Widmer End Residents’ Association  

DRAFT MINUTES 
of the meeting held on Wednesday 5th September 2018
 in the Community Room of the WE Cricket Club
 
Present: Linda Derrick (LD) (Chairman), Ian Guy (IG) (Secretary), Dan Fairless (DF), Beryl Guy (BG), Stan Jones (SJ), Ann McCarthy (AM), John Marchant (JM), Pauline Smith (PS) Stephen Thorpe (StT), Shona Tucker (ST), Catherine Wetherell (CW) and David Winterburn (DW).
 
1.    APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were received from Jasia and John Hatt, Hugh McCarthy, Carole Odell,  Harry Russell and Marianne Tyler.
 
2.   MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 6th JUNE 2018
 
Under item 3, Matters arising, 3rd para, Roadside trees, the last line should read: “plant some trees.”  

Under item 9, Widmer End News, the second sentence should read “Several members commented on the brilliant cover picture.”  

Under item 12, Village Hall and Recreation Ground, the text should read: “Plans were afoot to replace six litter bins.  The total cost was estimated to be about £2000, including anchoring to the ground and regular emptying.”  

With these corrections, the minutes were confirmed as a true record and a copy was signed by the Chairman.
 
3.   MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 4th JULY 2018  

These minutes were provisionally approved.  Final confirmation awaits the 2019 AGM.

4.    MATTERS ARISING
 
Neighbourhood Watch  (NHW) – IG had contacted Geoff Pegg with a view to starting a scheme covering the top end of Brimmers Hill.  SJ reminded the meeting that coordinators have to be registered.  

Roadside trees – The meeting approved LD's submitting a proposal to HPC asking for funding to enable trees to be planted on roadside verges in Widmer End.  The proposal would also contain a request for long-term maintenance and insurance cover. The Parish Clerk had emailed to clarify what needed to be attached to the proposal – bank statements etc. - before it could be considered first by the Finance & Policy Committee and then by the Full Council.  The F&P Committee will meet on 26th September and, if agreed, the proposal would go before the Full Council on 9th October.  

Children's Centres – The consultation mentioned in the June minutes will take place in October.  

Grange Road bridleway – Despite Hugh McCarthy's efforts, WDC has not responded to our request to restore this road to its original condition.  StT mentioned a big pothole; another problem is flash flooding after heavy rain, which JM said could be alleviated by planting trees on nearby WDC-owned land.  It is hoped that Hugh will be able to clarify who is responsible for maintaining the bridleway.

5.    CORRESPONDENCE
 
High-vis jackets – Kate Walker (KW) had written on 6th July to ask WERA for a donation toward the cost of high-visibility jackets for pupils at Widmer End School, to be worn on outside visits etc.  To avoid undue delay because of the summer holidays, LD had contacted those committee members who were available, and they had agreed to a donation of £156.62 (half the total cost) for this purpose.  KW has written a letter of thanks.

Planning – Emails have been received regarding White House Farm and 7 Brimmers Hill (see item 8 below).  

Chiltern Society – The Autumn issue of their magazine gave news of their AGM, scheduled for 6th October, which would include a debate on whether the Chilterns should be awarded National Park status.

6.    FINANCE
 
The financial position of WERA as on 30th June 2018 was:             

Current account     £4896.88           
Deposit account     £3131.71           
Total                         £8028.59  

The financial position of WERA as on 31st July 2018 was:             
Current account     £5464.26           
Deposit account     £3131.83           
Total                         £8596.09

The total includes a grant of £500 from Hughenden Parish Council.   The financial position of WERA as on 31st August 2018 was:             
Current account     £5656.26           
Deposit account     £3131.96           
Total                        £8788.22

7.    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 – In the absence of any WDC councillor, no report was available. 
 
Hughenden Parish Council – SJ reported on efforts to solve the problem of parking at Cryers Hill, especially at school arriving and leaving times.  Lorries will be charged for parking for over an hour on the verge laybys.   

Some unease was expressed over the problems that children's playgrounds were facing now that HPC had cut its funding for their upkeep.  JM described some changes that had been made to Widmer End playground to improve public safety, but acknowledged there were still some medium-risk items of equipment.  SJ outlined some possible sources of funding.

8.   PLANNING
 
Local Plan – LD had submitted, with Committee approval, a paper to the Public Inquiry that outlined WERA's views on the plan, with particular emphasis on the need to create communites, not just dormitories.  She reported on her verbal presentation to the inquiry, during which she was interrupted several times by the Inspector, but her views were echoed by others who spoke on behalf of their respective residents' associations.  A representative from Chepping Wycombe Parish Council was there, but no-one from Hughenden Parish Council.
 
Terriers Farm – No further information; the developers have not yet produced their own plan.   This and other sites were discussed at the Local Plan inquiry, with what LD described as an excellent presentation from Brands Hill Residents' Association.
 
Penelope Tollitt of WDC has stated that CIL money, paid as compensation for inconvenience caused by a new development, can be used to improve social infrastructure.  An example would be the continued use of the original Terriers Farm buildings as a social centre.
 
White House Farm – No new information.
 
7 Brimmers Hill, Brimmers Farm and Beechwood House – LD had attended a Parish Council planning meeting at which these applications, all located in Widmer End, were discussed.  She claimed that the committee seemed reluctant to take into account or even acknowledge any comments made by members of the public, in particular the concern that a bat colony might be living in the roof of 7 Brimmers Hill and would be disturbed by the proposed extension.  For this application the committee commented “No objection provided there is no intrusion on neighbours”.  The other two applications received the comment “No objection”.  (Post-meeting note: WDC has refused to grant planning permission for the 7 Brimmers Hill application.)

9.  STREET ASSOCIATION
 
A meeting had taken place at Naphill at which AM had emphasised the role of Street Association in keeping an eye on people who need guidance, particularly on how to recognise attempts to defraud them.  Neighbourhood Watch coordinator Geoff Pegg has recently received an award for his work in this respect.
 

10.   WIDMER END NEWS
 
The autumn issue was now at the printers.  Brown envelopes for donations would be included. 
 
11.   ROADS AND TRAFFIC
 
MVAS (Movable Vehicle Activated Signs) – JM reported that a faulty machine had been repaired.  The MVASes were recording traffic flows of up to 2400 vehicles per day along North Road.
 
Repainting of the red stripe across North Road marking a recommended crossing point is scheduled to be done in September.
 
Community Speedwatch – SJ reported on a Speedwatch carried out on Missenden Road, Great Kingshill, at which 50 vehicles were caught speeding.  Equipment is available at the Parish Office.
 
12.   HUGHENDEN NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION GROUP (HNAG) / CRIME AND SECURITY
 
There would be a meeting the following day, Thursday 6th September.
 
Here are the crime figures for Widmer End from 6th July to 6th ~September, as presented at the HNAG meeting the following day: 
 
              1 action fraud, cloned credit card; offence occurred out of area
              2 TMFV (???), Primrose Green; Transit van stolen with tools inside.
              1 theft of motorbike, Yew Tree Drive, later recovered.
 
13.   VILLAGE HALL AND RECREATION GROUND
 
The defibrillator has now arrived and is awaiting installation on the Village Hall wall close to the front door.  Training will be given once it is in place.

14.   FORTHCOMING EVENTS
 
Saturday 13th October – Widmer End St Margaret's Cricket Club Annual Awards Dinner, Cricket Pavilion and Village Hall, Widmer End.  Details from Laurie Johnson, 07519 999460 or email wesmcclub@aol.com.
 
Saturday 20th October – Grange Area Trust Quiz Night, Widmer End Village Hall, 7.00 for 7.30 pm.  Details from Lyn Marchant, 01494 713454 or email lynmarchant@btinternet.com.
 
Saturday 15th December – Ladies' Night Out, Widmer End Village Hall, 7.30 – 11.30 pm, organised by Widmer End, Four Ashes and Hazlemere Community Group (WEFAH). More details in Widmer End News, autumn issue, p.6.
 

15.   FUTURE WERA MEETINGS
 
Wednesdays 3rd October, 7th November and 5th December 2018.

16.   ANY OTHER BUSINESS
 
AM showed a photograph of the recently rediscovered war memorial for men of Widmer End who were killed in the First World War.  This is a wooden plaque which hung in the ex-Guide Hut when it was used as a church.  When the present shurch in Georges Hill was built the plaque could have been transferred there, but it wasn't.  It was hoped that the memorial could be updated to include the Second World War – AM is making enquiries – and a suitable place could be found to display it.
 
Best Kept Village competition – Widmer End has fared very well in its bid for the DeFraine Cup, gaining 93 points out of a possible 100. The judges had remarked that the Windmill Parade shop fronts were “much improved, with flower troughs and planters”.  DF was thanked for his efforts in achieving this compliment, and the meeting voted to donate a further £100 towards continued maintenance of the parade.
 
DF mentioned the detrimental visual effect of car parking around the estate, where the number of vehicles far exceeded the capacity envisaged in the original design. Could the NAG, or anyone, suggest a remedy?  Probably not.