deadline for the summer issue was fast approaching and more input was needed!
 
11.    ROADS AND TRAFFIC
 
MVAS (Movable Vehicle Activated Signs) – despite its recent repair, one of the machines was still giving trouble.
 
The red stripe across North Road marking a recommended  crossing point has still not been repainted! JM will chase TfB on this matter.                                                                                                                                                                                   JM
 
Community Speedwatch – SJ hoped that Lee Turnham would soon be seconded back to this area and would be able to restart this activity.  We could continue with Speedwatch without Lee but would need more voounteers.

12.    HUGHENDEN NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION GROUP (HNAG) / CRIME AND SECURITY
 
Nothing to report.

13.    VILLAGE HALL AND RECREATION GROUND
 
Full use was being made of the Village Hall, with no empty slots available.
 
A defibrillator would soon be installed outside the building.  Volunteers would be needed for training.
 
The rec. has recently been sprayed and fenced off, but is now back to normal.
 
14.    FORTHCOMING EVENTS
 
Saturday 8th June – High Wycombe Society Annual General Meeting, The Riverside (formerly the British Legion club), High Wycombe, 7.30 pm.

15.    FUTURE MEETINGS
 
6th June, 4th July (AGM), 5th September, 3rd October, 7th November and 5th December.
 
Unless otherwise stated, all meetings except the AGM will be held in the cricket pavilion behind the Village Hall, Grange Road.  Post-meeting note:  The AGM will be held in the Meeting Room behind the Church of the Good Shepherd on Georges Hill.

16.    ANY OTHER BUSINESS
 
LD spoke about the apparently derelict garages on Georges Hill, which have visibly deteriorated.  She would ask WDC to assess their condition once more.                                                                                                                                                   LD

                                                                       The meeting ended at 9.35 pm.