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Our History
Founded in 1973, we exist to represent the interests and enhance
the wellbeing of the village and its inhabitants. We do so by
supporting communal activities, addressing legitimate concerns
of residents, and influencing, where possible, the actions and
decisions of bodies such as the Parish or District Council which
relate to matters concerning the village.
The Association has at present about 80 members. Meetings
are held monthly, with additional public meetings on an occasional
basis and the Annual General Meeting.
Your New Committee
Following the Residents' Association AGM on 19 June and the
monthly meeting on 3 July, the WERA committee for 2002-2003 is
as follows:
Hugh McCarthy Chairman
Ian Guy Secretary
Christine Cleaves Treasurer
Kay Tucker Minutes Secretary
Annie Andrew Committee member and Parish Council representative
Trevor Dean Committee member
Pauline Densham Committee member
Harry Devereux Committee member
Beryl Guy Committee member
Ann McCarthy Committee member
Bev Ormshaw Committee member
Do we speak for you?
Your Residents' Association has in recent years been involved
in a number of public inquiries affecting the wellbeing of Widmer
End and Four Ashes. We like to claim, on such occasions, that
we speak on behalf of the 800-or-so households of the village.
But do we?
We could answer "yes" with confidence if only we
had a list of fully subscribed members that covered the majority
of residents. But at present, although we believe the village
is generally behind us, our subscription list is pitifully small.
So we are asking you to help us get it up to a level we can be
proud of.
I'm sure you've already had your fill of people knocking at
your door asking for money, or children bringing home letters
about various school events, but at the Residents' Association
we do have a problem in retaining both our credibility and our
finances. All we are asking for is an annual donation of £2
per household.
For this reason we are enclosing a brown envelope stamped
WERA. On receipt of your donation, you will be put on the WERA
register kept by our treasurer, Christine Cleaves. Please note
that we will no longer be issuing membership cards.
It would therefore be very much appreciated if you could let
one of the following people have your envelope with your subscription,
together with your name and address. Please deliver it to one
of the following Committee members:
Christine Cleaves Queens Gate, North Road
Hugh McCarthy Snowshill, North Road
Bev Ormshaw 36 Honeysuckle Road
Pauline Densham 32 Windmill Lane
Harry Devereux 24 Columbine Road
Ian Guy 47 Brimmers Hill
Please ignore this if you have already paid your subscription
for 2002-2003.
Road safety: some progress at last
Many thanks to all who filled in the forms, included in our
last two issues, giving details of incidents involving careless,
inconsiderate or dangerous behaviour on the road. Collecting
this information is just one of the ways by which we residents,
the Police and the County Council - the latter being responsible
for road maintenance and improvement - can get an overall picture
of what's happening in the village and what needs to be done.
Following a spate of accidents at the North Road-Grange Road-Cryers
Hill Lane crossroads, the hedges are being trimmed to improve
visibility and it is planned to impose a 40 mph limit along Cryers
Hill Lane. We hope this will only be the start of the process
of making Widmer End a safer place for us all.
Ian Guy
Secretary, Widmer End Residents' Association
STOP PRESS
Wycombe District Council have refused planning permission for
the equestrian centre at Millfield Farm, Four Ashes. There were
many, many objections from local residents and ourselves and,
after a site visit, the Council have agreed. What a shame the
owners didn't apply for planning permission before they built
it!!
Langs have formally objected to the Village Green status awarded
to Widmer Fields. (No surprise there!) However, Bucks County
Council have decided to fight them in the High Court over the
issue as they see it as so important. Indeed, it is a test case,
so will no doubt be observed by other County Councils. Watch
this space for updates.
We've won our village green! (Provisionally)
Residents of Widmer End and Hazlemere have been thrilled by
the news that Alun Alesbury, who acted as Inspector at the recent
public inquiry, has recommended that the three fields known as
Widmer Fields (see map) should be registered as a village green.
Bucks County Council has accepted the recommendation, though
an appeal is likely.
The inspector's 103-page report makes fascinating reading
for those of us who attended the inquiry. After outlining the
history of the application, the geographical details and the
legal framework, Alesbury summarises the principal issue for
decision, which is that the land in question has been used for
'lawful sports and pastimes' for at least twenty years, such
use being effectively ignored by the landowner. He continues
with a detailed summary of the evidence given by all the witnesses,
then reports the arguments used by both proposing and opposing
counsels - representing the Grange Action Group (GAG) and Laing
Homes respectively - in their opening and final submissions.
The nub of the report lies in the Inspector's own conclusions.
He dismisses as "wholly without merit and wrong" the
argument that the whole application was invalid because of some
alleged errors made on the original application form. Nor is
he persuaded that there is any conflict between the Commons Registration
Act 1965, on which the application is based, and the Human Rights
Act 1998 which brought European practice into English law. However,
he does allow Laing's contention that the case should be decided
on the basis of the law as it was in August 2000, when the application
was made, rather than on the amendment that came into force in
January 2001 and modified the 'locality' requirement. He then
addresses two questions that required considerable discussion:
How does the application square with the 1965 Act's requirement
for a specific 'locality'? In other words, what 'village' would
Widmer Fields be the village green of?
Would any farming that had taken place on the land during the
20-year period affect its eligibility to be registered as a village
green?
The three fields straddle the boundary between Widmer End
and Hazlemere parishes, and Laing's QC had argued strongly against
GAG's proposal that one ward from each parish should together
be taken as the 'locality'. GAG's counsel then suggested the
ecclesiastical parish of Hazlemere, which dates from 1845 and
neatly encompasses most of Hazlemere, all of Widmer End and,
crucially, Widmer Fields. Having compared the parish boundaries
and their changes over the years, the Inspector accepts the ecclesiastical
parish as "the best and most appropriate way of identifying
the relevant 'locality'".
The question of farming had taken up much of the debate at
the public inquiry, with little concrete evidence available and
many witnesses - including farmer Pennington - drawing heavily
on their hazy memories of what might have happened several years
ago. On the balance of probabilities, the Inspector concludes
that 1979 was probably the last year that cattle were kept on
Widmer Farm to any significant extent, although they would still
occasionally pass through one of the three fields in question
up to about 1982. Haymaking began there in 1980 or earlier and
continued till the early 1990s. He goes on to state his opinion
that "there is nothing inherently incompatible between village
green use and either a moderate level of grazing or the cutting
of the grass for hay". In the Inspector's judgment, the
application stands or falls on this point.
Finally, Alesbury concludes that the 20 years' substantial
recreational use of Widmer Fields 'as of right' required for
registration has indeed been established as a fact, and that
the application should be approved. As stated earlier, the County
Council has now done this, but it is very probable that Laing
will appeal. The matter may well go as far as a judicial review,
in which case we shall probably hear the same arguments over
again, though not at Widmer End Village Hall and, hopefully,
without any of us being called, once again, as witnesses.
Well done, everybody!
Ian Guy
Secretary, Widmer End Residents' Association
Special thanks to Ian Boyle who prints our magazine for us
each quarter. We couldn't possibly produce it without him.
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