Open Spaces Report 290525

 

CHEPPING WYCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL

OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE

Report of the meeting to be held on Thursday 29 May 2025 at 7.30pm at the Council Office, Cock Lane, Tylers Green, High Wycombe Bucks  HP10 8DS

 

 

Present:               Cllr L Webb (Chairman)                                 Cllr I Forbes                       

Cllr L Willis (Vice-chairman)                         Cllr S Guy                                            

                                Cllr J Gurney                                                      Cllr H Darch                                                                                                                        Cllr S Herron                                                       Cllr K Griffiths

 

Also present:  Mr R Read (P & TG Residents’ Society)

 

Before the meeting started Cllr Webb thanked members for their support and also Cllr Willis for his mentorship.

 

OS/25/001           Apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received and approved from Cllr D Johncock, Cllr L Johncock (holiday), Cllr K Wood (holiday) and Cllr L Townsend (meeting).

 

OS/25/002           Declarations of members’ interests in Items on the agenda

Cllr Forbes declared and personal interest in agenda item 11 Accounts for Payment being in receipt

of an expenses payment.

 

OS/25/003           Delegated Action

Members were asked to note that since the last meeting in January the following delegated actions had been taken:

 

Ordered – King’s Wood – fell Beech with large wound on property boundary                         £950.00

Replacement of height barrier Cock Lane car park                                                                              £450.00

Ordered – Annual Play Inspection RoSPA                                                                                               £500.00

 

OS/25/004           Allotments

Members were asked to note that there are currently 14 people on the waiting list for Ashley Drive and 9 on the waiting list for Chapel Road.  There were no current vacancies on either site.

 

1 Fence Ashley Drive Allotments

Members were asked to consider a claim made against the grounds team.

 

A resident who backs onto Ashley Drive allotments advised that ivy was growing over her fence and encroaching on the shed at the bottom of her garden.  The grounds team attended and removed the ivy from the fence and the roof of the shed. The resident is claiming that damage has been caused to her fence and shed by the grounds team.

 

Following up the resident’s claims with the team – the ivy was, in fact, encroaching from her neighbour’s garden and possibly helping to hold the fence up. The fence posts were found to be rotten, and the fence was generally in a poor state of repair.  The shed roof was left intact following the ivy removal. 

 

Members were asked to approve the next course of action.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

the claim for a damaged fence and shed be refused.

 

2 Allotment Competition

Members were asked to consider a date for the allotment competition and two members of the committee to undertake the judging.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

Cllr S Guy and Cllr K Griffiths were approved as the two judges for this year.  Cllr Webb would send through the criteria used for last year’s judging and the clerk would send through maps.  Date for the judging was approved for Saturday 5 July 2025.

OS/25/005           Derehams Lane Recreation Ground

Members were asked to note that the surveys had been completed, and we are now waiting for the completed Ecology Survey.  A bat survey revealed that no bats were present in the buildings on site. The hold-up had been the survey on the great crested newts; however, water samples had taken from a neighbouring pond on 8 May so results should be available shortly.

 

Members were asked to receive a short update from Cllr Webb who advised that the working party had agreed an indicative layout which in        clude new tennis courts on the site of the existing MUGA, a new building for changing facilities and a community building extra car parking and the tracks

 

                                Once a planning application has been finalised costings will be obtained.

 

OS/25/006           Tylers Green Common

1  Tracks

Members were asked to consider a request from residents of Track 6.  A more permanent solution was being requested however, our solicitor who is an expert on Village Greens has advised the following .. ‘it is a criminal offence to drive on a village green, park on a village green and encroach upon or damage a village green by, for example, digging it up or covering it with tarmac or similar surfacing material.’

 

Some of the residents along the track would be willing to contribute and would appreciate a meeting on site with councillors to discuss the current situation and possible improvements.

 

The Track Policy was appended to the agenda as a refresher and an introduction to the tracks for new councillors.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

A small meeting with residents would be undertaken on the Site Visit to discuss possible options for the surfacing of the track.

 

2 Footpath

Members were asked to consider a request made via the Penn & Tylers Green Football Club to extend the path from the pond along the School Road side of the Common The above quote from our solicitor must be kept in mind when making any decision about covering the grass.

 

Mr Read highlighted the need for the path from the pond to the bus stop and then along Scool Road to assist children crossing the road o the First School.  He asked for clarification on the views of the Football Club.  The clerk advised that the Football Club had emailed in on behalf of a couple of residents.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

Any decision on the extending the footpath would be deferred to the Site Visit.

 

It was noted that Cllr Darch, being a past Governor, volunteered to contact the headteacher at the First School to get the school’s view on the path extension.

 

Mr Read thanked the meeting and left at 8.03pm

 

OS/25/007           Tree Work

Derehams Lane Recreation Ground:

Members were asked to consider the quotes for Conifer removal to the boundary of properties on Derehams Avenue.  Conifers to be clear felled and wood to be stacked in habitat piles.

 

Quote A                               £2,400.00

Quote B                                £2,600.00

 

It was RESOLVED that;

Quote A be approved and ordered.

 

 

 

OS/25/008           Biodiversity Strategy- Key Areas of Focus

Following the last committee meeting in January when members considered and approved the document produced by Cllr Webb, members were now being asked to consider the next steps aligned to the key area of focus.  John Shaw from the Chiltern Rangers has sent through his ideas for consideration which were appended to the agenda.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

• The parish council would contribute towards a River Wye Clean and Dip session at Boundary Road Recreation Ground in the summer. The event would also be funded by the High Wycombe Community Board under the banner of ‘Pride of Place Love our Wycombe, Love our World’.
• The item on grey squirrels was rejected.
• The item on bird boxes the parish would contribute towards this initiative but this would be place with the schools.

 

OS/25/009           Railway Land Bank Survey

Members were asked to consider the survey undertaken upon request looking at the bank stability. 

 

Options discussed in the survey to assist with the bank stability;

 

• Terracing
• Vegetation – shrub planting
• Mulching – adding soil to the surface of the bank
• Erosion control blankets
• Pollarding/removal of unstable trees along bank
• Interceptor drain on the upslope to minimise surface erosion

 

Members were asked to approve the next course of action.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

the priority was for tree removal along the bank, the clerk was asked to proceed with quotations for the work.  Once this was completed Core Technical would be asked to come back to resurvey the area.  Alongside the tree removal the clerk be asked to investigate the cost of an interceptor drain.

 

It was noted that signs along the site would be checked.

 

OS/25/010           Committee Site Visits

Members were asked to consider a date for the site visit.

 

Sites on the list so far were:

 

• Tylers Green Common – tracks
• Railway Land
• Site relating to the Biodiversity Strategy

 

Members were asked to make further suggestions.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

The date for the Site Visit would be Monday 23 June starting at 10am.  Sites agreed for the visit were;

• Tylers Green Common – tracks and footpath
• Railway Land
• Boundary Road Recreation Ground
• Derehams

 

 

 

OS/25/011           Committee Finances

1  Income & Expenditure

Members were asked to note the income and expenditure for month 1 (April) .

 

OS/25/012           Questions from committee members and the public

There were none.

 

OS/25/013           Accounts for payment

Accounts for payment were circulated at the meeting for consideration by councillors.

 

It was RESOLVED that;

the accounts for payment be approved and cheques numbered 11446 to 11449 be signed and that direct debits to Castle Water, Clear Business, HMRC, Peninsula Business Services, Short Group Ltd and SSE along with Bank Transfers to Aviva, Briants of Risborough, Cutting Edge Garden Machinery, Cllr Forbes, Hawes Plant Tool Hire Ltd, Iris Software Ltd M&C Carpet Co Ltd, Penn & Tylers Green Football Club, SSE and Mrs W Thompson also be approved for payment.

 

 

The chairman thanked members for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8.36pm

 

 

 

 

Date and time of next meeting:  Tuesday 9 September 2025 @ 7.30pm