We share the general disappointment that a route through the Chilterns has now been confirmed. However the Government's announcement of an extended green tunnel past Wendover is an important step forward for the village. It should provide a significant improvement compared to the original proposal. However we do need time to consider the detail of this proposal. There will be many issues to be discussed with HS2 Limited as the situation develops and we will continue to press for the best possible outcomes for Wendover.
I am pleased to present this report on the main events in a busy and productive year for The Society.
HS2 remains the biggest threat to the character of Wendover. We submitted a robust and detailed response to the public consultation, drawing attention to the damaging effects on Wendover if the proposed route is approved. This covered many issues from the effects of noise on our community life style and health to the likely losses in property values. We also described the serious effects on local businesses that would result from the major reduction in tourism.
Our submission highlights the impracticality and cost of the proposed closure of Ellesborough Road and creation of a new diversion road that would take traffic out towards the bypass roundabout and then back into Wendover along South Street. We described the disruption that this proposal would cause to the village and to neighbouring areas. We also referred to a variety of other negative effects on communal life such as the visual impact of the line on our landscape and the need to relocate the Wendover Cricket Club's main ground.
We emphasised that if the route goes ahead the best protection for Wendover would be to implement the bored tunnel included in the HS2 Ltd line mitigation report of November 2010 but rejected by the Government. Our submission includes a detailed account of major cost savings that would result from constructing the tunnel, dramatically reducing its incremental cost. We are grateful to several qualified professionals who, without charge, provided expert evidence in support of our case. Much of our work has necessarily been conducted away from the public gaze. We are confident that the HS2Ltd team understands our position and that it will have been properly considered in the analysis of the consultation responses. We expect that further discussions will take place if the route is confirmed by the Secretary of State in January and if so we will continue to press our case strongly.
We have continued to monitor regularly all planning submissions that affect Wendover. We have responded to several during the year. The most significant of these was the proposal to develop a new car park, an amenity room and offices on Witchell. We opposed this plan strongly as being inappropriate development in that location and on the moral grounds that it was an infringement of the intentions of the donor of the land and the restrictive covenants. This proposal has now been withdrawn.
In December the Parish Council launched a consultation on 'Planning for Wendover's Future'. This was linked to the need to develop a new Vale of Aylesbury Plan, following the current Government's move from top-down planning principles to a bottom-up approach with the introduction of the Localism Act. The Society organised an open public meeting at very short notice to discuss the consultation. The previous plan had stated that Wendover could only sustain around 50 more houses. In our own submission we supported a similar position because almost all the undeveloped land in the village is either in the green belt or is part of the AONB.
The AGM and Dinner in February was well attended. Guest speaker John Byrne, Head of Planning at Aylesbury Vale District Council, spoke about District planning policy and issues relevant to Wendover.
In June our Jazz Picnic took place at The Grange by kind invitation of Sally Turner. Her generous hospitality was much appreciated by around a hundred guests on a glorious sunny day.
The Harvest Supper in October was full to capacity. John Morris, Director of The Chiltern Woodland Trust, gave a fascinating presentation on the treasures of our woods and the way they are managed.
Membership is around 400. We aim to ensure that our membership is representative of the village and that we are able to represent your views. We have been looking for ways to be more interactive with all our members. We now publish newsletters from time to time, aim to keep the website up to date and sometimes poll our members for opinions on issues. Often we only have a short time to do this and have to rely on the use of email. Please do make sure that we have your email address so that you can make your own voice heard. Email also saves us a great deal of money compared to the soaring cost of postage. We have introduced a new simplified membership and subscription structure, details of which have been sent to all members. This means that for one payment members can enrol anyone in their household of voting age for no extra charge.
We continue to improve the eco-structure of the Purssell Path. This year we completed the felling of the ash trees behind the houses in Water Meadow Way, other trees deemed unsafe or overhanging the path were also removed. Combined with this, we began some active management along the Path including clearance of ivy and old wood to allow in more light and enable planting of new shrubs. This work is being undertaken in sections and will continue in future years. This should increase the range of habitats and encourage new growth. We are organising work parties on Sundays in January 2012. We have now erected a sign at the beginning of the Path explaining our ownership.
During the Spring we purchased and installed a planter on the Manor Waste to replace a tree that had to be removed previously. We would like to thank all those who helped in this process including the team at 2 Pound Street who have taken on the regular watering of the small tree and plants. We are also grateful to the Parish Council for funding the fixing of the planter and the new paving.
Other activities Included:
We were deeply saddened by the death of this most generous and inspiring friend of the village and Honorary Life Member of The Society. He is missed by all and we may never see his like again.
Alan Myers resigned as Vice-Chairman in February and we thank him for his service to the Society. Mike Beard was appointed to that role. Carol Clark resigned as Chairman in May due to the amount of time she has to spend overseas on business. Our profuse thanks are due to Carol for her splendid work for Wendover and The Society during her period in office. Mike Beard was appointed chairman in May. Subsequently we co-opted Rachel Kingston and Laura Ferguson to fill vacancies on the Committee. They are both already making a strong contribution. David Whitaker will be resigning as Secretary after our AGM. He has held what is probably the toughest job on the Committee for five years and has carried it out with remarkable skill. His advice, based on great experience and knowledge, will be missed. We are fortunate that Committee Member Graham Watts is willing to fill this position and are confident that this will be an equally successful appointment. I know that members will want me to record our thanks for a year of effective teamwork to those already mentioned as well as Treasurer Bob Lewis, Vice-Chairman Simon Griffiths and Committee Member Jonathan Seabrook. Your Committee wishes in return to thank our members for the great support you have given to The Society's activities in 2011. Please could everyone try to recruit one new member in 2012.
Mike Beard, Chairman December 2011
Whilst the Society's overriding priority continues to be to seek to reduce the potential impact that HS2 would have on Wendover, we are also greatly concerned at the closure of several premises, especially those in the High Street, and would encourage members and their families to do what they can to support our local traders.
However, there are a number of other developments, some potentially worrying, and we continue to monitor all planning applications, and where appropriate supporting members' concerns and working in concert with the Parish Council to challenge those applications we consider undesirable and supporting those we believe have merit.
Current issues include those listed below:
After the Government's decision to scrap the existing South East Plan, and to give District and Parish Councils together with local community groups a greater say in deciding what new developments take place in their areas, AVDC are developing a new Vale of Aylesbury Plan that will guide development for the next twenty years. Following a public consultation at the end of last year, plus inputs from town and parish councils, they are now honing their views on the number of jobs and houses that might be require and where these might be found. The Society will continue to be involved in such discussions.
We were concerned that whilst AVDC were rolling out the development of their own plans, Wendover was in danger of being behind the loop. Accordingly, we called a public meeting on 15th December last year to help raise awareness and encourage a good response to the Parish Council's own consultation. In the event, the size of the response to the consultation was above average and has enabled Wendover Parish Council to produce a well presented contribution. It argues for minimum housing development, support for local enterprises, and the extension of much needed services such as Village centre car parking and leisure facilities on the ex Princess Mary Gate site. We welcome and broadly support this approach.
Some time after April, when the Localism Act comes into effect, the Parish Council will need to decide whether they should develop a "Neighbourhood Plan" which will involve a certain expense but which will offer a much greater chance of securing its own wishes against possible predatory development.
AVDC have approved their proposed modifications to the Wendover Conservation Area. The Area has been extended to the south by including the Parish Church and Wendover House School plus the open spaces of the Witchell Ground, Rope Walk Meadow, Hampden Meadow and Hampden Pond, an area which contains the likely location of the original village of Wendover. Several small plots no longer considered to be of special historic character or architectural interest have been removed from the Area. We were supportive of the proposals and are pleased at their acceptance.
An application on behalf of the owner to demolish the little that remains of Brook House and build 5 new dwellings on the site was rejected by AVDC in October 2010. No subsequent application has yet been published, but we and others will continue to carefully monitor the situation.
A second application for change-of-use for the bookshop to become part of Smile Dental Practice has been approved. We were originally against the proposal, but reviewed our position in the light of evidence from the Wendover Chamber of Trade & Commerce of the current difficult trading environment and the resulting effect on Wendover's High Street and its businesses. As a result, we did not oppose the Change of Use.
Application to open a coffee shop in the former Barclays Bank building was refused by AVDC . We canvassed the opinions of those of our members who gave us their e-mail addresses. 85% of the replies opposed the idea of another coffee shop in Wendover and AVDC refused the application.
A planning application was made by the owner of the former World's End Public House for permission to use the 10 parking spaces on the site for selling second hand cars. Although the premises are being used legitimately for the sale of garden ornaments and other items, no permission has been granted for the sale of cars. We do not think that such an extension to the use of the site will do anything but further detract from the appearance of this approach to Wendover. We therefore wrote to AVDC opposing the application and they turned it down last November.
The Purssell Path used to be part of the old railway that ran to Halton and it was given to the Society in 1994 by Mrs Enid Farrow. Bucks CC drew up a Management Plan in 1995 for the long-term maintenance of the path, essentially proposing to provide a clear path 2 m wide, safe from dangerous trees and branches, as well as
Other than keeping the path clear and safe, it has had little or no real management and as a result, most of the land is dark. Trees and shrubs are old and blocking out most of the light, which limits the range of species that can survive and the dominant ones such as ivy have taken over.
Along with the felling of the ash trees behind the houses in Water Meadow Way in 2010/2011, other trees deemed unsafe or overhanging the path were also removed. Combined with this, some active management along the Path has been undertaken each year in sections and will continue in future years. This should increase the range of habitats and encourage new growth.
If you are interested in helping, contact Jonathan Seabrook on 01296-623286 or email jseabrook@talktalk.net