19-09-24 Works & Services Committee Minutes

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CHEPPING WYCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL
WORKS & SERVICES COMMITTEE
“Cherish the past, adorn the present, construct for the future”

Report of the meeting held on Thursday 19 September 2024 commencing at 7.30pm
in the Council Chamber, Cock Lane, Tylers Green, High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 8DS

Present: Cllr C Dodds – Chairman Cllr C Jordan
Cllr K Wood Cllr A Barron
Cllr L Johncock Cllr J Herschel
Cllr J Gurney Cllr D Johncock (ex officio)

Also present: Cllr K Griffiths

WS/24/016 Apologies for absence
Cllr R Wilks (Vice-chairman) – holiday, Cllr S Herron – holiday, Cllr S Barrett – work

WS/24/017 Declarations of members’ interests in Items on the agenda
There were none.

WS/24/018 Delegated Action
Members were asked to note the following delegated action by the Chairman of committee and the clerk since the last committee meeting in June:
• Urgent work carried out in FH at a cost of £581.60 following the testing of our LED lights.

WS/24/019 Offices, depot and warden’s house
Members were asked to note that work to install a lean-to at the depot had begun.
It was noted that the uprights and cross beams for two bays had been installed and the roofing and side panels would be delivered on Tuesday. Materials to date had cost approximately £1,800.

Members were asked to note that, following the recent Fire Risk Assessment, a fixed wiring check in the depot needs to be done.
Quotes were to be obtained and the check carried out.

WS/24/020 Cemeteries
Members were asked to note that the photographs of all the memorials in Cock Lane Cemetery had been uploaded to the Find a Grave website and the deputy clerk would start on Altona Rd Cemetery next.
Members thanked the deputy clerk for taking on this project.

WS/24/021 War Memorials
Members were asked to note that the licence for the bollards at Loudwater War Memorial is being applied for.

WS/24/022 FH Street Litter Bins
Members were asked to note that Cllr Dodds and Cllr Hershel had taken a walk around to decide whether any bins need to be moved.
A map of the bins in Flackwell Heath centre was handed out.
It was noted that, in the first instance, the deputy clerk would write to Buckinghamshire Council asking them to keep a log for 2 months of the waste collected from each of the identified bins in Flackwell Heath and to enquire why bins 2 and 3 had not been replaced. Following feedback from BC at the end of the 2-month period, a decision will be made as to which bins should be moved.

WS/24/023 Royal Mail Pouch Box
Members were asked to note that the pouch box in Churchill Close was in fact an old gas pipe rather than a pouch box and Cadent had removed it.

WS/24/024 LED Footway Lighting
Members were asked to note that, following the report after the testing of the LED footway lighting in Flackwell Heath, the urgent work had been completed as a delegated action and we had received a quote for the repairs to the 54 high priority lamps in Flackwell Heath.
Members were asked to consider, with a view to recommend for approval at the next Full Council meeting, the quote of £10,217.08 for the repairs.
It was RESOLVED that;
The quote of £10,217.08 be recommended for approval at the next Full Council meeting.

WS/24/025 Cats eye reflectors
Members were asked to note that a letter had been sent to Highways requesting that cats eye reflectors are installed in Sheepridge Lane and that the speed limit is reduced. Our letter had been forwarded to Road Safety and a reply was awaited.

WS/24/026 Heath End Rd footpath
Members were asked to receive a verbal update from Cllr D Johncock.
Cllr David Johncock had contacted the Transport Strategy Officer at Buckinghamshire Council seeking a meeting with him to discuss plans for the footpath/cycle path between the Abbey Road development and Flackwell Heath. As he had not received a response to his last e-mail sent more than a month ago, he had raised the matter with the Cabinet Member for Highways (Cllr Steve Broadbent) in the hope of achieving a satisfactory outcome. The Chairman thanked Cllr Johncock for pursuing the matter.

WS/24/027 Committee Site Visit Feedback
Following the committee site visit in July members were asked to note the following:
Heath End Common & path
• The posts had stopped motorists from parking on pavement – members expressed that it was a job well done
• The cherry trees are spindly and falling over – the Grounds Team would stake them

Altona Road Cemetery
• 4 more trees are to be planted along the new path to balance it out
• The lower branches of the Plane tree had been lifted and the shrubs on either side of the path had been trimmed back

Hammersley Lane Garden of Rest
• Small trees on 2 graves and brambles on 1 grave have been removed

WS/24/028 Committee Budget 2024/25 Initial Discussion
Members were asked to bring along suggestions for projects for the new financial year so that at the next meeting in November a draft budget could be agreed.
The following suggestions for projects were discussed:
• Refurbish the toilet block in the depot. It was estimated that this project would cost approximately £4,000. A specification for the work would be drawn up and quotes obtained.
• Solar panels on the office block/depot roofs. An initial visit by a solar panel company would be arranged to see if the project was feasible and, if so, would be explored further.
• Improve Rights of Way and signage. This would be discussed in the future. The Grounds Team were to be thanked for cutting back the foliage around the path in Sheepridge Lane which a walker had described as ‘a delight’.
WS/24/029 Committee Finances
Members were asked to note the committee’s income and expenditure to Period 5 (August).

WS/24/030 Questions from committee members and the public
• Cllr Barron explained the need for a camera overlooking the front car park to improve security at the Council Offices.
The deputy clerk would take this on board.
• Cllr Jordan enquired as to what the works were for in Rayners Lane.
The deputy clerk would look into this.
It appears that the works is to carry out a detailed bridge examination which could take 18 months.

WS/24/031 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 11364 to 11367 be signed and direct debits to Barclays, Clear Business, Redsquid Communications, Shell (Fuel Card Services), Shorts Group and Trade UK (B&Q) be approved for payment.

The chairman of committee thanked members for their attendance and closed the meeting at 8.40pm.

Date and time of next meeting: Thursday 14 November 2024 at 7.30pm

Signed: Dated: