Parish Meeting Minutes

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE PARISH HELD AT LONGWICK VILLAGE HALL ON 27th APRIL 1981 AT 8 PM.

PRESENT Mrs P Priestley (Chairman) Councillors Dr Bravery, Mrs Brock, Mr McIntosh, Mrs Warren, Mr Underwood Also present. Miss J Couper (W D Councillor), Mr Ellis (W D Housing Manager) Mr Agar (Clerk) and 10 members of the public.

Minutes The minutes of the annual meeting held on 28th April 1980 were read, confirmed and signed.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT The Chairman reported on the following matters which had been dealt with during the year.

Low cost/high density housing. At last year's meeting concern had been expressed that no low cost/high density housing was available for first time buyers or for elderly people wishing to move to a smaller house but wishing to stay in the area. Several people were finding the cost of maintaining and paying rates on a larger property than necessary a great burden. The PC had been aware for some time of a lack of such housing and in the past had pressed for a village plan which would be a guide for the way the village of Longwick might develop. BCC were unable to promise that such a guide would be available in the forseeable future due to the pressure on their staff and the project had to be dropped. The PC felt it would be most advantageous to know precisely what the need for such housing might be and if there were any way such a need might be met. According to the BCC Structure Plan this is a no growth area and any developement in the future must be only for local needs. The Planning Department of WDC was approached and they had also felt that it would be advantageous to have precise figures on Longwick needs. Accordingly the PC organised a survey of the whole of Longwick which amounted to some 321 questionnaires. The results were as follows:- To the question - did occupiers envisage a requirement for low cost/high density housing for themselves or their families in the next 5 years (the housing being for sale only) NO 166 YES 51

Concerning personal requirements the replies were as follows:-

The accomodation required was:

There were 3 requests for sheltered accomodation or housing association housing and some requests for more shops and better public transport facilities.

As a result of this there was an evident need for this type of housing. Mr Frost (WDC Planning Dept) when shown the result of the survey outlined some of the difficulities he could forsee viz. it would be difficult to restrict buyers to village families after the first occupation; it would be difficult to restrict any future developement of larger houses on land adjacent to a site developed for village needs. The ideal site would bea restricted one for some 10 to 12 bungalows which could not be developed any more at a future date. Such a site is difficult to find in Longwick. The last thing the PC wishes to see is a vast increase in the number of estates in Longwick but this situation might have to be faced in the future due to the pressure for building land. Longwick is surrounded by "white land" which is land restricted to agricultural use but does not enjoy the same protection as green belt. There is pressure for extra housing in South Bucks, but at the moment planners assure us we are protected by the Bucks Structure Plan from growth above and beyond our village needs. There is some fear the Minister might over-ride this on appeal. The PC feels that having done the survey it must be on the lookout for suitable land but must firmly oppose unwanted or unneeded developement.

Planning Applications. During the year the PC had been consulted on 41 applications and 41 results had been received. The PC was not always in agreement with the decisions given.

Conservation Areas. The PC has for some time been aware of the need to maintain the character of the area, especially in view of the recent relaxation of planning restrictions and had approached WDC with the intention of getting Horsenden, Meadle, Ilmer and Owlwick made into Conservation areas. This would mean then would be greater restraints on demolishing houses and cutting down trees. Initial work had been done by WDC on all except Owlswick and the PC was pressing for similar plans to be drawn for Owlswick. The PC was also concerned about old and interesting buildings in the Parish and a list was being compiled. It was felt this work should be undertaken as the last time listed buildings was reviewed was in 1947. The DoE would consider represent-ations made to them.

Bell Crescent site. The hedge had been laid at a cost of £100 and Mr McIntosh was cultivating and seeding the area prior to it being taken over by WDC.

Dorrells Road Footpath. Ever since the size of the School playing field had been increased and the path across the field closed much damage had been done to the fencing. The PC had been appraoched by the Schoolmaster to see if it would be possible to route a footpath along the ditch. The PC had approached BCC and at the moment negotiations were going on to find some terms agreeable to both parties so the work could go ahead.

WDC Lottery. Longwick had been fortunate in the grants made by the WDC Lottery fund. £400 had been received for safety matting and £400 for new playground equipment; further grants were to Sports Club £250; Netball Club £40; Junior football Club £285; '60' Club £35; Playgroup £75; Village Hall £200 subject to a similar contribution from the PC (this was being discussed by the Village Hall committee).

Sundry Village matters. Further matters taken up with WDC and BCC were: Bell Crescent/Chestnut Way junction had been levelled The Police were keeping random speed checks in the village A sign for the Boxer Road Estate saying "Leading to Barn Rd and Williams Way" had been requested. The Electricity Board were to put white slats around the pole on the pavement at the junction of Boxer Rd and Chestnut Way after a recent accident there. The Duke of Wellington wall was being rebuilt but the Brewery would not realign it to improve visibility. The puddle at Blenheim Terrace was to be filled in.

The Cleansing Dept had been contacted concerning rubbish left at the cesspit emptying point at Meadle.

Finance. A statement was handed round showing how the precept of £564 had been spent. The 1981/82 precept had been kept down to the product of a 0.4p parish rate as before.

Questions: Concerning the mobile tea waggon at the Thame Road layby, the Environement Health Officer was satisfied this was in order from a health point of view and no planning application was now required.

HOUSING IN THE WYCOMBE DISTRICT AREA.

Mr Ellis opened his talk by giving the following statistics:

WDC housing stock 12 000 valued at £220 000 000 Housing account expenditure Management £1 000 000 Maintainance £2 500 000 Interest £7 500 000 £11 000 000

Housing account income Rents £6 250 000 Govt grant £3 700 000 Sales etc £2 200 000

Housing account profit £1 100 000 past balance £1 000 000

House waiting list 2209 (all meet criteria of 3 years residence and not living in self contained accomodation)

Houses sold 11 000

Maintainance jobs requested 35 000 in year completed 36 000 in year in hand 5-6 000

He explained the District was divided into 7 areas with a manager for each. The rents outstanding for the past year was under 2%, a very good record. The current plan was for public authorities to build only in competition with private builders. WDC had enough building land available for the next 5 years or so but funds for council building for rent were very limited. WDC had a duty to provide housing for those who could not afford to buy expensive houses and two schemes were available although were largely untried. The schemes were:

Joint venture schemes where WDC used its land to interest private developers. WDC control only extended to first time occupiers. Shared ownership schemes. where WDC makes land available to private developers and houses were controlled by WDC for the first occupier who could purchase part of the house and pay rent on the other part. Both schemes did not give WDC control of occupier beyond the first occupier.

In reply to questions Mr Ellis confirmed the WDC building was all in High Wycombe and none was available in rural areas. WDC would have a role in aquiring land for building in rural areas if it were available and finance could probably be found by WDC.

The Chairman thanked Mr Ellis for his very interesting talk and replies to questions.

LONGWICK PLAYING FIELDS ASSOCIATION

Dr Bravery referred to the February Newsletter which gave the background to the years activities. He said the safety matting would be put down as soon as weather conditions permitted and the new climbing frame would also be erected where the swingboat had been. He explained that a maintainance contract had been entered into for the inspection of playground equipment by competent persons. Expenditure had been incurred on turf dressing, gang mower maintainance, grants for equipment to the junior cricketers and footballers etc. Income had been derived from the grants already referred to, from the draw which realised £170 and from private donations. He referred to the fete to be held on June 20th jointly with the PTA which should be a great occassion as a noted balloonist and a round the world flier would be demonstrating ballooning.

The Chairman thanked Dr Bravery.

Mr Underwood proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman which was received with acclamation.

The meeting closed at 9.30 pm.

[Signature: P Priestley] 26.4.82.

LONGWICK-CUM-ILMER PARISH COUNCIL

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS

1 APRIL 1980 TO 31 MARCH 1981