Councillor: 'Wycombe asset stripping is subsiding the district'

5:30pm Sunday 21st October 2012 in News

Councillor: 'Wycombe asset stripping is subsiding the district' Councillor: 'Wycombe asset stripping is subsiding the district'

A COUNCILLOR has scoffed at suggestions rural residents subsidise High Wycombe - and says it is actually the opposite.

Councillor Trevor Snaith says the ‘systematic asset stripping’ of Wycombe’s assets is in fact subsidising the rest of the district.

He said the income from the sales of Bassetsbury Manor and ‘numerous pieces of land’ was being used by Wycombe District Council’s ‘rural Cabinet members’ to fund “pet projects” and keep council tax down, instead of reinvesting the money back into Wycombe.

But Cllr Snaith’s claims were rebuffed by WDC’s Cabinet member for finance, Cllr Roger Wilson.

Princes Risborough Mayor Cllr Gary Hall said rural residents effectively pay twice – to the district council and to their town or parish council.

Wycombe does not have its own council, only a committee which is connected to the district council. Cllr Hall believes this is “immoral”.

Cllr Snaith said: “If we were to drill into this, we will find the High Wycombe un-parished wards are subsidising the council tax of the entire district and, in addition, the council’s pet projects.

“WDC earns over £4m each year from rentals, of which about 90 percent comes from properties and land within the unparished town wards.

“The council has potentially earned over £20m in the last eight to ten years from selling off our heritage. Our assets are being systematically stripped.

“It is blatantly obvious from the dire state of Wycombe that those proceeds haven’t been spent on improving the town for the benefits of town residents.

“WDC is run by a rural centric cabinet that demonstrate little concern for the state of our town and would rather sell off our assets to subsidise council tax or pet projects.”

Cllr Snaith is once again calling for the High Wycombe Town Committee to be replaced by a town council.

“A High Wycombe Town Council would be the grass roots of our democracy and the first tier of local government. It would be able to represent the concerns and aspirations of our town and community.”

Cllr Roger Wilson has hit back at Cllr Snaith’s comments.

He said the authority could not sell assets and use the revenue to prop up council tax rates as the money goes back into the capital pot to be reinvested into new projects.

Cllr Wilson added: “We are members of the Cabinet of Wycombe District Council, we look after the whole district – that includes Wycombe, Marlow, Risborough or wherever.

“The only ‘pet project’ I can think he’s talking about is the new sports centre, which is for the whole community but is by in large in Wycombe and would probably benefit Wycombe more than anywhere else.”

Comments (3)

8:01am Mon 22 Oct 12

williamjames says...

Come on Trevor. I would have thought that as a 'social democrat' you would be in favour of wealth distribution where resources are pooled and then spent to the benefit of the community as a whole, that community being Wycombe District.
Your sub-text is tha High Wycombe should have a Town Counncil because all the other towns in the district do. This will cost money and add an extra layer of administration. Why not, in these staightened times, remove the fourth tier of government (Town and Parish Councils) and thus save several million pounds of council tax payers money across the district.
Come on Trevor. I would have thought that as a 'social democrat' you would be in favour of wealth distribution where resources are pooled and then spent to the benefit of the community as a whole, that community being Wycombe District. Your sub-text is tha High Wycombe should have a Town Counncil because all the other towns in the district do. This will cost money and add an extra layer of administration. Why not, in these staightened times, remove the fourth tier of government (Town and Parish Councils) and thus save several million pounds of council tax payers money across the district. williamjames

8:43am Tue 23 Oct 12

Stalemate says...

The numbers can be dissected in any number of ways to give the answers that any interest group might need for any particular purpose.

Current and budding councillors are hopefully getting a clear message from taxpayers in these parts: an increase in councillor numbers and expenses for whatever reason (new town, parish or unitary divisions for example) is entirely unacceptable in current economic conditions.

Cllr Snaith, is a perfectly agreeable chap I am sure with a warm handshake for anyone who wants one. Happy to "snaith" along and play is part in the show.

It is this steady, affable inertia that is making voters sick of politicians. Voters wish to see some dynamism from their leaders, busting themselves for a cause, some missionary zeal. Someone so busy that expense claims might be missed a couple of times a year.

I had in the post last week an application for a postal vote, sent to me by my local councillor as a "free service". I would like to say to by local councillor (lets call him Compact Disc) who now recognises there is so much apathy towards him that people can no longer be arsed to walk to the polling station for his benefit - but might just fill in a postal vote, that he is a lazy useless tub of lard who needs to do a whole lot more for the people he represents. ps: why is the shop continuously out of stock these days? Sort your life out mate.
The numbers can be dissected in any number of ways to give the answers that any interest group might need for any particular purpose. Current and budding councillors are hopefully getting a clear message from taxpayers in these parts: an increase in councillor numbers and expenses for whatever reason (new town, parish or unitary divisions for example) is entirely unacceptable in current economic conditions. Cllr Snaith, is a perfectly agreeable chap I am sure with a warm handshake for anyone who wants one. Happy to "snaith" along and play is part in the show. It is this steady, affable inertia that is making voters sick of politicians. Voters wish to see some dynamism from their leaders, busting themselves for a cause, some missionary zeal. Someone so busy that expense claims might be missed a couple of times a year. I had in the post last week an application for a postal vote, sent to me by my local councillor as a "free service". I would like to say to by local councillor (lets call him Compact Disc) who now recognises there is so much apathy towards him that people can no longer be arsed to walk to the polling station for his benefit - but might just fill in a postal vote, that he is a lazy useless tub of lard who needs to do a whole lot more for the people he represents. ps: why is the shop continuously out of stock these days? Sort your life out mate. Stalemate

2:38pm Wed 24 Oct 12

DonRockell says...

He would he's from Wycombe and gets the benefit.
He would he's from Wycombe and gets the benefit. DonRockell

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