SOME members of the Save Hicks Farm Wood Action Group attended a cabinet meeting on February 11 and we believe there is a serious cause for concern about "consultation" practices.
Many people went out of their way to make their opinions about the public development brief known. We know this, because we handed in their letters to the council offices in the presence of two council portfolio holders.
From what we heard that night, nothing significant has changed, except that now access to the proposed development via St Hughes Avenue has been added to the plan.
Clearly if the area was to be developed access would be required, so why didn't this appear on the development brief?
This is a very damaging proposal for one of the few green spaces left in Hicks Farm Rise.
We hoped that the strength of public opinion would be sufficient to make it clear that this development, which is well outside of the Star Blocks environs, was unwanted.
The point of a development brief is surely to consult with the public not to consult and then take no notice.
We wonder how many cabinet members bothered to read the public comments.
It is very telling that one of the very portfolio holders who was present when we handed in the letters said at the meeting that the cabinet could not take any account of the report SHFWAG had sent them as it was received after the January deadline for comments.
We did send individual copies to all the cabinet members, as we hoped it would be useful to them, and they would have received them after the deadline, but a copy was sent to the council before this.
How strange that the portfolio holder does not appear to have seen it until he received his personal copy.
We hope that the full council will look into the background of this proposed development and remember that local government is supposed to be changing and getting more in touch with the community.
If they do, we think they will find that in this case it has not.
SHFWAG will continue to press for the preservation of the entire wood and we hope that people continue to support our efforts.
Frances Presland
Hon secretary
SHFWAG
Hicks Farm Rise
High Wycombe
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