Buckingham Town Council held their Annual Town Meeting on Thursday, 23rd March 2023. It was well attended by residents and offered a valuable opportunity to speak to local representatives on a number of topical issues.
Both Town and County Councillors were present alongside the Chairs/Vice-Chairs of each Committee, the Thames Valley Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Town Clerk.
Residents raised a number of issues and points including:
- Cost of living: Public transport, rising prices, benefits, debt, poverty models, gambling, public health, and food schemes.
- River and green spaces: Complimentary regarding the parks and green spaces, concerns about anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and areas of the river being overgrown.
- Health: Objections to new housing developments and lack of infrastructure, delays regarding a new health centre, and the recruitment of GPs.
- Eco matters: Single use plastic cups, congestion and traffic, bicycle racks and motorcycle parking, and eco agricultural land management.
- Other matters: A new entertainment venue, connecting volunteers for the Coronation Big Help Out, and greater public consultation before s106 requests are made.
- Police: Anti-social behaviour, the lack of officer visibility, and issues with youth engagement.
- Planning/future of the town: Revised Neighbourhood Plan, loss of trees, and schooling and health provision linked to new housing developments.
There were information stalls from the Citizens Advice Bureau, Project Street Life, the Equality, Community Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group and the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office.
If you attended the Annual Town Meeting, we would value your feedback: committeeclerk@buckingham-tc.gov.uk.
The Mayor of Buckingham, Cllr. Margaret Gateley said “It was good to see so many of our residents, as well as representatives from key organisations, such as the Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, and Dr Gavriel from The Swan Practice. This was a key meeting, as we revise our Neighbourhood Plan, giving residents the opportunity to voice their concerns and aspirations for Buckingham. My thanks to everyone who participated.”
