Archived press releases for year 2004

A FEW WORDS FROM OUR CHAIRMAN

First of all, many thanks to all of you who have applied for membership of the FHRA and for the many generous contributions to our funds. Our new Membership Secretary - Barbara Grierson - has been overwhelmed with forms and cheques but will issue membership cards as soon as she can. Meantime, I urge all of you who have not yet applied to do so as soon as possible so that our Association can be seen to truly represent the views of the entire community. Application forms were included with the latest Parish Council newsletter and I would like to thank the Scouts for getting those distributed throughout the village. Spare forms can be obtained from the Library or from Committee members - see below.

There may be some confusion about why we need a Residents Association at all when we already have a Community Association ? The fact is that the constitution of the Community Association basically constrains their activities to the running and maintenance of the Community Centre. On the other hand, the constitution of the Residents Association has been specifically written to allow us to represent the village at meetings with local councils and other government agencies to “promote the preservation, development and improvement for the public benefit of the character and amenities of the village”. This is all part of the government’s Appraisal Scheme to give people more say in local decision making and I am sure that most residents feel that our views often go unheeded ! Joining our Association is one way to ensure that your opinions get heard in the right places - so please join today !!

4TH DECEMBER - XMAS DECORATIONS AND CABARET

Join us outside the Community Centre from 5.00pm for tea, coffee and mince pies. There will be a short dedication from the Rev. Bull and then the winners of the kids Christmas colouring competition will be invited to help switch on the Christmas tree lights. This will be followed by carols around the tree.

Then starting at 8.00 pm that evening in the Community Centre, be entertained by musicians, singers and a magician at our first ever family cabaret. Tickets £5 for Adults and £4 for Children on the night or £1 discount if brought in advance from Unit 4.

POLICE MATTERS

“Beat Bobby”. The lack of regular, visible policing in the village continues to be a major concern for many of us. It is interesting to note that a recent survey by the Beaconsfield Conservative Party has shown that 70% of their respondents want to see a “Bobby” on the beat again. This reaffirms our own assessment and is why we have been campaigning for our own beat policeman for nearly 2 years. As you may have read in the local Press recently, a similar campaign in Bourne End seems to have born fruit. That said, the Thames Valley Police continue to see Flackwell Heath as a low crime area and it is therefore vital that all crimes are reported to them if we are to change that perspective. Meantime, we continue to press our District Councillors to ensure that our village receives the same treatment as Bourne End.

“Beat Surgeries”. The first of these on 26th October was not well attended perhaps because of the lack of timely advertising. By the time you read this, a second surgery will have been held on 25th November and we hope that this has proved more successful. As mentioned above, it is key that we use these opportunities to meet with PC Peter Hearmon and to get our concerns across. If we don’t, the surgeries will stop and nothing will change for the better. Dates for future surgeries are: Thursday 13th January 2005 and Thursday 17th March 2005

Crime Reporting. For serious crime, telephone 999.
For reports of non serious crime, call 08458 505 505 - Just remember SOS SOS.

Illegal Parking. We know that parking in many parts of the village is a nightmare but we implore you to be considerate to other members of the community by resisting the urge to park on double yellow lines, at intersections and on pavements. The Police will respond if members of the public complain about vehicles causing an obstruction but this simply distracts them from dealing with more serious crime. Please Park Politely !

YOUTH MATTERS

There’s Nothing For Us To Do !! What a cop out that is !!!

The Youth Group has done everything it can to find out what our kids want and to help organise events for them. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that some of the teenagers just don’t want to get involved. Well unless the youngsters grasp the initiative, the Youth Group will simply give up and look for more rewarding pastimes. We want to help but the teenagers need to help themselves too ! So our message to all of them is stop bleating and do something for yourselves !!

Meet Pam Mannering, Pauline Gibson and Queenie at the Methodist Church Hall on Friday evenings from 7.30 pm and make a difference !!

Also join Pam for free Pool from 6 to 7 pm every Thursday in the Royal Legion Hall, and Pauline each month for 10-pin Bowling at Daws Hill - see notice boards for details.

PLANNING MATTERS

Planning Applications. While we await the announcement about redevelopment of the A&W College site, there has been much to keep our Planning & Environment group busy ! We understand that applications for redevelopment of 22, 24 & 26 Chapel Road, and 56 Straight Bit have been turned down by WDC Planning Officers although further modified applications can be expected in due course. Proposals have also been submitted for an extension of the temporary licence to operate the Scramble Bike track near Abbey Barn Road and for the installation of a wind turbine at Carrington School; objections are currently being considered. The redevelopment of the house adjacent to the war memorial on the Common is also attracting serious criticism. Our District Councillor - John Savage - has been extremely vocal about this potential blot on the landscape but is currently being rebuffed by the WDC Planners. We and we will try to keep you advised of the outcome of these submissions.

Village Design Statement. The fact is that, with government targets for new residential accommodation, additional houses will be built on existing plots within Flackwell Heath unless we are prepared to see further erosion of green-belt areas. That said, the planning process for redevelopments within the village could be made much more efficient and effective were developers to be made aware of what was and was not acceptable to residents. That way, the village could evolve in a controlled manner that ensures its character remains largely unspoiled and that new developments are in keeping with their surroundings. To that end, the Parish Council has agreed to help develop what is termed a Village Design Statement (VDS) that can then be adopted by WDC. We will need to consult and gain the overall support of residents on the content of the VDS before WDC will consider its adoption. We aim to have the VDS ready for submission to WDC by June 2005. If you would like to take an active part in this work, please contact Dave Johncock or Phil Hammond.

The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Steering Committee e-mail address below.

Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library.

Alternatively, you can write to us care of Unit 4, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, Bucks HP10 9BN

ILLEGAL PARKING OUTSIDE BUDGENS

Contrary to the Editor’s comments in the last Grapevine, it was not a member of the Residents Association that was involved with the moving on of disabled drivers outside Budgens. Although parking on double yellow lines is illegal and anti-social the FHRA are not vigilantes. It is the duty of the local police to enforce the law and this is why we keep pressurising TVP to provide an increased presence. The Editor has agreed to withdraw the accusation in this month’s issue.

PUBLIC MEETING 12 OCTOBER

There was a good turnout for the Public Meeting under the Appraisal Scheme and lots of useful suggestions and comments were received. These are being analysed by June Churchill, Grass Roots Co-ordinator, WDC and we will provide a full report in the next edition. We would like to thank all those who attended for their positive support. It was clear that planning and policing are major areas of concern and will continue our efforts in these areas. Please see below on our new crime monitoring scheme.

The Chair highlighted the need for members to join the Association even in a passive role in order that the Committee can be formally elected and so that we be seen to represent the views of the community rather than just the Committee. Letters will be sent to every household over the coming month asking residents to join. All that said, we still need more active support from residents even if they can only afford a few hours a month. The Youth, Fund Raising and Planning Groups are desperately short of helpers. We also continuously need financial support in order to fund future community projects, for example the proposed flower beds and hanging baskets.

A copy of the Constitution is now held in the Library and will be posted on the Flackwell Heath website. The Library has also kindly agreed to maintain a folder of up to date information on the Residents Association.

The Chairman asked people to indicate whether they agreed that we should undertake a fund raising campaign to purchase the Temperance Hall for the community. There was little support for this proposal and, therefore, we do not intend to actively pursue the matter.

POLICE MATTERS

Crime Reporting. We wish to urge residents to report all serious crime to the Thames Valley Police by telephoning 999. For reports of non serious crime, residents should call 0845 8 505 505.

New Crime Monitoring Scheme. For some time, we have been aware that there are a considerable number of unreported incidents of crime, vandalism and anti-social behaviour happening in the village. We need as much information as we can to monitor this effectively. The Police and Traffic Group have therefore developed a new set of procedures that will be introduced from 1 st November 2004 . Once a crime has been reported to the Police, we would ask that residents also notify us by one of the following methods:

By E-Mail to: crime@flackwellheath.net or

Using a new crime report form which can be obtained from Unit 4 on the Straight Bit and left there for our collection.

Beat Surgeries

We are pleased to announce the commencement of Beat Surgeries at the Christ Church Hall from 7.30 to 9.00pm on the following dates:

Tuesday 26th October 2004

Thursday 25 th November 2004

Thursday 13 th January 2005

Thursday 17 th March 2005

This is your chance to discuss your concerns with our local beat policeman - PC Peter Hearmon - and we would urge you to take advantage of these opportunities.

In addition, the mobile Police Office will be in the village centre on Saturday 11 th of December 2004 and Saturday 19 th February 2005 late morning should this prove more convemnient.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

We are aware that plans are afoot to deploy PCSOs within our general area and we are endeavouring to find out if and when one might be allocated to the village. PCSOs are not attested constables and therefore lack the power of arrest. However, they provide a uniformed official presence and will work with community organisations to address anti-social behaviour, the fear of crime and environmental issues, including vehicle obstruction. Thus they could be of great benefit to our community and we will campaign to ensure that we get a fair bite of the cherry.

YOUTH MATTERS

10 Pin Bowling . Arrangements have been made for bowling at Daws Hill but support has been patchy. Please ensure you make your youngsters aware that, if they do not take advantage of this opportunity, we may well lose the booking slots to other youth organisations.

Pool at The Legion . Arrangements have also been made for our kids to use the pool tables at the Legion Hall on Thursdays from 6pm – 7pm . Tell you kids to just turn up and have fun !!

Youth Club at Methodist Hall. Queenie will welcome any potential new members on 5 th November.

Flackwell Heath Football Club. People may be unaware that under 14s can watch local matches free of charge.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

20 November 2004 Quiz Night

4 December 2004 Switch on Christmas Lights and Family Cabaret

12 March 2005 Horse-Racing Night

7 August 2005 Cherry Pickers Fayre

We still need acts for the Cabaret – if you are willing to participate please contact Ian Leeds - see below.

The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Steering Committee e-mail address below.

Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library.

Alternatively, you can write to us care of Unit 4, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, Bucks HP10 9BN

The Flackwell Heath Residents Committee has now been reconstituted as a formal Association and has applied for charitable status. Membership is open to all residents of Flackwell Heath over the age of 18 and leaflets will be posted to all households over the coming months giving full details. Application forms will also be available at the Public Meeting on 12 October.

By the time you read this we will have held our first Appraisal Scheme Meeting with local businesses and organisations but on the 12th October it will be your turn to give us your views on what is both good and bad about the village. This will commence promptly at 8pm in the Community Centre.

FOCUS ON YOUTH

The FHRA Focus Group needs more village youngsters to help arrange and publicise events for their age groups. Questionnaires have been issued asking local youth for their ideas. Meantime the Association hopes to be able to borrow the Council’s mobile skateboard park on a regular basis and also arrange regular bowling events at the Daws Hill. If interested contact Pam Mannering on 01628 525317 or email - see below.

In conjunction with this the FHRA is planning a series of fund raising events for worthwhile causes within the village. The first major event will be a family orientated Cabaret night in the Community centre on 4th December 2004 . Local artists and celebrities are needed to make this a worthwhile and enjoyable evening - budding performers should contact Ian Leeds – see below.

The cabaret night will follow the switching on of the Christmas Tree lights for which we urgently need donations. Contact Karen Williams – see below.

TEMPERANCE HALL

There have been numerous articles about the Temperance Hall and its possible future. If we are to retain this facility for community use, we will need to raise a considerable sum of money in order to purchase the property. Do you believe this would be a worthwhile cause and would you be prepared to donate money to a campaign? Please give us your views via the Planning and Environment Group – see below.

RECYCLING ISSUES

It has become apparent that not everyone is happy with the new composting initiative. The facts as we can ascertain them are that, as part of the overall WDC plan and in addition to the green “Wheelie” bins, more collections have been arranged from the re-cycling centres so that the plastic, cans, and bottle banks are emptied more frequently. The driver for these initiatives is the fact that the government intends to impose huge fines on councils who do not reach targets for reducing landfill tonnage. Furthermore, the government will raise the cost of landfill by £3 per ton on an exponential basis and it will be we the taxpayers who will ultimately bear these additional costs.

Whilst most of us probably recognise and support re-cycling initiatives, the fact is that the new green “Wheelie” bins have been issued as part of a 2 year trial. It is therefore vital that residents provide their comments back to the Wycombe Waste Department. Therefore, please write to Sally Wright at the council offices or call her on 01494 421454. Alternatively, you can fax her on 01494 421118.

The Flackwell Heath Residents Association would also be interested to hear your views via the Steering Committee e-mail address below.

Please note that if you don’t have your own PC, e-mail access is available at the library.

Alternatively, you can write to us care of Unit 4, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, Bucks HP10 9BN

HELP PLEASE !!!!

We desperately need more people to help us with our activities - even for just a few hours a month. We need extra volunteers to help with the Youth group and, now we have formed 2 new sub groups for "fund-raising" and "planning and environment", we need volunteers to get these groups really moving. All that we do is for the benefit of the community at large so, if you can contribute just a little of your spare time to make our village a nicer place in which to live and work, please call Dave Johncock on 01628 521495 or Pauline Gibson on 01628 523946.or contact us at one of the addresses shown below.

Communication With the FHRC.

Whilst we always provide a press release to Grapevine and the Bucks Free Press, don't forget that we also keep our village web-site up-to-date. We also intend in the future to add-in "news-flashes" as they occur. However, we would also welcome feedback from you. If you have any constructive thoughts and suggestions, please write to us at one of the following addresses:

Letter: C/0 Unit 4, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP10 9BN

If you let us have your e-mail address, we'll automatically send you updates as they occur.

Also keep an eye on the village web-site: www.flackwellheath.net

If you don't have a computer yourself, you can gain access to the net via a terminal installed in the Library.

Appraisal Scheme.

We had previously advised that the full Public Meeting would be held on 4th October 2004. For reasons beyond our control, it has been necessary to reschedule this to the 12th October and even this date is dependent on finding a suitable venue in the village to host 200+ people. We will keep everyone up-to-date but please put this new date in your diaries now !! A pre-meeting involving just local organisations and businesses will be held in the week commencing the 20th September in the Christ Church Hall commencing at 8pm. Letters and flyers will be sent out to confirm precise details but we urge you to support these meetings so that, jointly with the Parish Council, we can ensure that our community has some influence over local decision making. Collectively, we can make a difference !

Sub-Group News.

Youth. WDC arranged for the mobile skate-board park to be erected in Carrington School on 4th and 5th August and seemed to be popular amongst a wide age group. Unfortunately, publicity for the event could have been better and we would like to ask organisers of similar events to let us know dates and venues so that we can publicise them on our web-site and with flyers. We are planning to ask WDC to loan us the skate-board equipment on a regular basis. In addition, we are arranging for regular youth events to be held in the bowling alley at the Daws Hill air base. However, we need to know who is interested in participating and we urgently need you to contact Pauline Gibson (contact details above) or Pam Mannering via her FHRC e-mail address.

Christmas Decorations. Plans are being firmed-up for this year's event but we would like to make it better every year. To do this we need donations to help us buy additional decorations and pay for their installation and removal. Any amount no matter how small would be most gratefully received. . Please leave your donations at Unit 4; cheques made payable to "Flackwell Heath Residents Committee". Many thanks indeed.

Police & Traffic. Very regrettably, we have recently had a spate of serious anti-social behaviour in the village. As a result of pressure from our group, you will have noticed an increased police presence especially at weekends. Please make sure that any incidents of this kind are quickly reported to the police and our group leader so that we can "nip this in the bud" !!

Fund-Raising. We welcome Ian Leeds to our fold. Ian has kindly agreed to lead this group and is already planning a wide range of activities. We hope that we can rely on your support for what will undoubtedly be fun occasions. The first event will be a "Cabaret Evening" and this will be arranged before Christmas in the Community Centre. Any local performers who are willing to take part are asked to contact Ian at our new e-mail address "fund_raising@ flackwellheath.net" as soon as possible. More details of the event will follow soon.

Amersham & Wycombe College Redevelopment.

Our Chairman (Dave Johncock) recently met with District Councillors John Savage and Julia Langley to discuss a number of issues including the redevelopment of the A&W College site in Flackwell Heath. On this subject, they agreed to issue a joint statement to the Bucks Free Press as follows:

"There has been some misunderstanding of the issues regarding planning permission for the A&W College site. The Chairman of the Flackwell Heath Residents Committee (Dave Johncock) has met today (4th August 2004) with Councillor Mrs Julia Langley and Councillor John Savage to discuss a way forward for consultation on the developers detailed plans when they are submitted to Wycombe District Council. We have agreed that we will ensure that when the application is received, as wide a consultation programme will be undertaken to allow all interested parties to make their views known."

Dave was hoping to speak with the developers to establish an approximate date when they planned to submit their formal planning application. However, enquiries have revealed that there is no actual developer at present ! Moreover, the schedule of events hinges around A&W College finding a new site in High Wycombe. The only clear marker in the ground is that A&W want to move to their new premises by 2007. The expectation is that, once a new site has been found, A&W College will ask a number of developers to tender for the Flackwell Heath site. That will be when we need to take an active interest again.

Dave has agreed to keep his "finger on this pulse" and to alert everyone in the village once A&W College reach that stage. If you have email capability and would like updates as they occur, please forward your e-mail address to Dave at the address shown below and enter "College Update" in the subject line. Meanwhile, if you would like to voice your concerns, I am sure that Dave would like to hear from you.

BIG CHANGES FOR THE RESIDENTS COMMITTEE

Patron. It is with great pleasure that we can announce that the Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire - Ken Ross - has kindly agreed to be Patron for the Flackwell Heath Residents Committee. Both he and his wife Nancy have done much for Flackwell Heath over many years and we are privileged and honoured to have him as our Patron.

Formation of FH Residents Association. Following a meeting with the Parish Council in June to discuss the Government's Appraisal Scheme (see below), it has been decided that the FHRC needs to become a formally constituted body with charitable status. If we are to truly represent the views of our community, the Residents Association (as it will become known) need to recruit members from the residents of FH. Although your support is much needed and would be very welcomed, you would not have to become involved in the running of the organisation. However, you would be able to voice your opinions on all matters affecting village life. We will be circulating more information shortly and hope to hold our first Annual General Meeting in early November - date and venue to be confirmed.

Formation of New Focus Groups. In order to participate fully in the Appraisal Scheme, we need to establish 2 new interest groups; one dealing with "Planning and the Environment"; the other for "Fundraising". The issue of planning has come into sharp focus with the proposed redevelopment of the A&W College site. We desperately need volunteers to help on both these groups. If you can give even a little of your spare time, please contact us. We really need your help !!!

Committee Changes. It is with regret that Mark Walker and Lynsey Tyson have decided to resign from the FHRC. Mark (Chairman) and Lynsey (Christmas Decorations) were 2 of the founder members of the group and have put in a great deal of effort on behalf of the community. We hope you will join with us in thanking them for their notable contributions; they will certainly be missed ! We are pleased to welcome Dave Johncock to the Steering Committee as the new Chairman, Mike Scullion as our new Treasurer, and Karen Williams who will be organising this year's Christmas decorations

GOVERNMENT APPRAISAL SCHEME

Parish Council Meeting. We met with the Parish Council on 8th June and, subsequently, agreed to work with them on the implementation of the new Appraisal Scheme. The Parish Council will shortly write to all residents outlining the scheme and announcing a public meeting to be held on 4th October in the Church Hall. We urge you to attend this meeting if at all possible.

SUB GROUP NEWS

Youth Group. Our new team is now working hard to help provide additional facilities within the village for our kids. We know that many teenagers are frustrated by the lack of amenities and, amongst other ideas, we are looking for a central meeting place and at options for a skateboard park. Again, we are looking for more volunteers to help; please contact us are you willing to help ??!!

Police and Traffic Group. Our liaison with PC Hearmon is beginning to bear fruit and the police presence within the village has improved but we need to keep the pressure up if we are going to maintain, or better still improve, the service. Please call or e-mail PC Peter Hearmon if you have any general complaints about parking, speeding etc. His contact details are:

Tel: 01628 816930
E-Mail: peter.hearmon@thamesvalley.police.uk

Christmas Decorations Group. The Group has begun planning for this year's Christmas tree and street decorations.

Funding. We are seeking limited financial assistance from various sources but still need to raise monies for the Christmas Decorations and youth projects. Meanwhile, committee members are personally bearing all the costs of running our group and we would be most grateful for any contributions however small. Please leave your donations at Unit 4; cheques made payable to "Flackwell Heath Residents Committee". Many thanks indeed.

Contacts. If you would like to contact any member of the FHRC, please write to them "C/O Unit 4, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP10 9BN", or by e-mail at the following addresses:

General

Following the public meeting and our request for more helpers in the Grapevine, you will be pleased to know that we have now been able to set the wheels in motion for a new Youth Group to be formed which we know the villagers feel is a top priority. The FHRC have also recruited further people to join the Steering Committee, Police and Traffic Group, Decorations Group and are hoping to strengthen the Business/Shopkeepers Group. We are meeting later this month to discuss the way forward and especially to make a decision as to whether our Committee will join up with the Community Centre or form our own Residents Association.

However, to bring you up to date at a recent meeting between the Police and Traffic Group of the FHRC and PC Pete Hearmon of Thames Valley Police, the following issues were discussed

Illegal Car Parking in Old Kiln Road outside Budgens

Following complaints from residents and pressure from the Police and Traffic group parking tickets are to be issued by Thames Valley Police for anyone parking on double yellow lines in Old Kiln Road outside Budgens store. So be warned, the new measures will begin shortly!

Communication between Thames Valley Police and Residents

To improve communications between Thames Valley Police and our own residents, our village beat policeman PC Pete Hearmon wishes his contact details to be known and these are as follows:-

PC 1342 Peter C Hearmon, Marlow Police Station, Dean Street, Marlow, Bucks SL7 3AB
Tel: 01628 816930 Fax:01628 816921. E-mail: peter.hearmon@thamesvalley.police.uk

In addition Flackwell Heath Beat Surgeries are to be reintroduced, for individuals to raise local problems, with their local policeman.

Speeding in the Village

Complaints from residents about the speeding of cars up Treadaway Hill, and along Straight Bit were passed on to PC Hearmon and as a result speed detectors will be set up along the stretch of Treadaway Hill and the possibility of speed reduction signs painted on the road. The issue of speeding along Straight Bit towards the centre of the village, past the speed bumps, has been put on hold until the survey on the effectiveness of speed bumps is concluded. The results of this survey will be published shortly

The Toilet Block

The results of the questionnaire on what to do with the Toilet Block in the Recreation Ground, resulted in the following conclusions.

• A total of 150 completed questionnaires were returned.
  
  
• A large majority residents polled [60%] 90 out of 150 think the Toilet Block needs refurbishment, with improved security to ensure the toilets are not further misused
  
  
• 16 [11.4%] of residents polled were in favour of demolishing the Toilet Block completely.
  
  
• 50 [33.3%] of residents polled were in favour of demolishing the Toilet Block, resiting it and securing it better.
  
  
• The full report of the questionnaire, is available from the police and traffic group by Email :- Policing@flackwellheath.net. The full report has been submitted to the Parish Council for their attention.
  
  
• You will be pleased to know that since this report was submitted, we have heard that it is likely the Toilet Block is indeed to be refurbished, hopefully to the standard of the one in Bourne End , which recently won an award for Loo of the year.

Help!

We have also approached one or two organisations in order to try and raise funds for our work until we decide on our way forward, but in the meantime we are all personally bearing the expense of running the Committee and the administrative costs alone are quite considerable. Any contribution, however small, would be appreciated. If you feel you would like to help please leave your contributions in Unit 4 as before. Many thanks indeed. Cheques payable to Flackwell Heath Residents Committee.

Government's Appraisal Scheme

We have been invited to meet the Parish Council on 8 June to discuss the Government's Appraisal Scheme and will keep you updated on our role, if any, within this project in the next update.