Parish Meeting Minutes

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF LONGWICK-CUM-ILMER PARISH HELD AT LONGWICK VILLAGE HALL ON TUESDAY 21ST APRIL 1998 AT 8.00 PM

Present: Mr B W Butler (Chairman) Cllrs Mrs D Brock Mrs P Priestley Mrs J Rogers Mr G Harper Mr M Lawrence and Mr I Walker Mrs S Whitworth (Clerk) and 2 electors of the Parish

1. INTRODUCTION The Chairman welcomed all those present and introduced himself, the clerk and all of the Parish Councillors. He went on to explain the aims and objectives of the meeting and outlined the agenda.

2. MINUTES The Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 8th April 1997 were read, confirmed and signed.

3. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT At last year's annual meeting, David Turner who is the Head of Policy and Economic Development at WDC, gave a presentation which included the possibility of 100 houses being built on land between the playing field extension and Boxer Road/Williams Way. At the request of the Parish Council and Pam Priestley, our District Councillor, David returned on 13 May at the start of the public consultation on the draft WDC Local Plan. He spoke about the 100 houses and also moving the sewage works from Princes Risborough to a site south-west of Longwick. This hall was full with a large overflow onto the balcony. No one spoke in favour of the proposed developments and WDC officers must have left the meeting knowing that the residents of this Parish were totally opposed. Following that meeting the Longwick Residents Action Group was formed to oppose the developments. The development proposals affecting our Parish were debated and strongly opposed at the Parish Council Meeting on 15 July. The Council's views were passed to WDC. These views were also made known to Wycombe District Councillors whenever the opportunity arose. Following the public consultation period, WDC officers assessed each proposed housing site against a series of criteria which included transport and public opinion. The value of the Longwick site performed badly in these respects, even with 50 instead of 100 dwellings. The WDC officers recommended it should not be included in the Deposit Local Plan to be published in the autumn. This recommendation was accepted by the WDC Planning, Environment and Transportation Committee at its meeting on 7 April, so Longwick is spared these houses in the period up to 2011. Thank you to the LRAG and all those who wrote opposing the scheme. The move of the sewage works from Princes Risborough is still included in the Local Plan. Thames Water are investigating using the existing Haddenham works. However, the building of works close to Longwick could still occur, but access will not be along Walnut Tree Lane. The Parish Council will watch developments. Personally, I will oppose any site close to Longwick. It is customary at this meeting to report on planning applications. During the last year, the Parish Council has considered 44 applications; it has objected to 6 and suggested conditions on 13. WDC as the planning authority, has given permission to 39 and refused 3 with 2 withdrawn. The Parish Council are aware of concern over safety on our roads, particularly the Lower Icknield Way and the Thame Road. Further road signs have been erected by BCC on the approach to the railway bridge, we hope this will reduce accidents near Wellington House. BCC have also recently altered the road junction by the Lower Icknield Nursery. The Parish Council will continue to try to find ways to make roads safer but the installation of many traffic calming measures is not possible as we do not have street lighting.

Mrs Jane Rogers has again organised the surveys of our footpaths, this will assist in keeping them in good order. The printing of our Parish Paths map, mentioned last year, has been delayed by administrative changes, we hope it will be produced before the Village fete on Saturday 2 May.

The Parish Council has continued to maintain and support village community facilities. The Village Hall Management Committee are to be congratulated on the maintenance of this valuable village facility. Mrs. Greaves who has for several years looked after the finances has resigned as the treasurer, anyone willing to take on this task should contact George Harper. The Sports Club and the Parish Council continue to maintain the playing field with contractors hired to make regular mowings. Last November, as in previous years, villagers left bonfire material in the playing field extension. Bonfires are not now held because of the fatal accident to a school headmaster in 1996. Please no more bonfire material. Dog fouling on our playing field has been a problem for many years. The Parish Council has now purchased 2 bins which have been installed on the playing field in an effort to eliminate the problem. On 1 March this year the Wycombe District Dogs (fouling of land) Order 1998 came into effect. This order was made under the Dogs (fouling of land) Act 1996 and contains provision for a fine of £1000 for offenders who do not remove dog excrement. This order affects three main areas within our Parish, the playing field and extension, and the grass areas at the junction of Chestnut Way and Thame Road and on the Walkers Estate. However, it also covers foot ways and grassed areas adjacent to foot ways of any highway where the speed limit is 40 mph or less. Last year I mentioned safety surfacing under the climbing frame in the play area, this was installed last May. We do not suffer much vandalism, however, I have to report damage to the fish rocker in the play area. We will attempt to repair this following the annual inspection of the play area equipment. The Parish Council is grateful to Briant's for supplying and erecting the fence around the Centenary garden trees at the entrance to the playing field. Last year we also spoke of obtaining a can bank. This was installed by WDC last November next to the bottle banks in the Thame Road lay-by.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has helped our Parish during the last year. In addition to those mentioned previously, thanks are due to Mr Peter Kerrod for sign writing the new Parish Notice board. I would also like to thank all Parish Councillors and Jim Maude who was our Clerk until the end of March, for their help and support during the last year.

4. PARISH ACCOUNTS & PRECEPT The Chairman placed before the Meeting a statement of the unaudited Parish Council accounts for the year ended 31 March 1998 and also announced that the Parish Precept for 1998/99 would be £7935, an increase of 3.5% on last year.

5. PAROCHIAL CHARITY ACCOUNTS

The Chairman advised the Meeting that only the accounts for the Princes Risborough Parochial Charity for the period ended 31 December 1995 were available and that many problems had been experienced by these charities, which were now slowly being resolved, and hopefully up to date accounts would be available soon.

6. QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Mrs Rogers stated that although a local artist had agreed to work on the footpath map, the Highways Department would be unable to produce the final product for some time.

There was some discussion regarding the Millennium celebrations. The Chairman suggested setting up a subcommittee and asked all those present for any views or suggestions for a Chairman. Under the current precept, an allowance of £500 has been made available and a further precept could be made. WDC has written advising where further funding might be obtained. Mrs Brock mentioned making a video and the Chairman undertook to ask Alan Bairstow who made the LRAG video to attend the next Parish Council Meeting. It was agreed that the Millennium would be discussed at the next Village Hall Committee and that Mrs Priestley would contact Longwick School to ensure their involvement in the project.

Mr W Hill of Ingleside Thame Road Longwick, asked if the police ever activate speed traps in Longwick. This then prompted discussion of using the £3000 that has been allocated for Parish Council projects under the current precept for items such as traffic calming, footway lighting and fencing by the stream near the Scout Hut. Mr Hill asked if there were sufficient after dark pedestrian movements to justify footway lighting. The general consensus was there is not. It was agreed that traffic calming had the highest priority and to discuss that any traffic calming caused by the cycle route at the next Parish Council Meeting on 12 May.

Mr. Hill then asked if members of the public were allowed access to minutes of Parish Council Meetings, have an agenda to follow meetings and sit in an audible position. The Chairman replied in the affirmative to all three points and there being no further questions, the Chairman thanked all those present and the Meeting closed at 8.50 p.m..

[Initials: B. W. B.]

LONGWICK-cum-ILMER PARISH COUNCIL

**RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS - FINANCIAL YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH 1998**

[Initials: B. W. B.]

[Signature: B. W. Butler] 20 APR 99