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High Wycombe Town Committee - Tuesday, 24th June, 2025 7.00 pm

June 24, 2025 View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)
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Summary

The High Wycombe Town Committee met to discuss a vision for the town, review special expenses, and receive updates on market infrastructure and town centre development. Councillor Ed Gemmell was formally appointed as Chairman, and Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE was appointed as Vice Chair. The committee discussed a number of issues including community engagement, town improvements, and budget allocations, with a focus on collaborative efforts to enhance High Wycombe.

Vision for High Wycombe

Councillor Ed Gemmell, Chair of the High Wycombe Town Committee, presented a vision for High Wycombe, emphasising the need for community pride and unity to improve the town for all residents. He stressed that High Wycombe is already a great place, and the committee's role is to make it even better by working together, setting aside disagreements, and focusing on the collective good.

Key points of the vision included:

  • Community Engagement: Regular engagement with residents, including a town meeting to gather input and feedback.
  • Teamwork: Councillors and stakeholders should work together, leaving aside personal differences for the benefit of the town.
  • Leadership: The committee should provide leadership by setting a positive example and inspiring others.
  • Key Areas of Focus: The vision identifies several key areas for improvement:
    • Economy: Growing business and employment opportunities.
    • Environment: Creating a more resilient and sustainable town.
    • Infrastructure: Improving roads, parking, and other essential services.
    • Health and Education: Addressing health inequalities and improving educational opportunities.
    • Culture: Celebrating the town's history and diversity, and promoting community interaction.

Councillor Gemmell suggested forming working groups to focus on these areas, with the budget being used to drive the vision forward. He also proposed an away day for councillors and officers to build teamwork and generate ideas.

The committee discussed the possibility of establishing a town council to further enhance local governance. Councillor Julia Wassell noted that funding is currently fragmented across various boards, making it difficult to track and manage. Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE referenced a letter from the Houses of Parliament stating the town committee can do everything a town council can do. Councillor Khalil Ahmed said that the fight for a town council will continue. Councillor Gemmell said that he had asked officers to provide information on the process for establishing a town council in the future.

Councillor Arman Alam emphasised the importance of focusing on practical improvements that directly impact residents, such as grass verge maintenance and rubbish disposal. He also suggested recognising community stars who contribute to local improvements.

Councillor Catherine Oliver highlighted the importance of preserving the town's heritage and history, and ensuring that key assets are devolved locally. She also noted that Hazelmere is closely linked to High Wycombe.

Councillor Mahboob Hussain OBE JP stressed the need for a clear strategy to achieve the committee's goals, while Councillor Trevor Snaith emphasised the importance of councillors dedicating more time to working groups and community engagement.

Special Expenses and Outturn 2024/25

Fiorella Mugari, Head of Finance, presented an overview of the special expenses and outturn for the financial year 2024/25. The report revealed an overall underspend of £74,301, with a net actual spend of £449,327 against a budget of £523,628. The underspends were mainly in footway lighting, cemeteries, community grants, and allotments. Overspends occurred in recreation grounds and the war memorial.

Key points from the report:

  • Footway Lighting: An underspend of £1,077 due to some works undertaken on Rupert Avenue.
  • Cemeteries: An underspend of £93,168, primarily due to lower ground maintenance costs and reactive maintenance spend.
  • Town Twinning: Expenditure was on budget at £3,000.
  • Community Grants: An underspend of £5,299, with £14,701.55 awarded to various organisations.
  • Recreation Grounds: An overspend of £29,047 due to additional work requirements.
  • Allotments: An underspend of £5,704 due to reductions in ground maintenance recharges.
  • War Memorial: An overspend of £1,900 due to cleaning expenses.
  • Wycombe Events: Expenditure was on budget at £12,000.

The report also noted that the working balance as of 31 March 2025, was £900,613, which is higher than the recommended minimum level of £150,000. £450,000 of the reserve balance has been allocated for High Wycombe Town Committee projects in FY 25/26.

Councillors raised several questions and concerns regarding the special expenses and outturn:

  • Councillor Chris Chilton asked for clarification on the headings for the £450,000 allocated for projects and the flexibility to spend across different headings.
  • Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE questioned the underspend on cemetery maintenance, the lack of grass cutting on allotments, and requested information on Section 106 1 money.
  • Councillor Khalil Ahmed questioned the continuous underspend on grants and the resolution of flooding issues at the cemetery.
  • Councillor Julia Wassell expressed concern about the allocation of Section 106 money and the need for transparency in spending.
  • Councillor Sarfaraz Khan Raja ( Chairman) sought clarification on the approval of funding for Nexus and Wycombe Life magazine.

The committee agreed to circulate a note on money matters, including details of Section 106 money, special expenses, and other funding sources. They also agreed to review the criteria for grant applications to simplify the process and ensure that funds are allocated effectively.

Written Updates

The committee received written updates on market infrastructure and town centre development, as referred to in the 17 March 2025 High Wycombe Town Committee minutes.

Jacqueline Ford, Economic Development Manager, provided a response to a query regarding the uniformity of the market stalls. She noted that while there had been previous discussions about green and white covers, traders had increasingly moved to self-branded gazebos. She said that a branding refresh for the general street market would be carried out with the market operator over the summer and reported back to the committee at a future meeting.

The update on the town centre programme noted that repairs to the clock on White Hart Street have been completed, and Highways Management are sourcing a base for the replacement ball. A major review of car parking assets is underway, including the effectiveness of the current cleaning programme. A highway maintenance budget of £180,000 was approved for the High Wycombe Town Centre, with approximately 50% remaining for allocation in the current financial year.

The update also noted that a review of parking enforcement measures is underway, with a focus on greater out-of-hours enforcement and the use of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) measures.


  1. Section 106 agreements are legal agreements between local planning authorities and developers; these are linked to planning permissions and can require developers to make contributions to local infrastructure and community facilities. 

Attendees

Profile image for CouncillorEd Gemmell
CouncillorEd Gemmell  Independent •  Hazlemere
Profile image for CouncillorKhalil Ahmed
CouncillorKhalil Ahmed  Independent •  Marsh & Micklefield
Profile image for CouncillorArman Alam
CouncillorArman Alam  Conservative •  Booker & Cressex
Profile image for Councillor Hazel Arthur-Hewitt
Councillor Hazel Arthur-Hewitt  Labour Party •  Downley
Profile image for Councillor Mohammed Ayub
Councillor Mohammed Ayub  Conservative •  Castlefield & Oakridge
Profile image for Councillor Chris Chilton
Councillor Chris Chilton  Labour Party •  Terriers & Amersham Hill
Profile image for Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE
Councillor Lesley Clarke OBE  Conservative •  Abbey
Profile image for CouncillorDarren Hayday
CouncillorDarren Hayday  Independent •  Sands
Profile image for CouncillorImran Hussain
CouncillorImran Hussain  Wycombe Independent •  Totteridge & Bowerdean
Profile image for Councillor Mahboob Hussain OBE JP
Councillor Mahboob Hussain OBE JP  Conservative •  Abbey
Profile image for CouncillorMajid Hussain
CouncillorMajid Hussain  Labour Party •  Castlefield & Oakridge
Profile image for Councillor Mazamal Hussain
Councillor Mazamal Hussain  Conservative •  Disraeli
Profile image for Councillor Catherine Oliver
Councillor Catherine Oliver  Conservative •  Hazlemere
Profile image for CouncillorSarfaraz Khan Raja
CouncillorSarfaraz Khan Raja  Chairman •  Conservative •  Terriers & Amersham Hill
Profile image for Councillor Trevor Snaith
Councillor Trevor Snaith  Independent •  Marsh & Micklefield
Profile image for CouncillorJulia Wassell
CouncillorJulia Wassell  Wycombe Independent •  Totteridge & Bowerdean
Fiorella Mugari
Martin Dickman
Wendy Morgan-Brown
Elly Cook
Jacqueline Ford
Andrew Fowler
Clare Gray
David Harvey
Gail Hudson
Michaela Pottle
Linda Francis
Matthew Everitt
Simon Coultas
Profile image for Councillor Stuart Wilson
Councillor Stuart Wilson  Independent •  Flackwell Heath & The Wooburns

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

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