Your Bucks
Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting bfp news to 80360 or email »
Don't put politics before the town
5:47pm Friday 28th March 2008
RE: LAST week's letter from Tory district councillor Julie Pritchard criticising the idea of creating a new town council for High Wycombe.
WE READ with amazement the letter in the Bucks Free Press last Friday from Cllr Pritchard attacking greater local democracy in High Wycombe.
In following the arguments against a town council used by her and her colleagues at the recent Town Committee meeting, she has missed the point.
In trying to attack the Government while claiming that the Tories have the interest of High Wycombe residents at heart, she was completely unconvincing. For example: * National targets for affordable housing have nothing to do with the question of a town council for High Wycombe. Perhaps she was really trying to say that the Tories don't want to help the less well-off residents of Wycombe by addressing the housing shortage!
* A town council would take over management of cemeteries from Wycombe District Council, so how would that result in increased numbers of officers and site workers?
* Creating a town council will not result in more tax going to central Government. The interest of those who want a town council is to deliver true local democracy to the 46,000 residents of High Wycombe. Something Cllr Pritchard seeks to deny them!
* Cllr Pritchard said the Tories will keep local involvement and maintain community engagement "where possible". What she presumably meant was "where affordable".
The Tories put a price on local democracy but don't know the value of local people deciding their own future. The people of High Wycombe deserve better!
Had Cllr Pritchard paid more attention to recent issues of this paper she would have seen the forceful arguments in favour of a town council articulated by a number of residents.
Is she comfortable ignoring their pleas and making this a party political issue when it is a straightforward non-political issue about accountable local democracy for High Wycombe?
For clarity we ask the Conservative Group to put the needs of the town ahead of any political agenda!
Glyn Galbraith and Trevor Snaith, Wycombe Labour Party and Wycombe Lib Dems
Your Say YourBucks
Town Cryer, Wycombe says...
11:29am Sat 29 Mar 08
Hughenden have blocked 45 homes on farm
Who achieved this -- Parish councils
If wycpmbe town had a Town council we too could block mass housing development, control our parks, create more community centres and supply better services for Town
bystander, home says...
7:01pm Thu 3 Apr 08
bystander, home says...
7:08pm Thu 3 Apr 08
Town Cryer, Wycombe says...
10:02pm Fri 11 Apr 08
From what i can see its the Tory Councillors and Tory party blocking the people of Wycombe from having a democratic voice and a Town Council.
Seems we have local people ,local groups and those who couldnt care a toss about politic being prevented from having democracy by a tory controlled council--- who are more concerned with Rural areas and use Wycombe Town as a dumping ground
Your sayYourBucks
Add your comment
Register for a FREE Bucks Free Press account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.
Please register now or sign in below to continue.
In this section
- "Passed" schools stay in closure-threat programme
- Outraged Wycombe mum joins Baby P campaign group
- Inquest tomorrow over plasterer's mystery death
- Wycombe carer's parking ticket anger
- Councillor needed for Great Marlow Parish Council
- 12-year-old girl hit by car
- Timmy Mallett booted out after bug eating contest
- Marlow KKK graffiti was in "bad taste"
- Princes Risborough residents gather for lighting of memorial tree
- Holby City stars at High Wycombe bash
Sponsored Links
AROUND THE SITE
"Passed" schools stay in closure-threat programme
THREE south Buckinghamshire secondary schools have been kept in a controversial Government scheme which threatened closures – despite meeting its minimum standards.
The schools – which initially reacted with fury after being included in the National Challenge programme – have been told they will remain in the scheme because they are in “challenging contexts”.
Fair raises £1,500 for Terriers church
THE VICAR of a Terriers church has described his congregation's Christmas fair as their “best ever.”
Tony Dickinson, vicar of the Church of St Francis of Assisi in Amersham Road, High Wycombe, said that the fair raised around £1,500.
Timmy Mallett has complained
The children's TV presenter - who left the show this weekend after losing a trial against Brian Paddick - says he was treated unfairly by some of the contestants, in particular glamour model Nicola McLean, presenter Dani Behr and fitness trainer Carly Zucker.
Taylor: I hope Eastwood draw Manchester United
WANDERERS boss Peter Taylor admitted his team were outfought and out-thought as he picked over the wreckage of their FA Cup exit at the hands of Eastwood Town.
Queen rock songs get classical touch
Wycombe guitar teacher David Young has produced an album of Queen songs, played by classical guitarist Carlos Bonell. PLUS hear tracks from the album
Wycombe photographer finds beauty is skins deep
Photographer Gavin Watson who grew up on the Micklefield Estate, has just published his second book, Skins and Punks, which documents life around Wycombe in the 80s. Francine Wolfisz spoke to him
Wycombe council's litigation problem
I’ve decided to embark on a new career. For years I’ve depended on the goodness of someone else paying me a salary for my journalistic wares. It hasn’t earned me a fortune, but at least it’s kept a roof over my head with enough left to feed the cat.
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Pierre, HW says...
8:29am Sat 29 Mar 08
The reader could get the wrong impression that a Town Council would not be able to do the same and more!