John Skrimshire memorial bench

Memorial bench for past-chair of GMPRG

A memorial bench dedicated to John Skrimshire (1941-2016) has been installed close to the Pocket Park on the Buryfield, Great Missenden, where John used to enjoy times with his grandchildren.

John, who lived with his wife Angela in Crown House on the High Street for many decades, was Chairman of Great Missenden and Prestwood Revitalisation Group (GMPRG) and Committee member of Great Missenden Village Association (GMVA).  He was a member of the parish council for many years and in his capacity as resident and as a planning lawyer was much involved in protecting and influencing many aspects of village life and development, which he always did with a great sense of fun. He is sorely missed. The making and installation of the bench has been funded jointly by GMPRG and GMVA.

Transport Group Meeting Notes 10 March

41 bus from High Wycombe to Great Missenden

With thanks to John Cadman, Transport Group Leader for GMPRG.

To review the membership and objectives of this project group, please visit our Current Projects – Community Transport Group page.

In the light of recent developments, the purpose of this meeting was to revise the scope of this group and to agree next steps.

Recent developments include:

  1. Recent Government announcements about HS2 approval, plus 6 billion pound investment in bus services, plus the increasing public awareness of green issues makes this a good time to proceed.
  2. Written support for our objectives from our local MP with regard to facilitation of funding and other matters.
  3. Steve Burns, very experienced local bus operator, will advise the group where he can.

Revised Scope/Objectives

  1. “Peak” and “Off-peak” solutions will be considered separately since they are different models.
  2. School Transport provision and Parking solutions are out of scope.
  3.  A survey will be conducted to obtain evidence of demand for the viable options available, along the lines of the original objectives above. This is expected to be conducted in May/June. It will be predominantly on-line via GMPRG.
  4. The group will attempt to recruit extra people with public transport expertise to take this forward.
  5.  Sources of funding from HS2 and the Government Bus initiative will be investigated.

Comment/next steps

The previous meeting in November concluded that progress on improving our very poor local bus service via Arriva alone will not happen and therefore the emphasis should be on alternative solutions.  However recent Government announcements make this a good time to re-visit improving the bus service as well.  The intention is to consult the public on what they would use via a survey.  This will be targeted at commuters using Great Missenden station and as many local residents as possible.  It will be heavily promoted via Great Missenden and Prestwood Village Associations, Great Missenden Revitalisation Group, The Source, GMPC and other local notice boards etc. It may also be beneficial for residents in outlying rural localities to promote the survey to ensure their needs are being covered, especially for off-peak needs.

This group has the support of GMPC and Bucks CC members, including Public Transport, and local village Associations. Now is the time to get wider public support for achieving the objectives. Without that support, nothing will happen. That will be the focus of the next steps.

  1. PVA, GMVA, GMPRG to campaign for extra experienced people to join the group as soon as possible.
  2. Circulate proposed survey questionnaire to interested parties for comment.
  3. Obtain approval from GMPC and Chiltern Railways for the survey to be conducted.
  4. Conduct the survey in May/June, assuming Corona Virus and HS2 works do not prevent this.
  5. Peter Martin to investigate funding opportunities via Government initiative and HS2.

Midsomer on the Misbourne

Midsomer on the Misbourne leaflet produced with financial contribution from GMPRG

GMPRG recently contributed to supporting the production of the Midsomer on the Misbourne Locations Trail leaflet along with other Chiltern Revitalisation Groups under Chiltern District Council’s umbrella.

The Trail is the outcome of a CDC initiated workshop towards achieving the development of a visitor strategy for the Chilterns to boost local businesses and improve the local economy and footfall to local high streets, including increasing visitor numbers-to Great Missenden.

Click this link to View the leaflet – or click image below.

Midsomer on the Misbourne leaflet produced with financial contribution from GMPRG

GMPRG response to GMPC’s proposed new parking on Buryfield

GMPRG parking proposals for Buryfield

Great Missenden and Prestwood Revitalisation Group supports, in principle, Great Missenden Parish Council’s plan to replace parking that will be lost on Link Road, due to HS2 enabling works changes. It agrees also that it makes sense to replace parking close to the village centre and the Memorial Hall, so that it serves the same purpose.

GMPRG proposed for consideration two further areas for new or increased parking. It proposed also the commissioning of a Landscape Impact Analysis, to gain a professional opinion of the new parking area on the impact to the AONB.

GMPRG’s comments were informed in part by local concerns, and also a desire to improve the acceptability of this parking plan, and its chances of success.

GMPRG’s detailed response is set out on the PDFs below – click on the link to open in your browser, or click the buttons to download.

Protecting Chiltern from unfettered nighttime noise from Luton Airport

low flying airplane

One of the overwhelming themes among the responses to GMPRG’s was the appreciation of our surroundings, the natural beauty and peace of the Chilterns, and the desire to preserve them as much as possible.

In this spirit, GMPRG made a submission against an application by London Luton Airport Operations Limited to relax the day and night noise contour restriction imposed on their 2015 planning consent.

Great Missenden & Prestwood Revitalisation Group recorded its concern at the potential extension of the daytime and night time noise contours potentially impacting on this part of the Chilterns in between 2020 to 2024.

We pointed out that the Chiltern Hills are mainly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, set between two extremely busy airports, London Heathrow and London Luton. As such any increase in the level of noise over the area would be damaging to the quiet enjoyment of this scenic environment.

A copy of our submission can be read below:

Objection by GMPRG to application to vary condition on nighttime noise countours

Prestwood High Street Car Park – GMPRG’s case for more park benches

The case for park benches to encourage exercise and improve health


New research has shown that park benches are an asset to our lives and to our
communities.
Not only is the park bench great for encouraging people to go outside,
somewhere to sit and chat, it can also improve the lives of elderly people too.
Elderly people are suffering more and more from mental illnesses with 28% of
women over 65 being diagnosed with depression. Depression in elderly people
is a result of many different factors, with one of the key factors being isolation.
Loneliness can cause excess stress on the body and this can result in chronic
diseases including heart failure!
However, by going out for a walk and being able to sit on a bench enables
older people not only keep mobile but also to interact with people their age.
Not to mention that having a place to sit down gives older people a place to
rest whilst they go for a walk.
Prestwood High Street Car Park, owned by CDC, offers a great opportunity to
provide a bench at an appropriate location between other benches to help
the less mobile to get out and about, do a bit of shopping, go to the doctor’s
etc. Without somewhere to stop and sit, older and disable members of the
community are reluctant to venture out, in case they get out of breath or in
pain.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence( NICE) , quoted in The
Times 23 March 2018 as saying that areas with benches, flowers and lighting
tempt people to go out for a walk. They emphasise the need for improvements
to public space to be more active. Councils are advised “to make it as easy
for possible for people to walk”.

The guidance from NICE adds- “For most older people walking is by far the
most important activity”. Doctors describe exercise as a “wonder drug” that
can prevent cancer, diabetes and other diseases.

Working with Others

Word Cloud showing responses to 10-20 years vision in GMPRG survey

Great Missenden & Prestwood Revitalisation Group (GMPRG) works to initiate and implement schemes for the social, economic and environmental benefit of the local community.

Within our area, covering the Parish of Great Missenden including Prestwood and the villages of Ballinger, South Heath and Heath End, we are fortunate that several other organisations share complementary objectives. In 2019, therefore, we have been pleased to work more closely with other groups, businesses and residents. In certain circumstances, we believe that this can yield greater results and better support across the community.

Examples of such cooperations during 2019 include:

  • A Great Missenden Village Noticeboard, which will be installed early in 2020. GMPRG applied successfully for funding from Missendens Local Area Forum. Various local groups and businesses have since agreed to make contributions of funds or in-kind. These include Great Missenden Village Association (GMVA), the Roald Dahl Museum, Missenden Abbey and the Chilterns Conservation Board. Further funds have been made available through a CDC Community Grant and the Bucks CC Community Leaders Fund (with thanks to Barbara Rowett and Cllr Peter Martin, respectively). A truly community effort!
  • Notwithstanding its negative impacts, there are funds available from HS2 for mitigating the effects on local community and businesses. GMPRG is looking at opportunities with Great Missenden Parish Council (GMPC) and GMVA, and leading a project to consider improvements to the centre of Great Missenden.
  • In the recent past, GMPRG has organised secure bike stands and security rings in various locations, with funding from Bucks CC LAF and from the Mid-Counties Co-operative. Responding to the 2018 Community Vision feedback, GMPRG member Mike Johnstone presented plans to upgrade the bridleway between Prestwood and Great Missenden at GMPRG’s 2019 AGM, and a working committee was proposed. A grant application to CDC Large Projects Fund was subsequently taken forward by Mike as a member of Great Missenden Parish Council (GMPC).
  • Prestwood Common was identified within the 2018 Community Vision as an unattractive and even unsafe location, but one essential to the wellbeing of the community. A successful application to CDC’s Large Project Fund grew from a community project initiated by Prestwood Village Association and GMPRG; documentation prepared by GMPRG was then passed on to GMPC. The £20,000 award adds to an earlier grant to GMPC from Bucks CC Local Area Forum. More consultation and funding is still needed, and GMPRG hopes to contribute as part of a broad cross-community effort in 2020.
  • Another area identified for improvement within the Community Vision is local public transport. A Project Team led by John Cadman has started to consider options. Members include representatives of numerous local groups and businesses.
  • The results of our Community Vision Update consultation have been published, and are available to others to study.
  • GMPRG has helped fund a Midsomer Murders location trail. This was requested by Chiltern & South Bucks Joint Community & Leisure Team, with fellow Old Amersham ‘Revite Group’ acting as ‘bankers’.

Can you help?

Revitalisation Groups draw their members from a broad spectrum of residents and local organisations. GMPRG is therefore in a strong position to research, and to harness skills to fund, initiate and deliver projects for the benefit of our community.

Would you like to bring your skills and enthusiasm to the Committee, or join one of our working groups? If so, please contact secretary@gmprg.org.uk

Transport Project Group Update

41 bus from High Wycombe to Great Missenden

To review the membership and objectives of this project group, please visit our Current Projects – Community Transport Group page.

An initial meeting has been held with Arriva to explore ways of improving local bus services. This was then followed by a meeting of the Project Group to review the situation and decide next steps.

  1. The initial Arriva meeting was very disappointing. Arriva is not prepared to invest in the current Route 41 to High Wycombe. It does not consider that there is the demand, even though Great Missenden is a significant transport hub into London.
  2. The subsequent meeting agreed to explore the following.
    a. Community Bus – Age Concern mini-bus possibly available for a 3-month pilot scheme using GMPRG volunteer drivers.
    b. Dial-a-ride – could their vehicles be utilized because Dial-a-ride vehicles used for daytime appointments only.
    c. Car share schemes
    d. Local existing transport providers eg. taxi firms, Red Eagle buses, PACT etc.
  3. Several members of the Group have looked at Community Bus schemes in the past. Nearly all are daytime schemes whereas our focus is Commuters/Schools at peak times.
  4. A meeting was arranged with the local Dial-a-Ride, who were very willing to help if possible but concluded that they are unable to do so.
  5. A further meeting was held with Community Impact Bucks. They are able to provide advice on Community Bus Schemes based on the experience of existing schemes in Bucks, but again mainly daytime.
  6. Steve Burns, formerly of Carousel Coaches and still close to local public transport kindly advised on the scenarios to consider.  The costs, legislation, insurance, the need for paid drivers and a coordinator were highlighted as being very challenging.  Also, the Age Concern Minibus is not compliant.

WHAT NEXT?

A meeting of the Group is planned for November to consider next steps.  It is evident that the financial and human resources needed to implement significant change will require very significant investment of money and people.  Therefore, the meeting will focus on how this can be achieved.

John Cadman
Group Leader